Okay, I've had my introduction to a potato flour donut and it was a real eye opener. Now there is a rich and informative history of the spudnut and there is a lot of donut shops carrying on the legacy, as close as they can (see Spudnut Info). Basically, the idea is the dough bakes up fluffier and tastier than regular wheat flour. My Dad has mentioned the donut shop in Charlottesville, VA that does it and one day I'm going to hit that one up. On a Sunday afternoon in Southern California, I got my potato flour donut initiation at the Spudnuts on Venice Blvd. in Los Angeles.
The place has a great selection and a helpful counter server gave me all the info I needed to make sure I picked a great one. He mentioned the couple pastries that are made with wheat flour and all the others that feature the potato flour. Great news was that they made the donuts on site! With so many LA shops, I was worried they had a system going where deliveries were made from a different location.
I had a couple donut holes so I could dip them in coffee and get my full dunking experience on. They were glazed nuggets of goodness, one biters that allowed me to enjoy the synergy of the bite of the coffee against the sweetness of the donut. There is nothing better than black coffee with a sugary donut!
Then, the main course, a football shaped white donut with chocolate icing on top, topped with mini chocolate chips. This was delicious and the outside had a crispness that encased the donut so well. At first glance the donut looked a little dry. But that outer light crispness was the perfect cover for the doughy goodness that filled the inside. It kept the inside so soft and fluffy and tasty. When I pulled the donut apart, it was like pulling melted cheese apart in all those commercials where you see the cheese being spread out while a nacho is being lifted. It was almost gooey, but not quite, not in a disgusting way. Then there was another surprise inside, more chocolate in the center! There was a soft chocolate center and then even more mini chocolate chips in the center mix. I was going out of mind!
The one thing that prevented this from being the perfect donut was it was too rich for me. I loved every second of it but the chocolate overload was too extreme.
Spudnuts
11285 Venice Blvd (corner of Sawtelle Blvd)
Los Angeles, CA. 90066
Spudnut Info
Quick Score - 10 - Place rulz!
Donut Quality - 9 - Damn near perfect
Donut Selection - 10 - Lost of choices
Donut Freshness - 10 - Fresh!
Service - 10 - Friendly, informative
Extras - 10 - Sandwiches
Appeal - 10 - Potato flour rulz!
Emotion - 10 - I felt like a 10 walking out of this place
Other's Rating - 8 - 4/5 stars average rating on Yelp!
Price - 5 - Fair pricing
Donut Dunkability - 5 - Delicious donut holes available.
Total - 97
I had the opportunity to hit up Big Jim's in Glendale for another entry in the ongoing search for the most perfect donut. In a tiny strip mall parking lot with that alarming yellow and red sign, Big Jim's is open 24 hours, the true hallmark of a great donut shop.
There's a couple other Big Jim's around L.A. so maybe this is a small local chain. There were certainly no "Big" folks working at this place but on a Sunday morning with blazing sun harassing your eyes, the kind elderly Asian man working the counter had the perfect demeanor of a patient and leisurely pace.
The altar was awesome. Flanked by two giant shelves of cigarettes, this is a nice touch, and it even had a spotlight on the statue. Big Jim's has another unique characteristic for a donut shop, tons of lottery tickets for sale. Full selection of lottery pick tickets and scratchers. 
The donuts are your standard varieties and flavors. No fancy cakes or treats, this is like your basic four food groups of dounts. I had a sugar twist and it was fabulous. Sweet, soft, doughy goodness that pushed all my problems away and let me enjoy 5 minutes of donuts bliss.
Big Jim's has a "big" selection of lottery tix and cigarettes, and great standard donuts resulting in a 3/5 rating.
Big Jim's 1141 E Broadway Glendale, CA 92105
Quick Score - 7 - Pretty cool
Donut Quality - 6 - Standard quality
Donut Selection - 7 - Decent selection
Donut Freshness - 9 - Morning run was fresh
Service - 9 - Friendly, helpful
Extras - 9 - Lottery tix!
Appeal - 8 - Felt good, the alter ruled
Emotion - 8 - I feltl like a 8 walking out of this place
Other's Rating - 9 - 4.5/5 stars average rating on Yelp!
Price - 5 - fair pricing
Donut Dunkability - 5 - Twists were good for dunking
Total - 82
I saw the iconic donut in person, the giant embodiment of my culinary lust. Lots of info on the history and film placement has been gathered on the Wiki. This stand has been pouring out donuts to Inglewood since the '50s.
I'm a huge fan of the double drive-thru. You got a walk-up window in the front and drive-thru windows on both sides. It feels like classic Southern California fast food architecture, the tip of the hat to LA's legendary car culture. Drive thru's waste gas and take out that step of actually having to get up and walk, but for donuts and coffee on the way to work, it's a perfect fit.
I have been spoiled by all the grand display cases in so many shops that allow me to peruse the selection. Y'know, sometimes you don't know what you're in the mood for until you see it. Randy's can't do that, everything is behind the scenes. You can try to peer through the window (even the walk-up one) and see them but it's hard. Makes it difficult when you just order off the menu and then they tell you they're temporarily out.
Another interesting tidbit I learned on my outing: they don't actually make all (or any) of the donuts right there onsite, they actually have them dropped off.
Randy's Donuts
805 W Manchester Ave
Inglewood, CA 90301
Quick Score - 6 - Historical significance can't make up for overall dissapointment
Donut Quality - 8 - Tastes good
Donut Selection - 3 - Limited selection, some sold out
Donut Freshness - 7- Seems reasonably fresh
Service - 5 - Tough communicating through walkup window, imagine drive thru tough too
Extras -8 - No extras but awesome giant donut and double drive thrus
Appeal - 10 - Feels like an institution
Emotion - 5 - I had mixed feelings after my visit, fun experience but a little of a letdown
Other's Rating - 8 - 4/5 stars average rating on Yelp!
Price - 5 - fair pricing
Donut Dunkability - 4 - Coffee available, no donut holes from what I saw
Total - 69
Lucy Liu is blowing up again with The Man with the Iron Fists opening and Elementary airing and it got me thinking of her run on Southland earlier this year.
I am a person that gravitates to the reality cop shows and tends to steer clear from the hour-long dramas. They often get too soap-operarish for me. I never gave Southland a chance until Season 4's 10-show run with Lucy. Each show begins with a freeze frame of a moment that is going to show up later in the episode, a monologue from a character ruminating on their emotions or thoughts during that exact moment. Then you're watching the morning meeting before everyone shoves off and hits the streets. You get that jumpstart to an episode like a cop has the start of a workday.
In-car camerawork, dashboard cams, and shoulder cams running around all help the action on the streets, I even get that Cops feel watching much of the time. It's gritty, it's violent, it's harsh. All different kinds of cops are represented, good, bad, naive, bitter, just like the range of people in any other occupation. Only the show focuses on how high the stakes are in the Southland.
And L.A. is often shown with the sun washing through the lens filter into everything. I love setting my TV to "Natural" Picture Mode ("Cinema" is too dark) and seeing that sun run through everything. It helps frame the uniqueness of the location, a sprawl set in a near tropical climate, a hot mess everyone's dealing with.
And did I mention, Lucy Liu as a policewoman?
New season of Southland begins on TNT Wed, 12 Feb 2013.
Photo Credit: Doug Hyun
