I love food.
By now I hope you know that to be true.
Bear in mind, I don’t merely love food in general. No. I love creative, well-made food, crafted with care by other food lovers.
It is so refreshing to find similar souls who sincerely love food as much as I do. My pastor is one of these people. He will eagerly discuss food pretty much any time of day and I seem to always leave our food conversations jotting down at least two new places to try. It is he who provided me with the subject of today’s post: Duck Donuts.
Do you remember O’s Donuts? Duck Donuts is the first donut place I have experienced in Jersey that is a near perfect match to O’s and, in case you’ve forgotten, O’s is the one that started my driving need to find warm, made-to-order donuts in Jersey*.
*If you go to that post you’ll note that we only purchased four donuts at O’s. What amateurs we were!
While the process has been the same at some of the other donut joints we have visited, O’s and Duck share in the fact that they don’t have a list of donuts you can order from*. Instead you choose your glaze, your toppings, and your donuts are then prepared right before your eyes.
*See Uncle Dood’s Donuts for a Jersey donut shop listing up incredible donut concoctions.
Duck’s, unlike O’s, had a daily specials chart including donuts like ‘Cinnamon Bun’ and ‘Orance Creamsicle’ that could aid an indecisive person with the ordering process.
Or, a person attempting to order a dozen different donuts.
We start with the base donut. Upon my first sample, I was worried the donut was a little flat and on the thinner side.* However, the flavor was there and as I proceeded to eat my next sampling, I was pleased with the result. This donut was thick, a beautifully crafted cake donut, warm and fresh with a slight crunch to the outside. These are the donuts that heaven will be serving, I’m sure.
*Similar to a seaside donut shop that so many raved about last summer that I refused to post about due to the size and quality of the donuts. Sad day, I know.
The only thing that could make Duck better is if they offered a wider selection of toppings. I was hoping for some crumbled Oreo to top a simple vanilla glaze, however, their toppings are limited to shredded coconut, chocolate sprinkles, rainbow sprinkles, chopped peanuts, and bacon.
Yes, bacon.
Oreo who?
Our order included:
Glazed (2)
Cinnamon Bun
Chocolate Mint
Orange Creamsicle
French Toast
Chocolate
Chocolate Bacon
Cinnamon Sugar
Lemon
Maple Bacon
Reese’s
Though they were all phenomenal, if I had to pick a favorite it would be the Reese’s and the Orange Creamsicle. The Reese’s was topped with what tasted like a melted Reese’s cup, and since Hubby doesn’t like peanut butter it was all mine! The Orange Creamsicle flavors were light and refreshing, not at all overpowering.
I should be grateful that Duck Donuts is in Jersey at all, even if it is an hour drive away. This franchise started out in the Outer Banks of North Carolina, and an hour drive in state definitely beats an eight hour drive south.
Still I wouldn’t be upset if someone decided to open a franchise store in my neighborhood.
Duck Donuts
Ventura Plaza
1275 Route 35
Middletown, NJ
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