Bend’s Best (Old-fashioned) Doughnuts

It was all I could do to keep from licking my own iPhone screen.

When presented perfectly, the glazed craggy ring is one of the most perfect doughnuts.The fact that one of Bend’s four brick’n’mortar doughnut shops only makes them intermittently makes me realize that such a bakery without old-fashioneds would be like a brewery without an old-school classic pale ale. Given that I’ve awakened to the simple, ecumenical beauty of old-fashioneds, I collected both the quintessential glazed version as well as chocolate-frosted, and even a few others such as cinnamon-sugar, maple-iced and true O.G. plain (like an unglazed cake doughnut, these are only intended for dunking in coffee or hot cocoa), If you’re jonesing for any sort of old-fashioned in Bend, heed our grueling research.

Empirical list of the best doughnuts ever

I hate listticles, but do love doughnuts and getting paid. So when I was asked to write a list of the best doughnuts, I got to work on a list so air-tight, it could be be impeached, reproached, are in any way argued against. Take a look at my suggestions for the best baker’s dozen, found in The Takeout, and realize I’m 100% right.

Another love letter to my favorite style: rice lagers

I didn’t fall in love slowly. It happened all at once. In the middle of the California Brewers Association’s annual festival, where WCIPAs reign supreme, I found about 6 or 7 “Japanese” lagers. AKA rice lagers. That was circa 2019 and I haven’t fallen out of love since. Here’s another love letter to the style, focusing primarily on Portland Metro iterations of the crisp, clean, dry lagers.

Bend’s Best (Jelly) Doughnuts

Look, it’s a matter of fortuitousness that I became both a beer writer and a doughnut writer. But if I’m being honest, I think Canada’s antiheroes, the McKenzie Bros. had something to do with it. Which is also why I can’t even THINK the words “jelly douhnut” without hearing Rick Moranis sheepishly offer, “It’s a jelly.”

It’s a jelly.

So I was elated to drive all over Bend and Sisters in search of Bend’s best jellies!

Discovering Bend’s Secret Doughnut Shops

I instinctively knew there weren’t enough doughnut shops in Bend and Central Oregon. What I discovered is that a few enterprising young women have done something about it! Thanks to Oregon laws about cottage catering, I wrote up the places you can order and pick-up custom-made doughnuts. Who knows, they may be right next door!

Pączki Day is Basically Polish-American National Doughnut Day

Of all the trips I’ve taken or will take in my self-appointed role as a doughnut ethnographer, Detroit may not be the most touristy destination or have the most exotic-sounding treats, but I’d say visiting Hamtramck to explore the larger-than-life world of Polish pączki (“poonch-key”) had me drooling the most. For one, I love jelly doughnuts. For two, pączki are unlike typical jelly doughnuts and they can even be enjoyed spiked with a shot on what others call Fat Tuesday or Mardi Gras but in the Upper Midwest everyone knows it as Pączki Day, which I got to write about for TheTakeout. Take that, other immigrant doughnut styles.

Bend’s Best (Apple Fritter) Doughnuts

One’s a one-off, two’s a series! The next installment of my doughnut round-ups, where I spend an early morning driving all over Bend (and even out to Sisters) to score a sample of a particular variety lands on the Yaeger Family Favorite: the mighty apple fritter. Who makes the best around? Sink your teeth in here to find out.

Covering Bend’s first new brewery in years for the Hell of it

New breweries usually means new IPA factories. Which, TBH, is part of the story of Bend’s Van Henion Brewing, the first new brewery in town since way back in 2019. But the real driver behind the new brewery (which is housed in an old brewery and founded by its old brewers) is that they’re focusing on German lagers like Munich-style Helles. What’s German for huzzah?

Dana and Mark Henion. Not pictured: John Van Duzer.

Funky Fauna is Central Oregon’s first new brewery in YEARS (well, two)

Many months ago, someone mentioned hearing about a new brewery in the works. I had no details other than it would be opening in Sisters, about a half hour outside of Bend, and that it was from someone who’d briefly worked at Spider City Brewing, which does a good job of brewing beer styles from around the world. Except, from what I’ve seen, Belgian saisons. So imagine my delight, as a devout saison lover who has precious little in the way of locally brewed examples of the style to choose from, that Funky Fauna Artisan Ales would be a saison-centric brewery. Here’s my profile on ’em in Bend Source Weekly.

All the IBUS, None of the ABVs

OREGON HOP SPRINGS

The concept of “Dry January” took off a decade ago and finally landed on my radar a few years ago, but as a beer writer, what use have I of non=alcoholic beverages to write about? It turns out, when these soft drinks are hopped, I’ve got at least two occasions to cover ’em. The first was in Drynuary 2020 and then again Drynuary 2022 with a local (to Bend) twist. Here are some great hoppy N/A beverages for a thirsty nation via The Takeout and here’s some available to Central Oregonians via Bend Source Weekly.