Buckeyes

[melannen]

Things I like about visiting the relatives in Ohio, 1, 2, 3 out of many:

#1: Donut Fair mini iced twists from the Nickles bakery day-old outlet near my grandparents' (now my uncle's) house. Best eaten by the bagful. They are the perfect blend of Krispy Kreme's melt-in-your-mouth gooey succulence and Dunkin Donuts' wholesome cakey goodness, and they get even better the staler they are. (Actually, the take-out donut of preference in that area now seems to be Tim Horton's, which made me do a double take every time I saw it. The Canadians are invading! Haven't actually tasted any yet though.) (Donut shops are an interesting element of regional geography in the US, even more so than other foods. The mere fact that I have equal access to DD and KK should tell a moderately-informed American approximately where I live.)

(Also! I have now seen actual Timbits for the first time! [At the yard sale where I got the groovy hat I'm wearing in this icon.] They're just *donut holes*! That's a relief. My imagination was not being helpful there, what with the slangy uses of the word 'bits' and the fact that it visualizes Tim Horton as some bizarre hybrid of David Horton and Tim Allen.)

#2: "Mike-Sell's" potato chips. They are delicious.

#3: Barq's Red Cream Soda. This should need no elaboration. (Someday I want to visit the Caribbean just so I can try Fanta's red cream, and see if it's as good. And I need to get my hands on some Dr. Browns sometime, too.)


Still working on all those tabs.

Comments

[tarimanveri.livejournal.com]

I keep hoping to find a Tim Hortons in Boston, but I haven't yet. And oh, the cold-turkey deprivation down from my daily iced cappucinos this summer!

[melannen.livejournal.com]

My understanding (and experience, from my last visit there) is that Dunkin Donuts rules all New England with an iron fist, and Boston is the core of its stronghold. My understanding is also that their coffee is an .. acquired taste. (As in, I know people who swear by it and will drink no other brand. Possibly because it doesn't much resemble actual coffee.) But good luck!

[tarimanveri.livejournal.com]

I have consulted the great oracle of the Tim Hortons website's store locator, and nope, no Tim Hortons within a ten-mile radius of Boston. That's the biggest radius you can search, and *sigh*. I had Dunkin Donuts on Sunday and their cappucino was dreadful and they don't put the cream cheese on the bagel for you! You just get a little package. *shakes head in dismay*

[melannen.livejournal.com]

You may actually have to find (*gasp*!) a local independent coffee shop! Of which Boston also has a great many, so it shouldn't be *too* grueling.

They put the cream cheese on the bagel for you? Wow, Canadians are lazy! :-p We Americans can decide for ourselves how much to put on.

[stellar-dust.livejournal.com]

MY Dunkin Donuts puts the cream cheese on for me.

Only if you get it toasted, I guess. But who doesn't?

[melannen.livejournal.com]

I don't get it at *all*, but maybe that's just me.

Anyway, on warm donuts, butter is better. :P

[stellar-dust.livejournal.com]

Ew, butter on donuts. d-:

They have these huge vats of cream cheese that they scoop some out of, and spread it all over your bagel, after they toast it, and then they wrap it up in paper and hand it to you, and then you take it to work and unwrap it and eat it. It's gooooood. You're silly.

[zodiaccat.livejournal.com]

Is that red cream soda anything like the Suburban "Almond Smash" they sell around here sometimes? Cause that stuff is great.

[melannen.livejournal.com]

I've never seen Almond Smash! Where can it be found?

Barq's Red Cream is hard to describe. It tastes essentially like regular cream soda, only smoother, and less overtly sweet, more vanilla and creamier. It is the epitome of cream soda. Even the knock-off brands they sell in its region don't nearly do it justice.

[zodiaccat.livejournal.com]

The last place I can *confirm* getting it from is the Mars on Ft. Smallwood Rd in Pasadena. I'm pretty sure any grocer in that area (Lauer's springs to mind) should have it. Next time I'm in AA Co., I'll keep an eye out for it.

[melannen.livejournal.com]

I'll have to keep my eye out too. We generally just go to Giant, where I've not seen it. (There, I have my eye on the Inka Cola (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Inca_Kola). mmm.)

[erries.livejournal.com]

The mere fact that I have equal access to DD and KK should tell a moderately-informed American approximately where I live.

Ha! This is strangely true.

[melannen.livejournal.com]

Yay America! Greatest country in the world! (Oddly, I have no idea where Westerners get their donuts.)

[isiscolo.livejournal.com]

Daylight Donuts is a pretty big western chain.

Here in earthy-crunchy granola Durango, we have a local donut shop that makes donuts out of organic ingredients. Of course.

[melannen.livejournal.com]

Organic donut shop. Huh.

Are they any good? :D We have some little local greasy places, which are all ... intersting

[isiscolo.livejournal.com]

Actually, I have no idea. I'm not much of a donut-eater.

[beraht.livejournal.com]

I used to have equal access to Dunkin Donuts and Krispy Kreme but the former went out of business while I was living in Oregon (I miss their cinnamon apple doughnuts) and I did not know they had any kind of regionalism attached to them but looking at their official page, they're evidently an eastern chain. I had no idea.

Also, cream soda? Ew.

[melannen.livejournal.com]

Red cream soda is *good*.

Dunkin Donuts and Krispy Kreme both went through periods of mad expansion a few years back, but I think they've mostly settled back into DD being for the Northeast and KK the Southeast, with TH taking Canada and the Upper Midwest.

[aelkiss.livejournal.com]

I'm not a fan of cream soda, but I have noticed that Dr. Brown's is available around here. Guess you'll just have to come visit me sometime;-)

(I did also used to see it in Magruder's near my apt. in Silver Spring, before that location disappeared. I imagine you might have luck finding Dr. Brown's anywhere similarly close to Rockville...)

-Aaron