Blue Star Donuts – Devilish Dulce de Leche Delight

On a constant quest for great donuts around town, this week’s lunch excursion sent my colleague Annie and me to Blue Star Donuts. Located just two short blocks from our office, we ventured out on a rainy day in quest of something sweet, sticky and delicious. While I’ve tried many of their donuts already, I noticed a glistening dulce de leche hazelnut beauty calling my name. 

Dulce de Leche Donut – Automatically drawn to this confection because of its carameley topping sprinkled with crushed hazelnuts, I was curious to see how it’d compare to the other yeast based donuts I’ve had here previously. Truth be told, this qualifies as a cake donut, which is delicious in its own right. From the very first to last bite, this baby didn’t disappoint. The topping was wonderfully sweet and a little salty as well, boasting a toothsome texture from the crushed hazelnuts. The cake-like consistency was perfect and crumbled into bite-sized pieces, making this handsome treat that much easier (and faster) to consume. 

Service and Cost: 
Even on a rainy day, Blue Star was pretty busy, which is testament to their excellent product.  The staff was helpful and quick, as per usual and we even enjoyed watching them make the donuts in their open kitchen as an added bonus.

Costs continue to astound, especially for a simple treat such as a donut.  My aforementioned dulce de leech donut set me back $2.75, which was one of the cheaper options.  Annie paid a whopping $7 for just two donuts, including an apple fritter.

3 Mmmms

Blue Star Donuts - 3753 N Mississippi Avenue, Portland OR 97227
971.254.4575
bluestardonuts.com

Keep Calm and Eat Donuts at Blue Star Donuts

A favorite aspect of mine, thus far, about our new home is the myriad of donut options available.  This was sometimes hard to come by in New York (and Astoria particularly). Sure we had our Dunkin' Donuts and Tim Horton's, but what I'm referring to are the fancy, sophisticated and often creative donuts that a market like Portland over-delivers on.  

Blue Star Donuts happens to be one of these shops, and I'm happy to see they've expanded to the North East part of Portland.  While I've written about them last month when Dan brought me a special delivery to New York, this time, I got to eat them fresh and there's no comparison.

Atmosphere:

Located on North Mississippi Avenue, Blue Star Donuts occupies a small storefront in the same strip as Little Big Burger and The Meadow.  It's hard to miss, especially given its characteristic blue facade and fun "Keep Calm and Eat Donuts" sign. 

While the interior of the shop is small, it's well designed and you can definitely find a common denominator with its Downtown sibling.  The aesthetic is the same, and I'd describe it as "urban country" with white tiled walls, rustic wood trimmings and plenty of space to display their piece-de-resistance donuts.  There's a few spots to sit along the two large windows up front, but it's more of a grab and go type of place.

Donuts:
I've now tried a few different varieties here and this time I wasn't going to mess around, going straight for the maple bacon donut.  This beautifully round fluffy donut, as you can see, packs a punch for your tastebuds, as each bite is a pleasant medley of sweet, smoky and salty.  The bacon crumbles are plentiful, as they should be and sometimes flake off the donut, making you work for.  After all, if you're indulging this much, you might as well earn it.

Service and Cost:
Given that we went into the shop in the middle of the day, it wasn't too crowded and we were helped right away.  There's nothing remarkable to note about the service but no complaints either.

Costs are pretty standard for fancy donuts, at around $3 each.  Dan also got a Stumptown coffee and together we paid around $6.50.

3 Mmmms

Blue Star Donuts - 3753 N Mississippi Avenue, Portland OR 97227
971.254.4575
bluestardonuts.com

Blue Star Donuts - Magnificent Gift from Stumptown

Dan brought me something very delicious today on his way back from Portland, which made my day.  Donuts!  But not just any kind of donuts, Blue Star Donuts to be exact, which are gourmet delicious pastries made from a traditional brioche recipe but that come in several non-traditional flavors.  

Bringing me back not one but two of these beauties, Dan and I devoured them after a delicious Peruvian dinner.  Here's what you can expect if you happen to find yourself in Portland and in the search of something sweet and delectable:

Lemon/Lime Meringue - While I wasn't initially impressed by the look of this particular donut, when I cut it in half and noticed the silky lemon/lime filling oozing out, I knew it was special.  Biting into it, I instantly fell in love with the cakey (but still airy) dough and the smooth and tangy lemon/lime curd that was prepared with sophistication and clear expertise.  Dan had half of it and agreed that this was very unique.

Raspberry/Bourbon/Basil - At first glance, this donut looked a lot more appealing, as it glistened with a light red raspberry glaze and some seeds that indicated its freshness and authenticity.  The inside was once again light and fluffy and almost resembled the layers in a cronut.  Truth be told that this was an equally delicious donut, but I didn't get too much in the way of bourbon and basil but definitely felt the distinct notes of raspberry. In hindsight, I probably wouldn't order this one again, as I like funkier varieties, but if you like this type of flavor profile you will enjoy it.

Service and Cost:
According to Dan, the service was great and typical of Portlandian hospitality.  Everyone is free with conversation and the whole place has a very communal friendly vibe.

Costs come at a premium in Portland but compared to NY prices are downright cheap, ranging from $2.75 - $3.50 for these well executed gourmet donuts.

3 Mmmms

Blue Star Donuts - 3753 N Mississippi Avenue, Portland OR 97227
bluestardonuts.com