A hearty, healthy breakfast is one of the pillars of any diet. However, when you’re traveling, vacationers tend to splurge a little bit on your morning meal, and one of the delicious favorites you can expect to see on any foodie travel itinerary is doughnuts.
Doughnuts have seen a major resurgence in recent years in many American cities, according to Thrillist. In fact, many independent shops selling these round, sweet pastries have been boasting long lines and creating incredible artisanal recipes far beyond the traditional glazed variety.
Ready to feel a bit gluttonous during your planning? To protect your travel investment, it is recommended to purchase travel insurance. Here are some of the nation’s best doughnut shops from coast to coast:
Doughnut Vault in Chicago: If you’re walking around River North in Chicago and see an exceedingly long line, it’s probably leading to Doughnut Vault. Quickly becoming a foodie must-do in the Windy City (behind deep dish, of course), this establishment gets fancy with their doughnuts, boasting flavors you usually see in ice cream shops like pistachio, salted caramel and red velvet cake. Doughnut Vault usually sells out of their fresh-daily batch within a few hours of opening – so be sure to get here early.
Donut Snob in Los Angeles: In L.A., it’s all about the presentation, and that includes classic pastries. No matter what doughnut you purchase, it is almost going to be too pretty to eat – almost. Try the Oinker, which is glazed with maple cinnamon, orange zest and bacon – all of your breakfast needs in one scrumptious bite.
Voodoo Doughnut in Portland, Oregon: Perhaps the most creative doughnut shop on this list has to be Voodoo, a local hot spot that uses ingredients like Froot Loops, pretzels and bubble gum dust. If you and your sweetie love doughnuts as much as each other, you can even get married here and have doughnuts and coffee in lieu of wedding cake.
Fox’s Donut Den in Nashville: Located in the Green Hills neighborhood near the iconic music venue Bluebird Cafe, Fox’s Donut Den has been a Music City treasure for more than three decades. Traveling with a group? You can get a specially-made giant doughnut if your companions aren’t concerned with caloric intake.
Dominique Ansel Bakery in New York: The Cronut™ has swept the nation and there are a lot of copycats, but the original was sold at this Soho establishment. In addition to the piece de resistance, there are also meringues and choux if you have a serious sweet tooth.