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

Creamy, Dreamy Caramel Gelato You Can't Miss

Okay, so I’m not a caramel expert, but I do like my frozen treats and just have to rave about Talenti’s Dulce de Leche gelato. It’s richly flavored so you don’t need a lot to get your fix. The flavor is so familiar (like those clear plastic-wrapped squares, but way better) but surprising at the same time - not as cloyingly sweet as candy - and each spoonful has unexpected depth. I think it’s the Argentine dulce de leche? Anyone know anything about it?

Full disclosure that Talenti sent me a big sampler of their gelatos and sorbets a couple months ago and I’m only now getting to try all the flavors but the Dulce de Leche was a standout. Other yummy flavors include Black Cherry gelato (with fresh cherry bits mixed in), Hill Country Peach Champagne (channels summer picnics), and Double Dark Chocolate (includes tiny semisweet Belgian chocolate pieces). Talenti uses only natural ingredients- the milk is freshly pasteurized and free of growth hormones, fresh fruit and nuts, and fancy things like whole Tahitian vanilla beans from Papua New Guinea and coconuts from the Philippines.

Locally, you should be able to find it at Whole Foods and Target, but they also have online ordering.

And when your friends come over, be prepared to hide your stash because they might try to eat the whole pint in one sitting!