After about a year and a half of following them on Instagram, driving by the cheerful teal blue and grey storefront after late night visits to Duck and Bunny and realizing they only are open till 4 (or until the supply runs out!), and hemming and hawing that I couldn't possibly wake up early enough to beat the crowds that allegedly gather here daily for fresh and funky pastry creations, I FINALLY made it to the storied Mecca that is PVDonuts. Let me tell you, it is DEFINITELY worth the hype! I was worried, because I figured that nothing that looks that good on Instagram could actually be tasty in real life, and some of these donut flavors look too darn complex to actually be delicious (I mean, a Dunkaroo Donut? Sometimes, you have to draw the line). But I was very pleasantly surprised to find that these donuts are just as good for your stomach as they are for your wallet - they are huge and filling, and at about $3.50 a pop, you get your money's worth.
The shop itself is just as adorably unique as the donuts they sell. With kitschy design details, like a neon sign and a wall emblazoned with sprinkles, you can't miss the many photo opportunities that come with the territory of a gorgeous and fun setting like this! Take photos EVERYWHERE! That's kind of the gist of their marketing - to be as viral, fun, and eye catching as possible, and the interior of PVDonuts suits that perfectly. Don't be embarrassed to snap a few shots - everyone else is doing it, too!
Since we'd never been before, we decided to order a couple of different donuts and try them. March's menu theme is an homage to all things 90's, so we indulged in a MoonPie Donut, a Cosmic Brownie Donut, and a Berry Poptart Donut, all which featured the same flavors as their vintage counterparts, with some added PVDonuts flair and surprises! The MoonPie Donut was a bit hard to cut, and very big / filling! It came coated in graham cracker dust, and topped with marshmallow and chocolate frosting. The donut itself tasted more like a cupcake than a donut, and it was fascinating to blend the texture of a donut with the flavor of a cupcake. It was very dense, but very tasty. If you're looking for something lighter, you'll love the Berry Poptart Donut (my fave of the three), which was a light and fluffy brioche donut stuffed to the gills with fresh berry jam and frosted with photo-friendly purple and blue berry frosting. So cute! My boyfriend, a self proclaimed chocoholic, love the Cosmic Brownie, but it was too chocolatey for me. I also enjoyed a very flavorful and refreshing iced apple berry tea to wash down the donut delights! I was basically full for the rest of the day after our donut feast!
We actually came here around 1:30 PM, and there was no line, so if you can stand it, try to come later in the day. However, the donuts may not be as fresh at that point (our late arrival could have accounted for the hardness of the MoonPie Donut), but the brioche based donut tasted like it was fresh and wasn't hard at all. It's also SUPER difficult to find parking around here, especially in the snow, which makes the streets really narrow. Maybe someone can point me in the direction of a magical hidden parking lot nearby? We managed to get street parking eventually, but finding parking was the most stressful part of the experience. Other than that, though, I am so glad we visited PVDonuts, can't wait to go back, and in the meantime, will tell everyone how fantastic it was! read more