Donut shops are to southern California what hot dog places are to Chicagoland — you can’t go a mile without spotting one. I discovered this fact on the Internet while looking for things to do during my week in the L.A. suburbs, and planned on visiting a couple of the more notable ones. But when I got out there and saw how many there are, I decided to hit a different one every day.
Sunday — The Donut Hole in La Puente (2/16/14)
Two friends and I opted for dessert before supper and headed for The Donut Hole. The lane though the building is narrow and I kept rubbing the tires of the rental van against the curbs. There were dozens of donut varieties visible through the glass windows but no labels. When I attempted to ask the woman, I got nowhere. The only thing she said to me is that they didn’t have one of the varieties that we could plainly see on display. I had a blueberry cake donut that was awesome.
Monday — Ontario Donuts in Ontario (2/17/14)
This shop was just a mile from our hotel. I bought a dozen and a half for the booth team to eat while we set up. When I opened to box to sneak one on the way to the conference center, I discovered all the spaces in the box were filled with donut holes. And then I was told that no outside food was allowed in the center. We hid the box under a blanket and sneaked it in. We were careful not to get caught and grabbed surreptitious bites when we could. The consensus was that they were delicious.
Tuesday — Mom’s Donuts in Ontario (2/18/14)
I didn’t have to be at the booth until 11:45, which meant that I had several hours to kill in the morning. I drove into downtown Ontario to explore, then headed for this donut shop. It was in a run-down part of town and felt a little grubby inside. I bought an apple fritter and ate it back at the hotel. When I pulled it out of the bag, I discovered another donut underneath. Both were good.
Wednesday — The Donut Man in Glendora (2/19/14)
My friend wanted to visit The Donut Hole. I had already been there. I told her I’d take her if we could visit another shop on the way back. Another friend came along for the ride. The Donut Man is the most famous and highly rated of the shops I visited. Their specialty is donuts stuffed with fresh fruit. We were there during strawberry season. A standard donut was cut open and stuffed with several chunks of fresh strawberries, then covered with a strawberry glaze. They were huge, messy, and hard to eat, even with a fork, but they were very tasty.
Thursday — Station Donuts in Yorba Linda (2/20/14)
The conference ended on Wednesday night, but I stuck around for two more days to explore. On Thursday morning, I drove to Yorba Linda to see the Nixon Library and Museum. Station Donuts had a blueberry fritter that was amazing.
Friday — Choco Donuts in Beaumont (2/21/14)
On my way to Joshua Tree National Park, I stopped here for breakfast. The specialty donut is the bacon maple bar, so that’s what I got. I wasn’t thrilled. The shop was clean, the owners were friendly and the bacon, egg and cheese sandwich was great.
Saturday — Kalvin’s Donuts in Rancho Cucamonga (2/22/14)
I’d been telling my wife about my donut quest and she asked me to bring her some. I had time before my flight to buy some plastic containers and head to Kalvin’s. I bought a random half dozen and packed three for my wife, including a glazed donut that is considered their specialty. The two I had for breakfast were very good. The one I ate on the plane later in the day was good. It would have been better if all the chocolate hadn’t melted off.
By the end of the week, I’d had enough donuts for a while, but if I return next year, I’m guessing I’ll find room for more.