Glory Hole Doughnuts on Gerrard
Glory Hole Doughnuts has brought its lauded baked rings to the east end with a second location.
Just like its original shop in Parkdale, this iteration is frying up the same addictive, inventive doughnuts the brand has become known for citywide.
What started as a wholesale business running out of Kensington Market in 2011 has, over the past few years, become one of the most popular doughnut operations in Toronto, churning out ring after ring of frosted, glazed goodness.
Every day, owner Ashlery Jacot De Boinod and her team of dedicated bakers roll, fry, and drizzle over 500 doughnuts like their famous Ferrero Rocher and London Fog daily from Monday to Friday.
It's double that on weekends: according to Boinod, the bakery pumps out 1,200 rings a day on Saturdays and Sundays.
Those who consider themselves doughut experts will probably recognize a Glory Hole creation as soon as they bite into one: a cold fermentation process that includes using scrap dough gives these rings an extra fluffy, sticky quality.
Given the success of the Parkdale shop, the menu here is exactly the same. Behind the counter, you'll find the usual selection of frosted and glazed doughnuts ($3.75 each) like the Chunky Monkey, which comes covered in chocolate banana glaze and topped with spiced pecans and banana chips.
The Strawberry Passion is a fun and fruity one that comes with stawberry-passion fruit glaze and coconut flakes.
There are also filled doughnuts ($4.25) like the Citrus Chai Brûlée, and vegan rings ($3.75) made with coconut milk instead of dairy. Doughnut holes come in a lemon ricotta flavour and are $1.75 apiece, or three for $5.
The Birthday Cake doughnut ($3.50) actually uses a cake batter to make a doughnut with a super fluffy interior. This sour dough creation has a vanilla glaze and comes with rainbow sprinkles.
If you want to try a bunch of flavours, you'll want to get a box. It's $23 for six, or $46 for a dozen. If you don't want to share, I suggest heading straight home with the goods or risk being attacked for your precious, precious rings.
Hector Vasquez