Remember the Sunday morning treat? Get up early and pile into the backseat of Dad's car, excited about what is to come. Drive the short way to the local donut shop. They were all the same back then even though the name on the door may be different, Winchel's, Dunkin' Donut or the more formal Mr. Donut. These featured a bright sunshine hue of orange or yellow, offset by a brown trying to keep up. The inside smell was of coffee and sweetness mixed with comforting humidity that clung to the windows creating a sketchpad for every kid sitting at a booth. The large display case featuring a wide array of decorated donuts in every color. The glass of the case marked with the nose and handprints of every kid lucky enough to earn trip to the shop. Another look around found the counter lined with single post stools and folks slurping on hot coffee in small mugs and plenty of sugar in their system.
The shop owner is the one with the resigned posture and deep set haunting eyes of someone up at 3am every morning and who finishes the day with a mop and bucket of pine sol.
Today's donut shop is not like that. Today's donut shop was found on a list of top ten donut shops in the USA listed on Yahoo.
Dynamo Donuts is in San Francisco.
It is in a part of the city that is missing the things that the city is famous for, fog, tourists and a high sense of culture. This is a neighborhood that is in transition from here to there but never quite makes it there. A one way street called Lucky is at one end and a closed bar called Pop's is at the other. In between are taquarias, laundry mats, used book stores with the skateboard shop and fortune teller to fill the space between.
It is here that I come upon a great find. In true city fashion, a walk up donut shop with a lively city gal at the helm with a recommendation and a hard time to her regulars. It makes you want to be honored to earn the surly end of her verbal stick.
The specialty of the house, in photo, is the bacon maple apple, oh so great, sweet soft dough goodness with chunks of apple and maple glaze with bits of salty bacon sprinkles, this aint no raised glazed from my past. A whole new level of candied orange blossom and spiced chocolate donuts.
If in the area take a walk down the street and stop by the walkup window for a new experience that you will be able to remember fondly.
