Dunking Across America

Can I let you in on a Hollywood secret?

Daily donuts. While the Google elite get organic, whole-grain breakfast, us film folk keep it old school with the American classic. Each morning, the craft service table is decked with doughnuts, offering a sweet distraction to our 5 a.m.call. With coffee, the sugar & carb combo packs a potent, energy boost that revs you up for long days of shooting.

In my early days of costuming, I learned my favorite doughnut denomination: Vitamin O. Created by my co-worker, Jim, he used this nickname to trick himself into believing his glazed treat was good for him. What was once considered fattening suddenly became nutritious. Mind over fatter, right?

Tomorrow is National Doughnut Day (..and we are living in a material world...) Based on the Salvation Army's holiday honoring the women who served donuts to soldiers in WWI, the marketing wizards have dubbed the first Friday of June a Day For Dunking. Like mothers and valentines, I come from the camp that celebrating should not be a one-day deal. Nevertheless, I can't resist this doughy opportunity.

From my 3 most well-trodden cities, where to dunk your doughnuts:

Tres Leches

Doughnut Plant NYC
www.doughnutplant.com 

What began as a one-man, bike-delivery service has morphed into one of the Big Apple's best doughnut shops. Doughnut Plant handcrafts all natural deliciousness, excelling in filled and cake varieties, which they describe as "a texture somewhere near the intersection of a classic birthday cake and buttery pound cake". My favorite marriage of the two, the Tres Leches, was inaugurated on Cinco de Mayo in 2006. Like its namesake, this vanilla-glazed doughnut is filled with a dairy threesome of evaporated milk, condensed milk, and cream. As they sang in Schoolhouse Rock, three IS a magic number!

In addition to storefronts in Chelsea and the LES, find these dunkers at Joe cafes around town. Deal Alert: For National Doughnut Day, Doughnut Plant is giving a mini, rainbow sprinkle doughnut FREE with every purchase (while supplies last).

Randy's Donuts Los Angeles
www.randy-donuts.com

It's a bird, it's a plane, it's a donut! It's hard to miss L.A.'s most iconic display of novelty architecture, the famous Randy's Donuts. Open 24-7, this classic drive-thru is my LAX pit-stop for on-board snacks or welcome-home treats.

Wheat & Honey and Buttermilk Bar 

My usual is two-fold. In the foreground, the dense, buttermilk bar is shellacked with sugary goodness. Tucked in the back, the wholesome wheat & honey is a fresh-baked spin on my preferred, childhood cereal, Honey Bunches Of Oats.

Deal Alert: Randy's will be dishing out FREE DONUTS for National Donut Day. Morning only - while supplies last.  Call for exact times 310.645.4707

Cinnamon Sugar Minis 

Market Mini Donuts  Seattle
http://ballardfarmersmarket.wordpress.com/

There's a bit of State Fair fried-ness at the Ballard Farmers Market. Nestled among the rainbow chard and golden beets, Market Mini Donuts fries up made-to-order, bite-size beauties. Opt for a dusting of cinnamon & sugar if you fancy.  Best when consumed piping-hot, the steaming bag doubles as a makeshift hand-warmer on cold mornings. Check out the action below (audio by my nephew, Robert)

Good Gallic In A Petite Package

Buvette West Village Sept. '12
http://www.ilovebuvette.com/
eat: Terrine de Campagne, Carottes Rapées, Poulpes, Tarte Tatin
sip: Arneis

buvette 
noun (f)
1. a refreshment stall or counter
2. a snack bar at a theater, train station, beach, etc.

In French, and English for that matter, the diminutive "ette" connotes feminine (coquette) or little (cigarette), so it is implicit that buvettes are small.  Buvette, Jody Williams' Gallic gem, is indeed petite, but that's all it has in common with it's casual joints across the Atlantic.  Chef Williams' version--which she calls a gastrothèque-- is a pleasure chest of French delights, from fresh-baked croissants and housemade charcuterie, to classic coq-au-vin and cassoulet.   It is spot-on-Parisian without being too precious, yet with the amiable waitstaff, you avoid the oft French tradition of snooty service.

Tucked away on a picturesque, tree-lined, West Village street, Buvette feels at home amidst the gorgeous boutiques and fashionistas who frequent the neighborhood.   Inside the beautiful spot, tin-coffered ceilings, a zinc-top bar, an idyllic garden, and exposed brick walls make for an inviting and aesthetically-pleasing setting.   Waiters sport classic, striped aprons with a touch of personal style, like bow-ties.

Making most of the minimal space, the primary decor element is the food itself.  Jars of cornichons & olives, bottles of wine, a jambon slicer, baked goods, baskets of fruit, and an old-school citrus press adorn the café, creating a homey, culinary collage.  Accompanied by my foodie friend, Shari, who I met while studying in Paris, we are equally smitten with Buvette's likeness to our favorite French haunts.

The pop-up cocktail menu: whimsy that works. 

Arneis

  

Our waiter suggests Arneis, a Piedmontese white.  This light and crisp wine with hints of pear is a lovely daytime quaff.  One wall of Buvette features a chalkboard wine map to help geographically guide your sipping selection.

Terrine De Campagne

Don't be fooled by the diminutive size.  Each morsel of this country-style terrine is packed with porky pleasure. Wrapped in bacon, the smoky, intense pâté is served with a briny trifecta of cornichons, olives, and, my fave, caperberries.  It is served with a delectable, house-baked Pain de Campagne 

Carottes Rapées

Carrots are elevated to star status in this simple salad.  A mélange of grated carrots, pistachios, lemon, and vinegar is surprisingly delightful. It's just the thing for a hot, end-of-summer day.

Poulpes

 Ordering octopus is risky for it is so often incorrectly cooked (a.k.a. rubbery).  Here, the cephalopod is perfectly prepared and deliciously tossed with capers, shallots, olives, and refreshingly crunchy celery.   

Tarte Tatin

Throughout our meal, the tarte tatin teased me from its perch in my line of sight.  Sweet & gooey caramelized apples are crammed into a buttery crust and topped with tangy crème fraîche.  Stick a fork (or two, which our waiter so attentively did) in it - I've found taste nirvana. 

When we are presented with our bill, it is inscribed with the colloquial French translation: la douloureuse.  While its primary definition is "painful", here the word jokingly refers to the distress of having to dish out dollars.  I can't help but think that after such a lovely meal at Buvette, it should be called "happiness" (le bonheur) instead.