Buffalo Rising Online

Jul 23rd 2007, 11:19am By Christa Glennie Seychew

In today's calorie counting, carb fasting, waistline obsessed culture, (where good health often falls in line behind good abs) it surprises me that the donut chain has seemingly taken over the world- and Western New York is certainly no exception.

We may look like easy targets with our deep love for chicken wings and pizza, but we're not fools, we know a good donut when we see one. A least that's what I thought until I sampled some of the Nerf-textured flavorless sugar bombs people have been buying by the dozen from the Big 3. Yep, that's right, the Big 3: Dunkin Donuts, Tim Hortons and Krispy Kreme, the folks that have taken your dough in exchange for mechanically manufactured, coma inducing hockey pucks. For shame.

I don't want to hear about the coffee, the sandwiches, the double-whipped chilled vanilla mint “latte”, the donut conveyor belt or rolling up the rim. I'm talking about donuts.

Artisan donut shops are the latest trend, popping up all over the country. Some offer good old-fashioned donuts made with TLC and Grandma's recipe from the old country, while others are going out of their way to break the mold with gourmet ingredients, chic marketing campaigns and high-end prices. Some even offer “top your own” options, the customer's order echoing the feel of the often-mocked Starbuck's order- “I'll take a chunky chocolate cake with a Bavarian fill, a mocha java glaze and a side of sprinkles.”

In Buffalo, we must have forgotten what we're missing when it comes to good, handmade, quality donuts. In the thirteen or fourteen years that I've lived in the Queen City, I've heard from citizens of all ages about the glory of Freddie's Donuts. Mere mention of the former hot spot sends people into the throes of nostalgia, reminiscing about Dad pulling the wood-paneled station wagon up on chilly Sunday mornings, or stopping by with friends on the way home after a Sabres game at the Aud. Though many of you wax poetic about the good ol' days at Freddie's, almost all of you have traded in good, quality donuts for the twaddle served by the Big 3.

The good news? There is one bastion of donut glory in the City of Buffalo. It's tucked away in a strip mall on Kenmore Avenue, and they aren't likely to run out of crullers anytime soon.

Paula Huber of Paula's Donuts has been making beautiful handcut donuts since 1996. With the help of her family, this little shop has developed a loyal following (it was packed at 1 p.m. on a weekday, and they don't serve lunch) and some major accounts. I had always wondered how a locally owned donut shop could stay in business selling peanut sticks and coffee. In this case, Huber sells about 1800 pieces of happiness a day, distributing to local colleges and hospitals.

Paula's Donuts are consistently delicious and well-made. The most popular are the peanut sticks and the peanut sticks filled with “angel cream”, a sweet and fluffy white frosting. A single bite is testimony to the beauty of a perfect donut. Bagels, muffins, and breakfast sandwiches are also good sellers. Cookies, carrot cake and sundry other sweets are also found in the drool-invoking bakery case.

One of the most interesting menu items is the Texas Donut. Measuring 10” in diameter, these beauties are a fun way to celebrate an assortment of occasions or to get over a bad break-up. The donut is halved horizontally and filled with any number of fillings including angel cream, Bavarian cream, chocolate angel cream, apple raspberry jelly, strawberry jelly or lemon. Toppings include donut classics like powdered sugar, peanuts and coconut, or frostings in chocolate, vanilla or maple. At only $4.99 it's quite a deal. Why is it called a “Texas” donut? “Well,” Paula explained to me, “everything's bigger in Texas.”

So, it's time for a little palate retraining, Buffalo, and Paula's is just the place to do it. And with hours from 4 a.m. to 10 p.m. 7 days a week, there's no reason not to.

Food for Thought:
The average glazed donut contains 8 grams of fat, 6 grams of sugar and 180 calories. The average bagel with lite cream cheese contains 11.5 grams of fat, 7 grams of sugar and 440 calories.

Paula's Donuts
380 Kenmore Ave., 14223
716.862.4246
www.paulasdonuts.com