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Mindblowing: There is a Krispy Kreme at London's Heathrow Airport

OMG. THERE IS A KRISPY KREME IN HEATHROW TERMINAL 3. Give us a second to catch our breath.

Okay. That's better.

To reiterate without the immediacy of caps lock, there is indeed an outlet at LHR T3 of that glazed confection heaven that is Krispy Kreme. Even better—it's before security, so if you're just heading to Heathrow to pick up or drop off someone, you can at least enjoy a kruller.

If you've missed it before and are kicking yourself now, it's okay; this Krispy Kreme can be easily missed if you're one of the travelers who zips from ticketing to security as fast as humanly possible, or skips ticketing completely with an e-boarding pass. Just know that it's in Virgin Atlantic territory, so BA flyers don't get to have any fun.

If you don't want to miss it in the future, the easiest way to explain its location is when you've just entered the building and are facing all the signs and security lanes, to head left to the furthest security checkpoint down there. The Krispy Kreme is right in front of it, and everybody knows security officers can't deny you taking a dozen glazed as a carry-on. They may count as items of cultural significance, but last we checked, there are no import limits on donuts.

[Photo: Jaunted]

National Doughnut Day / Donuts / Food Travel / → All Tags

Five Places to Get a Free Treat Today for National Doughnut Day

Today, scarfing down a doughnut for breakfast isn't a guilty pleasure, but a holiday tradition. It's National Doughnut Day, the perfect excuse to go out and get a calorie-laden, heart-clogging piece of fried dough. The holiday dates back to 1938, when the Chicago Salvation Army set aside the first Friday in June to honor women who served doughnuts to soldiers during World War I and raise funds.

You can celebrate National Doughnut Day without shelling out any cash, since a number of doughnut shops are offering treats for free today. So grab your coffee and get in line at these five shops because each has a limited supply.

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Dunkin Donuts Alternatives / Food Travel / Chicago Travel / Donuts / → All Tags

Chicago is Going Crazy and It's all the Fault of Doughnut Vault

If you want proof that the cupcake craze in Chicago is over, head to 401 1/2 N. Franklin, where you'll see a line snake around the block. The patient foodies are waiting for hot, fresh doughnuts from the newly opened Doughnut Vault.

In fact, those hungry patrons stay in line for up to two hours in hopes of scoring some doughnuts. To make it even worse, there's no set time the place opens, you are limited to purchasing only six doughnuts—which go for a pricey $2 to $3 apiece—and the shop closes when it runs out of goodies and people on line are left doughnutless.

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Fast Food Travel / Russia Travel / Dunkin' Donuts / Donuts / → All Tags

Dunkin' Donutski? Moscow to Now Run on Dunkin'

Another American fast food joint is attempting to take over another country. Last month, Taco Bell was breaking into India and now Dunkin' Donuts is giving Russia the old college try.

DD actually opened in Russia 11 years ago but demand was weak (Russians were reportedly confused by the donuts) and DD later closed their two shops. But this time, DD is intent on getting Russia to run on Dunkin' with plans to open 20 stores in Moscow.

The first restaurant in Moscow on Novy Arbat Street, one of the city’s most prestigious and historic areas, will be open to the public on May 11th. This opening marks Dunkin’ Donuts’ plans to expand steadily throughout Russia and Ukraine over the next several years.

Donuts Project LLC, Dunkin’ Donuts’ franchise partner in Russia, is set to open between 10 and 20 Dunkin’ Donuts restaurants in Moscow and the Moscow region in 2010.

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Dunkin' Donuts Alternatives / Food Travel / New York City / Donuts / → All Tags

NYC's Doughnut Plant Should Be the First Stop on Your Donut-Eating Itinerary

Have you ever eaten a donut so moist that one bite nearly made it melt apart? We have, but only yesterday during a stop by the famous NYC Lower East Side bakery Doughnut Plant, where we bought the four beauties pictured above. Doughnut Plant is one of those places that are consistently featured on Food Network and travel TV shows like "The Best Donut Shops of the US" or "Comfort Food, Re-imagined." With such hyper, we figured we should go check them out while their fresh strawberry donut was in season, and now we understand all the love.

The shop is famous for its extremely limited-edition donuts, like a rose-flavored one that only appears on Mother's Day and Valentine's Day, an edible shamrock donut on St. Patrick's Day> and a ginger one for Chinese New Year. But go there any day and order the Tres Leches donut, the most unassuming of the bunch above, and you'll forget about all the others.

Close-ups of the donuts and more, after the jump

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Dunkin' Donuts Alternatives / Donuts / Hawaii Travel / Honolulu Travel / Food Travel / → All Tags

Portuguese Culture Mixed With A Hawaiian Bakery Makes One Tasty Donut

No matter what donut is your donut—we know many people who can't go without ordering a Boston Creme or strawberry frosted—when you're in Hawaii, you've got to get down with the local flavor. In Honolulu, the donut of choice is Portuguese confection called the Malasada, first cooked up at Leonard's Bakery after it opened in 1952.

While they are very similar to the Polish pączki in that they are sweet, filled donuts traditionally consumed on Fat Tuesday, the day before Lent, a true Malasada however is not supposed to have any filling. It is a solid ball of fried dough, coated in granulated sugar and fed to the drooling patrons who flock to Leonard's. Because of the popularity of the Malasada in Hawaii, Leonard's has also begun serving Pao Doce (Portuguese sweet breads) and Malasada puffs.

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Dunkin' Donuts Alternatives / Donuts / Psycho Donuts / Silicon Valley Travel / → All Tags

Not Everyone's Psyched About The Psycho Donuts

Here at Jaunted we've been profiling Dunkin' Donuts Alternatives, places where you can find donuts created with care instead of just mass-produced glazed, jelly, and chocolate donuts and munchkins. We have to say, it's pretty hard not to want to eat a dozen donuts after writing about some of these delicious donut shops. Unless it's the Psycho Donuts shop in Campbell, Calif., in Silicon Valley.

As we mentioned the other week, at Psycho Donuts--from the moment you enter the shop to the type of donut you choose to devour--everything is styled as a mental illness hospital. ABC News reports:

In [owner Jordan] Zweigoron's shop, Psycho Donuts, customers are handed bubble wrap to pop as they come through the door. Cashiers dress in old-fashioned nurses' outfits and patrons can get their picture taken in straight jackets near a mock padded room before they head out to sit in the "group therapy" area.

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Dunkin' Donuts Alternatives / Psycho Donuts / Donuts / Dessert / Food Travel / California Travel / → All Tags

Cali Donut Shop Offers 'Donut Fries' And Insane Asylum Jokes

We recently proclaimed Portland’s VooDoo Doughnuts the home of America’s craziest donuts, but we might have to rethink that statement now that we’ve stumbled upon a competitor a couple of hundred miles to the south.

Psycho Donuts, which opened earlier this year in Campbell, California, just outside San Jose, challenges nearly every accepted orthodoxy of how donuts can be made, from odd flavors (like green tea) to shape (triangular), and toppings (rice krispies, Cocoa Puffs, and graham crackers). They even serve oblong “donut fries that come with donut ketchup for dipping." To complete the “psycho ward” theme, servers don lab coats and nurse outfits, while décor elements include a padded cell and straitjacket.

Not everyone is laughing—local mental health advocates have protested the store, taking umbrage at the lighthearted insane asylum jokes, like the “bipolar” donut above—half crushed peanut topping and half coconut shavings (actually one of their less crazy concoctions). Whether or not Psycho Donuts is convinced to tone down the jokes, we have a feeling these delectable donuts are here to stay.

Related Stories:
· Psycho Donuts [Official Sites]
· Campbell's Psycho Donuts owner to take on head of mental health organization in televised debate [San Jose Mercury News]
· Portland Has America's Craziest Doughnuts [Jaunted]

[Photo: Psycho Donuts ]

Dunkin' Donuts Alternatives / Donuts / Dessert / Los Angeles Travel / Food Travel / → All Tags

Doughnuts Make the Move to Fancy Restaurants

It looks like the high-end doughnut trend is here to stay. Like their once-humble cupcake brethren, doughnuts have crossed the threshold from birthday party standby/early morning snack to gourmet bakery must-have. Now, they’re even showing up on the menus at fancy restaurants.

Trendy LA restaurant Grace is one of the first four-star restaurants to jump on the fancy doughnut train. The Mid-City West eatery recently added a Wednesday “Doughnut Shoppe” night, when the pastry chef whips up a few batches of fresh, seasonal doughnuts that come in innovative flavors like ginger cream cheese filled, curried sugar glazed, and buttermilk brown butter.

The doughnuts are served with a selection of ice cream (like lemon ripple or hazelnut gelato), along with a glass of spiced milk for dipping. A plate of three goes for $12, and you can also pick up a dozen to go for $18. Pricey, yes, but you’re not at Dunkin’ Donuts anymore.

Related Stories:
· Doughnut Shoppe [Grace Restaurant]
· The Donut War Is On As Canada Moves Into Dunkin Donuts Territory /a> [Jaunted]
· Are Donuts the New Cupcakes? [Jaunted]

[Photo: Yelp!]

Dunkin' Donuts Alternatives / Coffee / Free / Food Travel / Donuts / → All Tags

The Donut War Is On As Canada Moves Into Dunkin Donuts Territory

As committed lovers of all things donuts, we’re always happy to hear about another contender challenging Dunkin Donuts for the crown. Now that the Krispy Kreme kraze has cooled down a little bit, our money’s been on the Fractured Prune to grab the title of next big donut, but it looks like the winds are blowing southward—are Canadian donuts the next big thing?

Apparently, the Canadians actually consume the most donuts per capita and have more donut shops than any other country in the world. Who knew? And now they’re ready to take on DD on their home turf. Tim Hortons, the annoyingly un-apostrophe’d Canadian coffee-and-donuts mega-chain, is opening 13 locations in New York City today, and just to rub it in they bought ten more DD locations over the weekend.

The northern bakers are most famous for their very maple-y donuts and "double double" coffee (two sugars, two creams), and they also serve something called "timbits"—bite-sized round donuts that sounds an awful lot like what we call "munchkins."

To promote their invasion, Hortons is giving out free coffee to the first 500,000 commuters who stop by their new branch in Penn Station today. Let us know if you make it; we’re curious to know if these Canadian donuts are worth the hype!

Related Stories:
· Tim Hortons [Official Site]
· Dunkin' Donuts loses out to Canadian invaders Tim Hortons in war of donuts at Penn Station [NY Daily News]
· Dunkin’ Donuts Alternatives [Jaunted]

[Photo: taekwonweirdo]

Dunkin' Donuts Alternatives / Donuts / Food Travel / Maryland Travel / → All Tags

Maryland's Candy-Coated Donuts Storm the Nation

Of all the crazy new donut shops we’ve covered in our Dunkin' Donuts Alternatives series, the one that seems most poised to knock DD and KK from their thrones is Maryland’s ultra-inventive Fractured Prune Donut Shoppe.

The kooky bakery started in the equally kooky beach town of Ocean City, Maryland, where there famous “O.C. Sand” donut—a flour cake topped with honey glaze and cinnamon sugar—got the craze going. But that’s probably their most basic donut—from there it only gets crazier. Try a Morning Buzz (mocha donut topped with Oreo crumble), a Peppermint Patty (mint frosted with mint chips), or a Trail Mix (loaded with banana, nuts, coconut, and jimmies/sprinkles).

Fractured Prune’s candy concoctions certainly appear to be catching on, as the chain has since expanded all across DC, Maryland, Virginia, and Delaware, and even has a few outposts as far afield as Ohio and Mississippi. Watch out, Dunkin!

Related Stories:
· The Fractured Prune [Official Site]
· Portland Has America's Craziest Doughnuts [Jaunted]
· Michigan Bakery Combines Donuts and Candy, Creates Cravings [Jaunted]

Dunkin' Donuts Alternatives / Donuts / Texas Travel / Foodie Travel / → All Tags

Small-Town Texas Donut Shop Keeps It Real And Really Big

Long before Dunkin and Krispy Kreme came to dominate America’s donut-eating landscape, baked goods connoisseurs traveled far and wide to Round Rock, Texas, a tiny town off I-35 in between Dallas and San Antonio. The reason for the pilgrimmage was of course Round Rock Donuts, open since 1926, who've attracted a cult-like following for their super lightweight glazed donut, which many claim to be the perfect example of the classic American donut.

Fast-forward to eighty years later, and Round Rock is still churning out a remarkably similar product despite their foodie celebrity status. The yeast-risen donuts are still made by hand—now to the tune of 200 dozen a day—and come solely in old school varieties: plain, chocolate, blueberry, and applesauce-filled.

And better yet, the Round Rock crew won’t have anything to do with that New York-style $3 donut trend. The classic RR donut still goes for a mere 55 cents, marked up to 75 cents if you opt for a “fancy donut” like cherry Bismark or one of their famous fried cinnamon rolls.

As an iconic Texas institution, of course Round Rock can’t get away without offering a biggest something in the world. Enter the Round Rock two-pound donut. Purely unnecessary, but pure genius, as something has to be counteract all those lightweight donuts.

Related Stories:
· Round Rock Donuts [Official Site]
· Michigan Bakery Combines Donuts and Candy, Creates Cravings [Jaunted]
· Seattle's Healthy Donuts: Shouldn't Work But It Does [Jaunted]

[Photo: http://www.flickr.com/photos/headache/3489887617/]