Donut worry, visit Alpharetta

Charles Goodwyn

            Donuts are not the only reason to visit Alpharetta, Georgia. But then again, why not?

            There are two outstanding donuteries (yes, we made that up) in the hip north Georgia town, spots offer a delectable sugar rush like no other.

Professional Chef Charles Goodwyn opened Donut Theory to serve up the sweet concoctions with a gourmet touch. All the glazes, ganaches and jams are made from scratch and in small batches. He calls it redoing the classics and creating new ones.

After being professional trained as a chef Goodwyn thought to open a breakfast place but looked to try something new and innovative. His donuts run the gamut, from traditional to jelly infused with fresh jams, fruits and creams to the fancy stuff, items such as fritters and daily specials like chocolate crème brule. On the day we visited, we sampled what Goodwyn was creating before our eyes — a Nutella-infused donut with chocolate glaze. Yum!

On the other side of town is Da Vinci Donuts, named one of the 33 Best Donut Shops in the America by Thrillist.com this year. Diners can create their own, take a tour to see how donuts are made or sample the popular maple bacon and salted caramel donuts, among so many others. They create 800 to 1200 donuts a day, but that number rises to close to 8,000 between both their stores on National Donut Day.

It’s a fun store, with a large blackboard where diners may create artwork. At the top is an announcement that the “World’s Tallest Man” visited the store and the top of his head reached the top of the sign.

We got a four pack on the way to the airport and I’m thinking there’s no way I’m going to each four donuts, will just take a bite. Those donuts never made it to the gate.
            For more information on Alpharetta, visit www.awesomealpharetta.com.

Cheré Dastugue Coen is a food and travel writer living in South Louisiana. She is also the author of several Louisiana romances under the pen name of Cherie Claire and the author of “Forest Hill, Louisiana: A Bloom Town History,” “Haunted Lafayette, Louisiana” and “Exploring Cajun Country: A Historic Guide to Acadiana” and co-author of “Magic’s in the Bag: Creating Spellbinding Gris Gris Bags and Sachets.” Write her at cherecoen@gmail.com.