Highland Park goes nuts for overpriced donuts

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Author: Haley Gray

Highland Parkers are chomping at the bit to get a gourmet donut from the new shop Donut Friend on the corner of Ave. 51and York. Prior to their soft opening Wednesday, they were so inundated with calls asking when they would open that they set their phone to roll straight to voicemail.

Entering Donut Friend is strikingly similar to entering a boutique FroYo shop. To the left there is a whimsical wall mural of cartoon creatures playing instruments that are actually donuts; to the right, the donut creation station.

Here’s how it works: choose a donut canvas from five donut choices (this includes gluten free and vegan options). Next, choose a filling from more than 35 options. Add one of five glazes and then select the perfect topping from the 33 choices available.

Donut Friend prides itself on giving the customer exactly what they want. “Rather than guessing what our customers want, we let them tell us what they want, and we make it right before their eyes,” their website says. There are 28,875 possible combinations, assuming the patron only wants one each of the fillings, glaze and topping options.

Overwhelmed, I asked the donut craftsman to make me something delicious. He seemed just as overwhelmed as I was. We finally settled on a plain donut with vegan pastry cream and raspberries for filling, a vanilla bean glaze and nutella for a topping.

“It’s so delicious but super decadent. Better for special occasions than an every day treat,” Emma Kraft (senior) said.

For those who may find the sheer multitude of gourmet donut options paralyzing, do not fret: Donut Friend has a menu of its favorite combinations. They include the Lemon Weapon and Coconut of Conformity.

Why the punk rock allusions in donut names? Mark Tombino, Donut Friend owner, is a former punk rocker. He most recently played drums for Drive Like Jehu, and has produced for Blink 182 and Jimmy Eat World.

Trombino hasn’t played drums for a long time. More than two years ago he tried a peach donut at Donut Man in Glendora, and it awed him.

“That put the bug in my head. I thought, ‘One day I’ll do something crazy and open up a donut shop,’” Trombino said. “I sold my house, moved downtown and started making it happen. That was over two years ago now. From drums to donuts, it’s taken a long time.”

While Trombino savored the creative process of building a brand, designing a store and choosing a space, he finds the process of actually running a donut shop uninspiring.

“I never wanted to work in a donut shop, that’s not a dream of mine. I love the idea of building a brand, developing the recipes, that was my favorite part. Running a donut business? Not interesting to me at all,” Tombino said.

To some patrons, his lack of enthusiasm for the business shows.

“It’s a cool idea but I think the donuts themselves were lacking in donut quality, does that make sense? But I guess with all of the toppings it kind of takes care of that,” Kristie Borg (senior) said.

$5 donuts are, at long last, available to all.

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