Old Fashioned Fritters at Tonalli's Donuts & Cream

I've come to have a new-found appreciation for donuts lately, especially because there's such an abundance of them in Portland.  While I've written about a few fancy donut places such as Blue Star and VooDoo, here I'd like to highlight Tonalli's, a no-frills shop that sells high quality old fashioned donuts.  Confections that never go out of style, really.

Atmosphere:
Located on the East end of the Alberta Arts District, we stumbled upon Tonalli's one night after a happy hour escapade at the Cruzroom.  We were in the mood for something sweet, but at the same time didn't want to break the bank.  Noticing they also had ice cream, it was a win win situation, as Dan got a cup and I picked out a donut.

The space is set up like an old fashioned ice cream parlor or a donutry in this case with large display cases of the latter.  There are so many choices to ponder about, as everything looks fresh and enticing - especially their fritters and the old fashioned donuts.  After you choose your dessert, there's plenty of room to sit down and enjoy, and because this place isn't on the trendy side like Salt & Straw for example, you won't have to face the crowds and for this we were grateful.

Apple Fritter - I couldn't resist the big apple fritter you see above and this photo doesn't do it justice in terms of size.  It's really large and is something you can easily share with a friend or partner, which is exactly what Dan and I did.  In fact, the fritter was also a perfect accompaniment to the snicker doodle ice cream Dan got as well, and it was fun to break little chunks off and place them right into the ice cream.  

The best part of the donut was its crunchy exterior, which is where its namesake comes from.  A soft, chewy inside is a pleasure to bite into as well, laced with ribbons of cinnamon and apple chunks that tie it all together.

Service and Cost:
We enjoyed the friendly and prompt service at the shop.  Since Tonalli's isn't overly busy, you get served right away and can be in and out as quickly or luxuriously as you want.

Costs are super cheap, especially for such high quality donuts, setting us back just $1.85 for the fritter and about $2.50 for the ice cream.  Sweet deal, indeed!

3 Mmmms

Tonalli's Donuts & Cream - 28-05 NE Alberta Street, Portland OR 97211
503.284.4510