(photo by Regina Peterman)

I’m not at all ashamed to profess my love for donuts.  Some may label these decadent morsels of fried dough a “guilty pleasure,” but when I sink my eager teeth into the perfect donut, I feel no guilt at all, simply a euphoric rush of gustatory satisfaction which no other breakfast pastry can provide.  Last year, I presented my list of the Best Donuts in Dallas, but since that time, we’ve seen some notable changes on the Dallas donut frontier.  The beloved Hypnotic Donuts traded in their inconspicuous habitation of a pizza joint in North Dallas for a vibrant new shop in East Dallas.  Other donut shops, such as Pookie’s Donuts on Lemmon Ave, who donut bombed D Magazine a few weeks ago, and Denton Square Donuts who I visited previously, are also getting in on the donut love currently wafting through the air around Dallas.

Jump for a hole lot more…

Banana Pudding Donut (Photo by Regina Peterman)

And now the latest in the world of donut indulgence comes to us from Forney, TX, a tiny town just east of Mesquite.  Not a place I normally travel to, but for exceptional donuts, my stomach and gas tank know no bounds.  I was first turned onto The Hole Thing by the diligent blogger, the walking sweet-tooth, Jayme Campbell of Confection Confessions, one of the few people I know whose love for donuts rivals my own. And so it was that early last Saturday morning, I made the mini-road trip to Forney, to see if The Hole Thing could stack up to some of the donut joints in my regular rotation.

(Photo by Regina Peterman)

Navigating Forney, despite its small size can be incredibly annoying, especially with construction filled roads, a smartphone Google Map on the fritz, and naught but a lousy Facebook map pin to point me in the right direction.  But by the grace of the donut gods and my keen sense of donut-trained olfaction, I pulled into The Hole Thing by 7:30 AM, plenty of time to get my hands on the good stuff.

The Hole Thing starts where most donut shops do, offering the standard array of plain glazed, chocolate glazed, old fashioned sour cream, etc.  But they are assuredly amping things up a bit with their wide assortment of novelty and specialty items, and they are going well beyond the now nearly ubiquitous maple and bacon bar.  I skipped the plain and opted for the unusual to see what this place really had to offer.  Luckily, I was more than pleased in my selections.

(Photo by Regina Peterman)

Blueberry Fritter (Photo by Regina Peterman)

Among the most memorable items was from their line of ”pie-based” donuts including blueberry cream frosted with blueberry pie filling, banana cream pie topped with crunchy banana chips, apple pie with chopped apples, vanilla and cinnamon crumb, lemon cream pie, key lime, and coconut cream. Other showstoppers include the wonderful banana pudding filled donut with wafer cookie crumble and banana chips, the piña colada donut with pineapple, whipped cream and coconut and the pineapple upside-down cake donut with a sweet brown sugar glaze, and (gasp!) a red velvet donut with chocolate drizzle.  As a huge supporter of fritters, I was ecstatic to see their work with these giants among donuts, with blueberry, apple, banana honey glazed, and a banana chocolate chip with peanut butter and chocolate fudge drizzle.

Coconut Cream, Blueberry Cream, and Key Lime Donuts (Photo by Regina Peterman)

Trust me, the options do not stop there. Candy bars, cookies, and cereals find their way onto many of The Hole Thing’s offerings. In addition to donuts, they are running a line of barbecue pockets including chopped brisket filled rolls and smoked pulled pork filled rolls, as well as cinnamon rolls, whoopie pies, and muffins.

I asked co-owner, Katie Vrana, what kind of things they had in mind for the future and among other ideas are a “donut bread pudding with bourbon caramel sauce,” and with the approach of summer they plan on incorporating peaches and berries from a local orchard and berry farm. Drooling yet?

Red Velvet Cake Donut (Photo by Regina Peterman)

The Hole Thing is headed by a trio of women, sisters Katie Vrana and Stephanie Winther, and their niece, Jennifer Thrash. They eventually brought on Scott Martin as head baker, a 15-year bakery veteran from Rhode Island who brought his experience to the team to ensure that what they produce at The Hole Thing is more than the text-book, just-add-water donut mix offerings which plague many run-of-the-mill donut joints around town. For only being open since early December 2011, they are already building a loyal following.  No surprise though, as attention to quality, creativity, and a little risk-taking often pays off in this town. I look forward to great things from these people.

The Hole Thing

571 S. FM 548 Ste 128

Forney, TX

(972) 564-4653

Blueberry Cream Donut (Photo by Regina Peterman)

(Photo by Regina Peterman)

Shepherds pie with butter bean mash garnished with thyme and candied pansies from Kate's mother's garden

Desiree Espada documents the food world through her lenses and writes this report:

Let me introduce you to Kate Nelson, an energetic and engaging twenty-something year old entrepreneur who is wise beyond her years. Kate is the owner and sole chef of Piecurious, a freelance pie company that caters to Meridian Room and individual clients. Kate is also the Kitchen Manager and designs donuts for the delicious new breakfast fad that is Hypnotic Donuts in east Dallas.

Jump for some amazing pie.

Kate filling her Pot Pie-ettes made with local venison, Tom Spicer's veggie mix, Gruyere and Brazos Valley Cheddar cheese (left); Hand-made crusts for Pie-ettes (right)

I had the pleasure of meeting Kate over at her mother’s house where she occasionally bakes. Kate learned to cook from her mother Raelene, Grandmother Barbara Jean, her sister Francis, “Aunt Fran,” and Marty Roper (both Kate’s Great Aunts). Kate gives a lot of credit to her great grandmother Thelma Roper for teaching her how to improvise while cooking and use farm fresh ingredients whenever possible.

"Hole in the Wall" Raspberry Buttermilk Donut Hole Pie

Shepherd's pie with butter bean mash

In the kitchen, she’s spontaneous and unpredictable, utilizing fresh and local ingredients. Her menu adapts to the seasons. Kate’s a chef who really gets food and knows exactly what she wants.

This is just wrong.

]]> http://sidedish.dmagazine.com/2012/02/21/this-pookies-donut-is-borderline-offensive/feed/ 6 http://sidedish.dmagazine.com/2012/02/21/when-mystery-donuts-appear-on-my-desk-i-question-the-meaning-of-life/ http://sidedish.dmagazine.com/2012/02/21/when-mystery-donuts-appear-on-my-desk-i-question-the-meaning-of-life/#comments Tue, 21 Feb 2012 16:53:32 +0000 Carol Shih http://sidedish.dmagazine.com/?p=36544

My surprise package from Pookies Donuts

I woke up this morning craving two things: donuts and a Big Breakfast from McDonald’s (don’t ask me why). The universe must really love me, because I walked into work this morning only to discover a big box of donuts sitting on my desk. It came with a mysterious note from Rinny & Joaquin Lewis: “Mark suggested we bring these by. Thank you [insert smiley face].”

Er, thanks for the donuts, guys, but… who are you?? Have we met before? And what did I do to deserve these fatty donuts? Three weeks ago, I gave a random man my extra DART ticket, but that was the latest act of kindness I can remember…

A thorough Google search tells me that that Pookies Donuts opened at 6522 Lemmon Ave. last month, its Facebook page has 63 likes, and needs a new cashier who can speak English and won’t send emails.

Cashier needed for Pookies Donuts. The newest hippest Donut shop in Dallas near Love Field Air Port You must be friendly and outgoing and able to work in a fast pace environment. Position is early mornings till 1:30 pm. Our Donut shop is a fun working environment with great customers. And our donuts are very creative. You must be reliable; being bilingual is a PLUS.
We are Hiring this week!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
EMAILS WILL NOT BE ANSWERED EMAILS WILL NOT BE ANSWERED EMAILS WILL NOT BE ANSWERED EMAILS WILL NOT BE ANSWERED
MUST Apply in Person at MUST Apply in Person at MUST Apply in Person at
Pookies Donuts 8AM TILL 12:30 PM ONLY 8AM TILL 12:30 PM ONLY 8AM TILL 12:30 PM ONLY
6522 Lemmon Ave Dallas TX 75209
Must be able to speak English$$$$$$$

As for these crazy-looking donuts sitting on my desk, they are being approached hesitantly by co-workers who are well past the age of Fruity Pebbles and Froot Loops. The blueberry donut had good reviews, but it was the only normal donut in this box of ten. To be honest, I haven’t touched a single one of these donuts yet. They look like they could eat me.

Hippie donuts will be served in a groovy setting.Photography by Desiree Espada.

SideDish photographer Desiree Espada roams the roads with her camera looking for good things to eat and shoot. Check out her photo essay of Bolsa Mercado. Then feast your eyes on what to expect when the Jerry Garcia of donut making, James St. Peter, opens Hypnotic Donuts on Sunday, January 29.

Glory be to the donut.

Interior seating. Kate Nelson of Piecurious makes curious donuts. Photography by Desiree Espada.

James St. Peter rings up a sale. Photography by Desiree Espada.

The Zoo Ropa with iced animal cookies. Photography by Desiree Espada.

Jenni's evil Elvis: peanut butter with banana and bacon. Photography by Desiree Espada.

Greek yogurt parfait and The Hypnotic. Photography by Desiree Espada.

The Canadian Health Care. Photography by Desiree Espada.

The Biscuit Board. Photography by Desiree Espada.

Biscuit with peanut butter and jelly. Photography by Desiree Espada.

Fried chicken biscuit and gravy. Photography by Desiree Espada.

Hypnotic Donuts: Inside out. Photography by Desiree Espada.

Team Hypnotic: Rachel Villarreal, Kate Nelson,and James Baker. Photography by Desiree Espada.

The new location at 9007 Garland Road, has a full kitchen and a new menu which will include chicken biscuits, biscuits and jelly from local purveyor JJ&B, biscuits and gravy, oatmeal made to order with choice of toppings, Greek yogurt and fresh fruit parfaits, along with protein drinks, protein bars, and energy/recovery drinks.

“Hyppies,” as patrons are known as, will enjoy a casual in-store experience with seating at the donut and coffee bar, or lounging on the sofa and some old school chairs.  Outside will be cheap plastic chairs that face the street.  Hypnotic calls this seating style “Goodfellas Row” as it is inspired by the movie of the same name. Standard chairs and tables will be placed throughout the space as well. In following St. Peter’s Hyppie mantra, Hypnotic Donuts furnished the store using reclaimed furniture and décor from local vintage, resale, thrift and charity stores. To further utilize local talent, local artist Kristen Johnson painted a mural of well-known hippies throughout history giving customers the joy of sharing a Hypnotic experience with their favorite hippies.

Hyppies, as patrons are known as, will enjoy a casual in-store experience with seating at the donut and coffee bar, or lounging on the sofas and living room chairs. Standard chairs and tables will be placed throughout the space as well. In following St. Peter’s Hyppie mantra, Hypnotic Donuts will upcycle/recycle as much as possible, expect to see reclaimed furniture and décor from local vintage, resale, thrift and charity stores. To further utilize local talent, local artist have been commissioned to paint a mural of well-known hippies throughout history giving customers the joy of sharing a Hypnotic experience with their favorite hippies.  Also, coffee will be supplied by locally owned and award winning Oak Cliff Coffee Roasters and will be brewed by the French press method.

Yo, groovy secret-keeping dudes in The OC. Watch your back. East Dallas is moving up.