www.bluestardonuts.com/
Address: 3549 SE Hawthorne Blvd, Portland, OR 97214
Phone:(503) 477-9635
*Actually you can try these too if you like. They have a location in Los Angeles on Abbot Kinney.*
Donuts are a thing here. From the highly popular and creatively decorated Voodoo Donuts (which I'd still like to try, at least for the novelty) to the interesting techniques and flavors of Blue Star. After seeing the line to Voodoo (I'm not that big a fan of lines, which is why it took me so long to go to Tsujita Ramen on Sawtelle) I decided to go to Blue Star. I've had their donuts before but I had not eaten any since moving and was craving the initiation.
Now these are not your local donut shop donuts. They're about $3 to $3+ a pop and come in flavors like Mexican hot chocolate, passion fruit, your standard bacon, etc. In a way it reminds me of my old shop California Donuts (near 3rd and Vermont). While California was about the toppings of cereal or cute oreo pandas, Blue Star has a step up on flavor delivery technique.
For example, while waiting in line, a Blue Star employee was topping the creme brûlée donuts with sugar then using a blow torch to caramelize it. Also, pipette of cointreau? Fancy donut. My favorite is the PB+J. Slightly different than the last time I had it, which was a pepper jam, this time it was a touch of habanero (marionberry?) jam filled with peanut butter powder on the outside. I like it, it has the warm familiarity of a PB+J, it's filled (which is something I enjoy in a donut), and the PB powder is just fun (but a little messy).
It was a nice treat to go with my coffee and hopefully I don't eat the other two, which I'm hoping to save in case my roommates want some (but then again I don't know if they'll still be good in a day or if my roommate thinks it's worth fighting her gluten sensitivity for). I'm sure I'll go again but generally when I want a treat I get ice cream, which in Portland is a whole other story.
