Suddenly, it occurred to us that given the culinary talent in this city, perhaps a few our area’s more creative minds pour an unhealthy amount of TLC into the creation of homemade donuts. Our quest for proprietary fried dough led us to Colorado Kitchen, Hotel Tabard Inn, and 2 Amys. Yes, we consumed 11 donuts this weekend so we might share our revelations with you. Here’s how it went:

At Colorado Kitchen, Chef Gillian Clark, who cooks brunch for everyone solo, takes the cake donut (usually not our favorite, but…) to new heights in three varieties: with powdered sugar, honey and toasted almonds, and with chocolate glaze. The powdered sugar variety brought forth the donut in its most elemental form: a very thick, crispy browned outside yielding to a moist cake inside. In the second version, the honey was sweet and light, acting mostly as an adhesive for the chopped almonds. The homemade milk chocolate glaze, made with Callebaut cocoa powder, was creamy, appropriately chocolatey, and light. Though the glaze is applied in one light coating, the effect is powerful. Donuts can be ordered in quantities of three or six, and a “Bucket O’ Holes” in the powdered sugar variety, is also available. We paired our trio of fried treats with a classic beverage—Cheerwine, an old-school cherry soda that we thought was only available from enthusiasts, so we were thrilled to see it on offer at this off-the-beaten-path eatery.