![[REVIEW] Bacon Maple Doughnut / Gourdough’s / Austin, TX
We flew Continental to Texas and during the Transatlantic part, when we were at our most bored, Mrs D and I watched one of the random TV shows they had on the seatback video system things. Flying Continental to Texas is great by the way: all the stewardesses look like the Mum or Aunts from the first two Home Alone movies.
Anyway, we’ve seen all the movies so we’ve moved on to this show about foodtrucks. Some Travel Channel thingy. Very on topic. In Austin there was a piece about Gourdough’s, and we watched it open-mouthed. They make the biggest, most incredible looking doughnuts you’ve ever seen. There was this one with bacon on it.
Once in Austin, and having realised the usual Gourdough’s spot was too far away from downtown to get there, we resigned ourselves to not visiting. But because SXSW was happening, those savvy Manhattanites Squarespace had hired their own foodtruck, with a different local foodtruck providing free food each day, just round the corner from the Convention Center.
And, lo, we did see that Gourdough’s were there, and that they were serving up the famous bacon maple doughnuts we’d seen on the plane. And they were free and they were called ‘The Flying Pig’. God bless the internet.
On picking up the box, the first surprise is how light it is. The Gourdough’s doughnut looks like something that could destroy you from the inside out, but the batter is deceptively light and fluffy, and delicately fried. The maple butter and crispy bacon give a perfect salty crunch to each bite.
If your doughnut experience doesn’t extend beyond Gregg’s and those slightly cold, stale Krispy Kremes that all get made in Essex, then Gourdough’s will be otherworldly in its goodness.
Absolutely a must-visit if you love doughnuts. We’ll be going back for the proper truck experience next time.
Simon.](http://24.media.tumblr.com/tumblr_lze5rqd7ay1qh62x4o1_1280.jpg)
[REVIEW] Bacon Maple Doughnut / Gourdough’s / Austin, TX
We flew Continental to Texas and during the Transatlantic part, when we were at our most bored, Mrs D and I watched one of the random TV shows they had on the seatback video system things. Flying Continental to Texas is great by the way: all the stewardesses look like the Mum or Aunts from the first two Home Alone movies.
Anyway, we’ve seen all the movies so we’ve moved on to this show about foodtrucks. Some Travel Channel thingy. Very on topic. In Austin there was a piece about Gourdough’s, and we watched it open-mouthed. They make the biggest, most incredible looking doughnuts you’ve ever seen. There was this one with bacon on it.
Once in Austin, and having realised the usual Gourdough’s spot was too far away from downtown to get there, we resigned ourselves to not visiting. But because SXSW was happening, those savvy Manhattanites Squarespace had hired their own foodtruck, with a different local foodtruck providing free food each day, just round the corner from the Convention Center.
And, lo, we did see that Gourdough’s were there, and that they were serving up the famous bacon maple doughnuts we’d seen on the plane. And they were free and they were called ‘The Flying Pig’. God bless the internet.
On picking up the box, the first surprise is how light it is. The Gourdough’s doughnut looks like something that could destroy you from the inside out, but the batter is deceptively light and fluffy, and delicately fried. The maple butter and crispy bacon give a perfect salty crunch to each bite.
If your doughnut experience doesn’t extend beyond Gregg’s and those slightly cold, stale Krispy Kremes that all get made in Essex, then Gourdough’s will be otherworldly in its goodness.
Absolutely a must-visit if you love doughnuts. We’ll be going back for the proper truck experience next time.
- Simon.
★[ON TOUR] Voodoo Doughnut / Portland, OR
“…so sweet it actually hurt my teeth.”
If Krispy Kreme are the jocks sitting on the bleachers boasting about how much they bench, then Voodoo Doughnuts is the gathering of goths sitting beneath them, smoking weed and attempting to ignite the letterman jackets above with their Pentagram Zippos.
Everything about this place is brilliantly irreverent and suggestive, from the tagline (‘The magic is in the hole’), to the names of the doughnuts (there’s one called Butterfingering) to the staff.
Our waitress went to put our doughnuts in a bag, so I asked ‘Do you have a box?’ With the deadpan sardonicism of April Ludgate, she replied ‘Of course I have a box’, pausing.
Cue plummy Brit embarrassment.
We had queued for around 20 minutes before we got served but, dang, was it worth it. The selection of doughnuts they have is mind blowing, and with a queue of baying sugar-fix seekers waiting, as a first time visitor you feel pressured to pick almost randomly.
We went in the afternoon, which was probably why they had already sold out of the Old Dirty Bastard. But I reckon we could have picked any of them and left happy; they were all so good:
The signature Portland Cream was stuffed with the aforementioned, encased in a fluffy dough shell with a soft top of milky chocolate icing.
It was stick-your-middle-finger-in-the-face better than any similar styled doughnut I’ve ever had. The maple bacon bar also deserves mention for brazenly sticking two slices of bacon on top, and being so sweet it actually hurt my teeth.
Despite the incredible array of toppings and fillings, the lightness of the dough is the champion here. Goth-smokingly wicked. It’s essential Portland.
- Rob.
★[REVIEW] Steak ‘n Bake / Hawksmoor Guildhall / London
“It feels odd saying that you should visit a steakhouse to sample the pastry chef’s baking.”
Hawksmoor introducing breakfast as a permanent fixture at their new Guildhall location is smart. I’ve already spent a few hundred words on how damn smart they are, so let’s look at the actual food.
Chemex
Smart. Looks grandiose. Unusual to find too, since most places will happily charge you £3-a-pop on coffee, to the extent you’ll only have one, and then leave feeling under-caffeinated. Chemex is smart. A word of warning though, it certainly doesn’t stay warm for long.
The H&K muffin
Evil genius. There are two eggs in there. It has the same cheese/starch/meat combo hit of a McMuffin, but does it without the dirt. It’s £8.50. That’s a bargain.
Eggs Benedict
The ability to deliver a good eggs benny is the yardstick I’ve long used to rank restaurants in order of breakfast ability. Keeping a good hollandaise going is tough. It demonstrates skills. It’s also something you’re rarely arsed to make from scratch at home. Again, it’s perfectly executed here. One of the best I’ve had in the UK, especially if, like me, you like your hollandaise nice and vinegary. The quality of the ham helps elevate it too.
Marmelade French Toast
A small portion, but it’s rich. Light, fluffy but with expansive qualities. I’m not a marmelade guy at all, but the dish maintains a sweet and citrussy thrall, with just enough sugar. Mrs D felt it slightly underdone, but that’s just how I like it. How did they know. Etc. etc.
Scotch Pancakes with bacon
The difference here is the maple syrup is proper and that these are scotch pancakes. They’re not buttermilky American pancakes. Think dropscone and add some more lemon. Nice.
Doughnuts. Baked Goods.
The secret weapon. Right up there with the very, very best. It feels odd saying that you should visit a steakhouse to sample the pastry chef’s baking.
The Point of it All
If you’ve been putting off visiting Hawksmoor due to wallet restrictions, then my advice is book a table for breakfast and go for it. You can spend £15-20 per head and get some of the best morning food in the capital. Keep away from the steak and you’ll be fine. I’m sure the steak and eggs are lovely, but they’re not going to be as special as these Britished-up takes on American breakfast classics.
Be sure to check out the breakfast gallery for pictures of all of the above
and then have a quick read of our essay on why Hawksmoor are so fricking smart.
- Simon.
