Over the past two days, I have consumed the best donuts I have ever eaten in my life. I say this without an ounce of hyperbole. I like Krispy Kreme, and Dunkin’ Donuts are just fine, but both Top Pot Hand-Forged Doughnuts and Mighty-O Donuts are true “gourmet” doughnuts that stand head and shoulders above the national chains.
Top Pot Doughnuts vs. Mighty-O Donuts
After eating both, I realized that they do have a subtle difference. Top Pot is more fatty and “filling”, while Mighty-O is more sweet and “lean”. I’m not sure if this makes any sense, but it’s the best I can do to describe my own perception.
Of the two, however, which one is superior to the other? Who wins the great Seattle donut shootout?
I’ve contemplated this question for the last hour, and my conclusion is:
They both win.
Both Top Pot Hand-Forged Doughnuts and Mighty-O Donuts are the best donuts in the USA, and neither is discernibly better or worse than the other.
Now, is this a cop out?
Yes, of course it is. I admit it. I was even told as much.
“Don’t post that it was a tie”, I was told by one of my fellow testers, “that’s so lame.”
Well, if I am lame, then so be it. At least I don’t wear skinny jeans or ride a fixed-gear bicycle.
You see, there is no such thing as a “best” donut shop, restaurant, band, or anything else except city (which Seattle clearly wins). It’s all so subjective, and I sort of resent those lists which attempt to arbitrarily rank things.
I have before me two fine Seattle businesses, each offering products of the highest quality, and I have to declare one the “loser”?
I can’t do it.
I won’t do it.
They are both a solid 9 out of 10, and the only reason they are that low is because I always reserve a point for the unexpected.
If I was hungry for a donut, I would decide between these two based on geography or craving. If Top Pot was a block closer, I would go there; if Mighty-O was a block closer, I would go there. Or, if I was hungry for a more dense fatty donut, I might go to Top Pot, while if I wanted something more sweet and light, I would go to Mighty-O.
Eat at one. Better yet, eat at both. Either way, I promise that you will not be disappointed.
If this contest has made anything abundantly clear, it’s that I will never get that coveted food critic job at the Weekly.
Oh well.
Maybe KOMO still needs a weatherman that doesn’t hate Seattle …
P.S. In an effort to make the voting slightly more democratic, we have made a poll so that you can vote for your favorite donut shop. I can’t enforce its accuracy, but I do respectfully ask that you only vote if you have eaten at both.
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Hmmm, you make a post criticizing bad cops. And then make 3 posts regarding where the best donuts are…
Admit it, you want the cops to at least be conflicted about beating you if they encounter you on your scooter…
:0)
those donuts look incredibly yummy and so do the other ones from your previous post…but both places look too drab and dark, in a hipster kind of way…I like Krispy Kreme’s and even Dunkin’s restaurant presentation much better…they’re less depressing…
I used to work nights as a finisher (no handjobber) at a Donut Shop. It was called The Donut Shop actually.
Hand made always taste better to me. Dunkin and KK use machines. I eat them but only because hand made are harder to find.
There is actually one thing I notice about most frosted donuts, and that is that they use a dip frosting rather then a spread frosting. I used to be the one to apply it and spread frosting also adds more to a donut, IMHO.
Fuck I am a donut geek.
I love doughnuts, and would be hard-pressed to decide between these two myself.
I couldn’t help but notice that you didn’t mention what is, in my opinion, the key difference between the two: Mighty O Doughnuts are vegan.
I didn’t use the word “vegan” here, but I alluded to the slightly more verbose description in the Mighty-O review: Supposedly, Mighty-O donuts are vegan, organic, and contain “no products made from animals”.
I confess that I am not familiar with the various factions of vegetarianism. I’m an unabashed omnivore, and I just eat what tastes good. Within reason, of course. I would not eat plutonium even if it were dipped in chocolate first.
Sometimes, I find “philosophy food” to be wanting in the taste department, and was thus extra surprised that this was not the case with Mighty-O.
Their donuts are just delicious. Period.
The fact that they are vegan is probably a good thing, but let’s face it, when it comes to donuts … taste is king.
I prefer Mighty-O because I’m allergic to dairy & eggs and can eat anything they make.