Following lunch at M Wells Diner with the other food bloggers, I headed over a short distance to Peter Pan Donut & Pastry Shop. I’m a huge Doughnut Plant fan, but have heard for a long time from friends that Peter Pan Donuts is where it’s at – so of course I had to check it out.
I actually picked up three donuts – a regular chocolate glazed, a vanilla frosted with sprinkles, and a jelly with powdered sugar. However, I didn’t take pictures of the vanilla frosted before I gave it to BF. A few things to note: BF actually eats donuts fairly frequently and loves Dunkin’ Donuts’ “vanilla frosted” – which is a donut I didn’t even know existed until I heard him lamenting one day how he can hardly ever find it at Dunkin’ Donuts anymore. In any case, he thought it was good, but only marginally so from Dunkin’ Donuts. Slightly better texture.
The regular chocolate glazed tasted like a good Dunkin’ Donuts chocolate glazed as well. Not overly glazed, and slightly more chocolatey, less artificial tasting than DD.
And the jelly, which is one of my favorites for regular donuts (well, I do love a fresh, still-hot regular glazed from Krispy Kreme…), was completely coated in powdered sugar on one side, while the other side showed a little more restraint in its coverage. Biting into the donut found a wonderfully chewy donut, yielding to…
a blackberry-ish, raspberry-ish, jammy center. Well, not exactly center, it was closer to one side than the other, as the picture shows, but you know what I mean. And yes, this was a good donut – the jelly wasn’t too sweet nor too tart – and the donut itself was chewy in all the right ways. But you know… I just can’t justify the price ($1 per donut) along with the travel needed to get donuts from Peter Pan. I live 2 blocks from Dunkin’ Donuts… if I wanted regular ol’ Dunkin’ Donuts type donuts, I’d just go there for a quick fix.
Yvo says: While the quality is definitely better than Dunkin’ Donuts (I haven’t been to Tim Horton’s in New York so I cannot comment on that), it’s only marginally so, and at the end of the day, the increased cost with the travel necessitated by its location make it not worth it to me. If someone offered me one, I wouldn’t turn it down, but I won’t go out of my way to get them either. And in visiting Peter Pan myself, I realize that I cannot compare them to Doughnut Plant because DP makes specialty donuts with unique flavors and the like, which aren’t available elsewhere (which, of course, increases their value).
recommended, but I wouldn’t go out of my way for these again
CT says
I love donuts!! That said – I would be quite frustrated by the uneven-ness of that jelly placement. I like a little jelly with eat bite. I was quite impressed with my first (very recent) DP square jelly donut with a squirt of jelly in each corner for more even distribution. Yummmm! Glad to know I’m not missing too much without having tried Peter Pans.
Feisty Foodie says
I do really like DP and the chewiness of their yeast donuts. So good.
CT says
I actually like DD too – a solid standard donut. And I definitely prefer yeast to cake donuts (though I wouldn’t turn down a good cake donut either)
Now I really want a donut!!
T.C. says
I never had Peter Pan. They appear to be on the same level/ slightly above Dunkin’ Donuts and I do not even get them too often.
Tim Horton’s is ok at best – more sugary and glazed up – Krispie Kreme comes to mind as a suitable comparison.
I miss the blackout from DP. lol.
Carol says
I would suggest a visit to DOUGH in Brooklyn 305 franklin ave. freshly made, HUGE dounuts presented on wooded planks. my favorite is earl grey dounut. I see people waiting on line for them.
Feisty Foodie says
That sounds amazing! I LOVE Earl Grey flavored items, and that also sounds like it’s totally worth the travel and effort involved!!! Thanks 🙂
Hungry says
One of my fav desserts ever! I’m fond of the strawberry doughnut from DD.
talida says
I went here pretty early Saturday morning, and I thought these things were GREAT! I love really soft glazed donuts (like Krispy Kreme) so I loved their honey dip donut. Also, the cake donuts were all really great – sour cream, old-fashioned glaze, chocolate, red velvet. Um, we got a whole dozen and ate a lot over the weekend.
Maybe my experience was super because they were fresh first thing in the morning? Or maybe because I had them with awesome coffee from Cafe Grumpy? In any case, I would say that I *would* go out of my way for these things!
Maryann says
Too funny. Not sure I would travel if I did not know better…however, I do. Born on noble street, going “Up the Avenue ” for a Peter pan, I assumed was a normal experience. I recall dunkin donuts arrival In GPT…wow..! not. Go back ,go often and have the cream with choc sprinkles and or the Cream filled other donuts. Live, experience and learn. hopefully they will still be there with the same counter and swivel stools and your palate matured….should you be lucky enough. My 20 nieces and nephews come from all over to visit nanny and those damn donuts 😉