Silicon Valley Eats: Donuts

Although The Full Plate hosts a whole category for desserts, I think donuts merit their own classification. After all, there aren't too many desserts out there that double as breakfast. Donuts have seen a renaissance in the last decade, with the daily donut elevated to new heights with the IPO of Krispy Kreme, to its gourmet revision on the haute cuisine menus of restaurants like French Laundry. Although I have yet to try the latter version (the closest I've come to a gourmet donut is Satura's raspberry-filled brioche donut which is divine...), I've certainly had my share of the former.

Around here, there's almost nothing that makes me happier than a Happy Donut. Located on El Camino near Matadero, it's hard to miss due to the weird maroon exterior paint job. I guess I'm picky that way, but once inside, it's heaven. I love that the donuts are evenly divided in their glass cases, with cake donuts on the left, and yeast donuts on the right, perfect for those households, such as ours, where members have a strong preference of one over the other. Although I generally have a soft spot for cake donuts, the yeast donuts at Happy Donuts are to die for and have made me a true convert.

My favorites include the chocolate-glazed donut bar, and the chocolate-glazed custard-filled donut. They're light - but not so light as to be puffs of air like Krispy Kremes - there's a satisfying heft to them due to their enormous size. The dough has an excellent texture and flavor; neither bready nor bland, neither mushy nor dry. The glaze also hits all the right notes: chocolatey, glossy with a bit a crackle, with a sweet honey scent that reminds me of the ones I ate as a happy child. Life was simple then, and if it takes just a donut to bring that all back, then long live Happy Donuts.