Creative Loafing Sarasota

Sarasota has long suffered under a doughnut drought. I wrote about this dearth of doughy goodness last year, a column that was only saved from crazed, sugar-free rambling by the bounty of independent doughnut joints just north of the SRQ border. Bradenton is loaded with places to stop for a yeast-raised glazed or a coconut cake to go with your morning coffee and daily rag. Gold Star -- a hidden hole-in-the-wall place just past the airport on Whitfield -- was, and still is, the best of the bunch.

But wait, we're catching up. In the past year, two independent doughnut purveyors opened doors, one out in the 'burbs and one smack downtown, both worth the morning nosh. Finally, Sarasota represents!

Technically, Yummies doesn't make a Sarasota doughnut. A delivery truck arrives from the shop's Venice location every morning, unloading a plethora of sweet options that are fresh, if not piping hot from burbling oil. The Cattlemen location sends trucks the other way, loaded with bagels, two lonely dough drivers passing in the night. Yummies obviously has a thing for food with holes.

More doughy than chewy and a bit bland, Yummies' bagels are more a convenience food for anyone in need of a savory fix, or as a base for Yummies' standard deli sandwiches. Better to start and end with the sweet treats.

And, considering the shop's competition -- Publix and Dunkies -- Yummies more than holds it's own. Yeast-raised glazed, the gold standard for any shop, are puffy enough, with a light glaze that melts almost instantly in your mouth. There's a bit more chew in the yeast raised than you'll find at places like Gold Star, but sometimes it's nice to nosh a glazed that's substantial enough to discourage another couple of indulgences.

The rest of the offerings are largely standard 'nuts, from cream- and jelly-filled to maple-topped. The chocolate Yummies uses to coat its doughnuts is strictly milk, which doesn't have enough depth to add much to the already sweet and rich pastry, but give it to any kid and you'll likely get positive marks.

The only true standouts in Yummies' cases are the sour cream doughnuts. The tops are split, producing crunchy crenellations of fried dough that try vainly to add some contrast to the overwhelmingly rich, creamy interior of the cake doughnut. Eat half of one plain, and you'll be crying for something to cut the decadence. Add a cup of coffee, and you've got a filling meal that should take you through the morning, if you can add a 10 a.m. siesta to your routine.

Buddha Belly has a different sort of origin story. Over a year ago, chef Bill Thompson had a dream about owning a doughnut shop called, well, Buddha Belly. Wife Laura -- who also has food and beverage experience -- shot that idea down when he brought it up. At least, that is, until Bill lost his job at the Ritz-Carlton. Then she miraculously had the same dream.

The former Jolly Gelateria across from Hollywood 20 was an ideal location thanks to the set-up: full kitchen with almost everything necessary for doughnut construction, casual tables and display cases big enough for trays of sweet pastries. A little cleaning and paint and the Thompsons opened the doors.

Although both have some pastry experience, neither of the Thompsons have ever been in the doughnut biz. It's been a learning experience. "Bill's spent some time practicing and worked on his recipes," explains Laura. It shows.

In just the short time Buddha's been open, the doughnuts have gone from fine and tasty to truly competitive examples of the holey art. The plain glazed have expanded in thickness, but not in density, resulting in airy pieces of pastry topped in a thick layer of sugar that cracks and shatters with every bite, showering the front of your shirt with flakes good enough to justify hunting them down in pockets and under lapels.

All of the doughnuts exhibit a deep caramel color from small batch, carefully monitored frying that translates into extra depth of flavor. Bill makes them fresh throughout the day, just enough to keep the cases stocked.

Other varieties are just as good as the glazed, especially the chocolate iced that actually tastes like real chocolate and rich old-fashioneds. Maybe it's the fine-dining background, but Bill also stretches his creative muscles a tad to creations like cookies and cream doughnuts and fritters that branch into blueberry and moist banana. Best of the bunch is a split yeast doughnut stuffed with apple pie filling, glazed with white icing and topped with streusel. My body almost shut down into sugar overload and desperate desire just from writing about it.

Maybe he can extend that doughnut experimentation into the jelly realm -- Buddha's are filled with that neon, smooth, cloying pseudo-jelly that's classic, exactly what you'd expect from every doughnut shop in the country. In my experience, that old school 'nut only satisfies children and folk in the throes of chemically-induced munchies. C'mon Buddha, start the revolution.

And for the purists out there, Buddha Belly offers two kinds of vegan doughnuts every day.

Buddha also recently started serving lunch -- just a few sandwiches and salads -- and stays open later Thursday through Saturday to try to take advantage of the movie crowds. A glazed doughnut and a tub of popcorn -- that's a better combination than you might think.

Although I'll still be heading up north for the occasional bite of the vaunted Gold Star glazed, those trips will be few and far between. Now Sarasota has its own contenders with the practiced convenience of Yummies and the exceptional pastries produced by the dreamy couple behind Buddha Belly.