Dining Out: Doughnut heaven at Darn Donuts

Dense and delectable, Darn Donuts’ freshly baked doughnuts take the American favorite into the culinary stratosphere.

Having sampled a selection of the brand new store’s plump and personable offerings, I can attest that they are – in no uncertain terms – not your ordinary doughnut.

Bigger than the average doughnut, and with flavors ranging from Pretzel to ‘Smores to Key Lime Pie, they are, in fact, indulgences of the highest order. But, at $2.50 each, they are affordable indulgences, making the bright little shop, nestled on Fourth Avenue at 88^th Street, a welcome addition to the Bay Ridge food scene.

And that is exactly what owner Daniel Eivazov intended.

A real estate broker and accountant, he said he set out to develop a business that filled an as-yet-unfulfilled need. Tasting the wares offered by a large chain specializing in doughnuts, he immediately realized he had found his niche.

“’I said, that can’t be the best doughnut out there,’” Eivazov recalled. “’Maybe I should be the one to start a gourmet doughnut shop.”

That was four years ago, and Eivazov spent the intervening time preparing a business plan, designing his shop and – most importantly – developing doughnuts that satisfied his craving.

To accomplish that, Eivazov said, he hired a chef who gave him 20 different variations on the basic dough to try. He picked the one he liked and then came up with the flavors that appealed to him, with the chef interpreting his ideas. “The texture and consistency are based on my taste,” Eivazov said.

As well as providing a selection of 15 to 17 different types of doughnuts on a regular basis, Darn Donuts will also offer a flavor of the month. It also sells a cinnamon roll and several varieties of croissant.

My sampling ranged from the aforementioned Pretzel (which featured inch-long segments of the crunchy treat affixed to the doughnut with sweet, but not too sweet caramel glaze), ‘Smores (filled with marshmallow, glazed with chocolate and topped with a graham cracker) and sweet-tart Key Lime Pie to Apple Pie (complete with chunks of fruit and finished with a dusting of granulated sugar and cinnamon) and Cheesecake (topped with a strawberry and generously filled with cheesecake cream).

I also sampled several cream varieties. The Chocolate Mousse was a chocoholic’s delight, combining chocolate chips, a chocolate glaze and chocolate pudding, while the Brooklyn Cream featured vanilla pudding inside, and chocolate glaze and white chocolate chips outside. Finally, the Bavarian Cream seduced with its vanilla pudding filling, and an exterior bright with multi-colored sprinkles.

The doughnut shop’s selection is still evolving. As I was talking with Eivazov, his brainchild’s signature offering, the Darn Donut, was being baked in back, something to look forward to, for sure.

DARN DONUTS
8723 Fourth Avenue
Brooklyn, NY 11209
718-833-6300
Monday-Saturday, 8 a.m.-9 p.m. during soft opening
Sunday, 9 a.m.-7 p.m. during soft opening
www.darndonuts.com (in development)