My family loves to travel.
Unlike others who plan voyages for sights and spas, we more often than
not seem to travel for food. For example,
we first visited Philadelphia not to see the Liberty Bell (although we did stop
by) but to decide which of the two kitty-cornered, ever-dueling Philly
cheesesteak purveyors made the number one sandwich – Pat’s or Geno’s. I have to say, after trying one “with whiz”
from each, we concluded that PAT’S IS BETTER (but both are without a doubt fantastic)!
(Translation: “with” = with sautéed onions,
“whiz” = with Cheez Whiz)
Photo by Susan Wenzel
Now that we live on the west coast, a whole new slew of food destinations dictate where we spend our vacations. This year, the siren song
of VooDoo Doughnuts in Portland, Oregon was strong. Coupled with the promise of cheddar heaven at
the Tillamook Cheese Factory (have I ever told you how much I love cheese?), it
proved irresistible. So, come spring
break, we packed up the car and kids and headed south.
Photo by Susan Wenzel
We first heard of VooDoo Doughnuts while watching The Travel Channel’s “Donut
Paradise.” The quirky sounding flavors
lured us in (Miami Vice Berry? Grape Ape? No Name?), but the promise of delicious dough
cinched the deal. One question remained,
would it be worth the trip and legendary lines or was this just another overhyped
tourist attraction? We were about to
find out.
Photo by Susan Wenzel
The line was indeed as long as we were told it would be – maybe longer (it
wove back and forth along the sidewalk reminiscent of the two hour wait to ride
the Top Thrill Dragster at Cedar Point in Sandusky, Ohio).
To our surprise, it moved quickly – almost too fast to allow us to
decide among the 40-some different doughnuts available that day. Anticipation mounted as we scoped out the
racks of tempting combinations, and soon it was our turn at the counter.
We perused the Captain Crunch, Fruit Loop, Rice Krispie, Cocoa Puff, marshmallow,
bubble gum, peanut butter, Butterfinger, chocolate chip, purple sprinkle topped pastries and each picked one. We left only a few dollars poorer (all but a
couple varieties were priced under $2 - cash only, if you please) with four doughnuts in hand. Here they are:
Photo by Susan Wenzel
Mango Tango (mine!) - raised yeast doughnut filled with sweet mango
jelly and topped with vanilla frosting and tangy Tang powder. Yes, that Tang – the astronaut-endorsed
orange flavored powdered drink mix
Dirty Doughnut - raised yeast doughnut topped with vanilla frosting and
a heap of crushed Oreos
Maple Bacon Bar - raised yeast doughnut topped with maple frosting and crispy, salty BACON!
VooDoo Doll - VooDoo's signature raised yeast doughnut filled with raspberry jelly topped with chocolate frosting and pierced with a pretzel "pin" for poking
Photo by Susan Wenzel
The doughnuts were not, as I feared, “just
doughnuts.” Far from it, in fact. They were heavenly! The dough was fried perfectly crispy on the outside and sweet, soft, and fragrantly yeasty fresh on the inside. Each additional flavor was distinct and the combinations
complimented each other. What impressed me most was that, despite the thousands of people the VooDoo bakers manage to shuttle
through the doors every day, each doughnut was prepared with equal
care and, as promised, a touch of VooDoo magic. We really had found Doughnut
Paradise.
Photo by Susan Wenzel
While bawdy puns prevail at this eclectic eatery, thankfully my kids were far too dazzled by whirling displays of rainbow colored pastries and diverse décor to notice. We definitely plan to go back – next time the Memphis Mafia (fried dough with banana chunks and cinnamon
sugar, topped with glaze, chocolate frosting, peanut butter, peanuts and
chocolate chips) is MINE!
(PS – Look for Part 2 – The Tillamook Cheese Factory – early next week!)
