where jess ate

I think it’s safe to say that doughnuts are the new cupcakes in Toronto. Glory Hole Doughnuts opened in the late summer and joins several other doughnut joints like Paulette’s Chicken and Doughnuts and Dough by Rachelle (selling from Beast).

This little Parkdale doughnut shop is brought to you by Ashley Jacot, who used to work as a pastry chef at Buca and Scaramouche. So, she’s definitely got some street cred!

Glory Hole Doughnuts is open Tuesdays to Saturdays from 10am to 6pm (or when they sell out). They make their handmade doughnuts fresh in batches so check their twitter account (@GHoleDoughnuts) for their current offerings.

The doughnuts here are anything but typical. Here, you’ll find doughnuts like banana cream pie, lemon meringue, beer and chocolate pistachio. They’re “gourmet”, so be prepared to pay a pretty penny for them as they range in price from $3 to $4.50. Did I mention you can add bacon to any doughnut for an extra $1?

In addition to their doughnuts, they also sell doughnut holes and cinnamon buns. And since you can’t have doughnuts without coffee, they sell organic fair trade coffee.

The first doughnut I tried was the Butter & Toast Doughnut ($3.50). It sounds simple but it was a wonderfully tasty doughnut. It had a buttery glaze with pieces of crumbled toast on top, giving it a nice crunchy texture. All the doughnuts at Glory Hole are yeast-based and they’ve really nailed it. The doughnut base is light, fluffy and soft. Heavenly!

Next up was the Pretzel Doughnut ($3.50). I’m generally not a huge fan of pretzels, so this was obviously Mike’s pick. However, I ended up loving this doughnut. The pretzel doughnut is a chocolate dipped doughnut that’s been covered in pieces of pretzels. I just love a good salty and sweet combination.

Our third pick was going to be the banana cream pie. Unfortunately they had sold out of their first batch and their next one wouldn’t be ready in quite some time. But this ended up being a blessing in disguise as we ended up with the oh-so-decadent Elvis with Marshmallow Doughnut – marshmallow, peanut butter cream cheese icing, bacon and banana chips ($4.50). Even though I loved the other doughnuts, this was the clear winner.

Yes, at $4.50 a pop, it’s a pricey doughnut but it’s a special occasion kinda doughnut. Glad calories in these doughnuts aren’t disclosed.

After trying the doughnuts here, I don’t think I’ll be able to satisfy my doughnut fix anywhere else. It’s too bad this doughnut shop isn’t a little closer my place. But then again, I’m sure my waistline is thankful for that.

At a glance:
• Serving up gourmet doughnuts ($3 to $4.50 each)
• Offerings include lemon meringue, banana cream, pretzel & beer to name a few
• Located in Parkdale
• Open Tuesdays to Sundays from 10am till 6pm (or when they sell out)
• Limited seating – only a few stools in the small storefront

Ratings (out of 5):
• Food: 4.5 stars
• Service: N/A
• Atmosphere: 3 stars