quote:Originally posted by Lone Star
Are there any Dixie Cream donut shops still out there?
Oddly enough - and I don't know if it's a one-shot stop or a small-ish chain, but I stopped at a Dixie Cream Doughnuts shop in Mount Vernon, Illinois when I was visiting relatives in December. It wasn't a planned stop, but we passed it and my passenger mentioned that the doughnuts were outstanding. It looked really neighborhood-y, so I pulled a u-turn and stopped in. WOW - Yum-bo. Just got a simple jelly doughnut (they all looked amazing - but after multiple holiday meals I couldn't manage more than one).
Normally I don't like jelly doughnuts, but this one looked the best and simplest, and so seemed like it would be an excellent measure against which the other doughnuts might be judged (the yeast ones - all the cake doughnuts were already gone). Plus, I wanted to see what the filling was like.
Hurray! The doughnut was fresh and gave way under tooth, but retained that slightly chewy resistance that marks a good yeast doughnut. Best of all, however, the filling was actual jammy jelly - not that creepy, gelatinous jelly with a nearly Blob-like consistency that oozes from most (DD, specifically) filled doughnuts. I sincerely regret I did not sample the cream-filled ones, including a fabulous monstrosity, the cream-filled horn.
Didn't try the coffee - it didn't seem like a real grabber. But there was a little cafe with seating near the service, and the best part of the overall ambiance was an older couple writing out checks and paying bills at one of the tables, each with a cup of coffee and a doughnut. I got the distinct sense that this was a weekly or monthly ritual for them, and it definitely added to the down-home feel.
