Von Doughnuts: my new Danforth vice

Reader beware - I'm a donut (yeah, donut, not doughnut) fiend - I'll them from wherever I can get 'em - and even though I'm sometimes critical, I'll still finish every one I lay my hands on. That being said, I know where to get donuts in my area - Coffee Time has the best apple fritters (they're also the size of your face), 7/11 of all places has the best (and cheapest) Boston cream, and Tim Hortons will do if you need a donut fix in a pinch. Those are the cheap, donut and coffee for less than $3.00 kind of places though - and sometimes, you want something a little more 'adventurous' - and that's where places like Von Doughnuts comes in.

I've visited some of the other 'well-known' places in Toronto to get your hands on gourmet donuts - Paulette's Chicken & Donuts (who have since closed down), and Glory Hole Doughnuts - and Von really keeps up the pace.

Unlike the two I named above though, Von has a great selection of both cake-base and yeast-base donuts (Paulette's had only cake-based, and Glory Hole focuses more on just yeast). I won't go through their menu (because you can find it online here), but some offerings that stand out are the jalapeno cheddar donut (if you want a salty snack), and the donut hole kebab.

The location itself feels new, and a bit unfinished, but very modern and sleek - they've avoided the old school, retro diner look, and stuck with a higher end espresso and snack bar option, which feels better, and more sustainable.

The drunken nut (my selection) - was coated with a Malibu
rum glaze, and covered in coconut and pineapple.

The fact that you can get both brewed coffee, as well as any espresso based drink is also a plus, because who wants one without the other. They were having some issues with the espresso machine when I went in, but it turned out to be a blessing in disguise, because the brewed coffee was some of the best I've had in a while. A donut and a large coffee cost me $6.00, but in comparison with other gourmet donut shops, it's right on par.

So, while I encourage you to support whatever Toronto donut place you frequent, if you live in the East end, or on the subway line, I would encourage you to check out Von Doughnuts.