Fried Dough in the Bay Area

[CarrieWas218]

RWOrange and I started chatting about it over in the Braeburn Apple Donut thread: http://chowhound.chow.com/topics/7060...

I know that Frances is on my list for the bacon beignet. I have been to Dynamo, but will be going back for pictures. I've been to Bob's but haven't written it up yet. And I just heard about PsychoDonut down in Campbell.

What other stunning fried dough offerings should I seek out?

[ML8000]

Malasadas or Portuguese donuts are tasty. http://chowhound.chow.com/topics/489002

[Jeni Bean]

Dierk's Parkside Cafe in Santa Rosa serves these:

Grandma Dierk’s Pull-Aparts – tender fried bread dough, dusted
with cinnamon and sugar and a bit Grandma Dierk’s love (better than donuts)

They are freaking delicious. And I am NOT a doughnut person AT ALL. I mean, worth the drive delicious!

[Melanie Wong]

Good idea. Here's a thread with some suggestions.
http://chowhound.chow.com/topics/688741

Don't forget the fried to order churros springing up on menus, such as Don Pisto's in North Beach.
http://chowhound.chow.com/topics/6782...

[Caitlin McGrath]

The fried-to-order churros at Chilango are very nice.

[daveena]

The four fried doughs I crave the most:

Glazed raised doughnut - Stan's Donuts, San Jose
You tiao (chinese cruller) - China Stix, Santa Clara
vanilla custard and plain churros from the cart outside Mi Pueblo in Oakland
Egg puffs from Delicious Food Co., Oakland

[recycleit]

The only glazed doughnuts I will eat are from Johnny's doughnuts on Mt. Diablo in Lafayette. They are just perfect.

[Melanie Wong]

I've tried Stan's (in Santa Clara) but once. My favorite donut is still Larkspur's Donut Alley. I've heard that there's a new owner and the offerings are even better now. Anyone have a recent report for Donut Alley?

[daveena]

Awww... does that mean you weren't impressed by my beloved Stan's?

:p

[Melanie Wong]

Stan's is definitely a cut above. Clean flavors without the icky taste of industrial leaveners that ruin too many donuts. Better than Bob's in SF, I'd say if asked to rank Raised glaze, which is the best offering at Bob's.

[ssfire]

Pepple's Donuts is opening a kiosk at the Ferry Building on May 15th. They do vegan donuts, and will have both the cakey-style (OK, not great), and also raised donuts (which I have not tried).

The brioche donut at Satura cakes is excellent.

[CarrieWas218]

Ooooh - thank you both Daveena and SSFire. Both very helpful...

[choctastic]

Yes! Thanks for the heads up on Peoples!

I mean Pepple's. Didn't know about the name change until now.

[Melanie Wong]

I had the brioche donut filled with raspberry preserves today, and yes, it is special. Promoted as a healthier donut, it's made with soy milk and fried in olive oil. The olive oil does give it an almost buttery, richer flavor, whereas typically, i'd want the frying oil to be neutral.

http://www.saturacakes.com/store/prod...

[rworange]

Another place holder cuz I've got a ton of stuff more. The piroshki at Golden Orb in San Rafael ... IMO, worth the drive
http://chowhound.chow.com/topics/664542

San Rafael: Golden Orb - Warm spinach parmesan donuts. Wonderful !!! ... so worth the two block drive off the 101 exit
http://chowhound.chow.com/topics/673537

[Glencora]

In Berkeley, the Hopkins Street Bakery's jelly filled donuts are (were) good. I assume they're still making them. After my third, I was sort of done with them. They're greasy, but worth a try.

Tacubaya on 4th street makes good churros.

[rworange]

The churro center of the Bay Area is 23rd Street in Richmond. There are at least a half dozen street vendors who sell these long coiled churros that are fried to order, chopped up, rolled in sugar. The best of the stationary vendors is the one across from Portumex in front of the laundry
http://chowhound.chow.com/topics/618017

This guy who sometimes shows up near the church on MacDonald is the best, but it is not easy to, um, catch him
http://chowhound.chow.com/topics/319236
http://chowhound.chow.com/topics/321240

My understanding is that there is or was a vendor at the Alameny farmers market in SF that made these coiled churros.

The best filled churros I've had have been from the vendor at Fruitvale BART near the Cinco de Mayo ice cream
http://chowhound.chow.com/topics/395003

I thought Churro Station in San Rafael was only ok
http://chowhound.chow.com/topics/419609

[Ruth Lafler]

Picarones (sweet potato donuts with syrup) at Inkas (I liked them better than the version at La Mar, but there may be even better versions).

[Melanie Wong]

Yes, the picarones at El Hueco in Redwood City trumps both of them.

[nicedragonboy]

Angeline's in Berkeley has beignet's buried under a mound of powdered sugar.

[rworange]

The holy grail of all fried food and worth a pilgirmage from anywhere ... preferably on your knees in reverence ... are the fabulous Brazilian pasteles from Smart Coffee BR
http://chowhound.chow.com/topics/691729

There are over 30 types, they are both made and fried to order. My favorite sweet pastele is the banana. The chicken, corn and cheese is maybe my favorite savory pastele

They make some pretty wonderful Brazilian donuts that are like crullers. They are best in the morning hot from the fryer. The other Brazilian donut called a sonho is good too, but not as good as that cruller

[majordanby]

pilipino desserts:

buchi, often made with rice flour. Also, a beignet like dessert...carioca. This is made out of rice flour (mochiko), fried and dipped in some syrup concoction. i rarely eat this, but when i do....

available at most filipino bakeries (well, maybe except goldilocks). I like Valerios, so if i buy filipino desserts, i go there.

[indigirl]

On the savory side: bhatura cholle at Vik's. It's the dramatic big-as-your-head puff that always makes Vik's virgins freak out & shout "I want that!"

[gordon wing]

here's a picture of the bhatura cholle from Vik;s - enjoyed the accompaniments: diced onion , cilantro relish & preserved mango? plus a container of garbanzos with tamarind.

[The Dive]

If you are going to include fried bread, then I love the Malawach at Holy Land in Elmwood.

[JasmineG]

I adore the Zeppole at Dopo in Oakland. You could also try the doughnuts from Pizzaiolo in the mornings, they're made fresh each morning (they're a little heavy and cakelike to me, though).

[Cynsa]

sopaipillas with honey - basket of four $3.95 at Green Chile Kitchen after 5 pm daily
http://chowhound.chow.com/topics/694510?tag=boards;topic-694510
sugar egg puffs at Shanghai Dumpling King
http://blogs.sfweekly.com/foodie/2010...
sugar egg puffs at Tai Wu
churros at Chilango
beignets at Brenda's French Soul Food
beignets at Just For You

[CarrieWas218]

Oooh - great list! I just had the sugar egg puffs at Koi Palace (but haven't written them up yet) and while I've had Brenda's beignets before, didn't have a camera so I'm heading back there this weekend.

The rest are all new for me, thanks!

[artemis]

Did you get them hot out of the fryer? I always order the sai yung when I go to KP, but if they aren't hot when they come, I will ask for a fresh batch because that's when they are at their best.

[ChowFun_derek]

Yup! Special Order...crispy chewy airy sugary eggy all at the same time! Sai Yun, sometimes called Jah Dahn....(egg bomb!) these were killer!

[Sebby]

The crawdaddy beignets at Brenda's are sublime. I dream of them :-)

[CarrieWas218]

Sebby - with all due respect, I disagree...

They *used* to be fabulous, but recent reports have them gummy and tough.

My report here: http://frieddoughho.com/brendas-soul-...

[ssfire]

Another fried dough alert: the churros at Joya in Palo Alto are very good (see photos). Comes with Ibarra dipping sauce. Nice and crispy on the outside, soft on the inside.

[rotiprata]

Contigo has something similar:

http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/object/...

[Cynsa]

head north to Santa Rosa for mini donuts
http://insidescoopsf.sfgate.com/careysweet/
http://www.castleminidonuts.com/

[Melanie Wong]

Here's my February post on Castle Mini Donuts.
http://chowhound.chow.com/topics/688699

[rotiprata]

One more for the collection: Age at Benkyodo. This is donut with red bean filling. Wish they would sell them warm.

http://www.benkyodocompany.com/images...

[CarrieWas218]

I love you guys...

I am in Los Angeles this weekend doing some *major* fried dough consumption. The thread is here: http://chowhound.chow.com/topics/7212...

[rworange]

Buried in an old thread is a recent tip about an Austrian bakery.
http://www.konditoreidavis.com/menutr...

One of the items they make is krapfen, deep fried dough filled with apricot marmelad or custard. I

[CarrieWas218]

Thanks! I might be moving back to Napa making a trip to Davis that much easier!