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Cronuts. Err’body talkin’ ’bout cronuts. And for those of you reciting this blog post out loud, be sure to inform your listeners that I am referring to cronuts, the doughnut/croissant hybrid, not crow nuts, the testicles of ravens. Yes, in case you’ve been living under a rock for the past three months (and/or doing something productive with your time), cronuts are the allegedly divine creation of Dominique Ansel, a New York City baker who allegedly sells out of the things within mere SECONDS of them coming out of the oven. Cronut madness has apparently swept Manhattan and is now taking over Los Angeles as a slew of Cronut imitators have popped up in the past two weeks alone. None of these doughy purveyors can offer Official Cronuts™, and in fact, none of them can even call their creations Cronuts because the damn things are trademarked.

And that’s where the Croughnut comes into play. In a sleepy strip-mall by Argyle and Franklin resides the brand new (and swanky) doughnut shop, Kettle Glazed Doughnuts. I had read in LA Weekly that this upstart business had their own version of the Cronut, and since I found myself driving by earlier today, I figured I’d give it a try. Impressions after the jump…

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First off, don’t let dinky banner fool you. Kettle Glazed Doughnut is super cool on the inside with a decor that’s like Pinkberry meets Spinkles meets deep fried dough. Naturally, since I’m such a professional blogger, I took no photos.

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The adorable Croughnut box.

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RAAAAHHHHH!!!!!!

Moment of judgment. How is THE CROUGHNUT?

Keep in mind that I have not had the original, and chances are I won’t have the original until the lines die down in thirty three years.

I’m proud to say that the Kettle Glazed Doughnuts version of the Cronut is very tasty. But it did not rock my world. Wait, that makes it sound like it was only okay. Let me back up. It was DAMN good. But it wasn’t like I had just stepped into a new dimension of doughnut paradise with rainbows and chocolate glazed unicorns frolicking about. While I cannot vouch for the Cronut, I can say that the Croughnut is not above and beyond better than any other standard doughnut.

But do not be misled: this is one fluffy, delectable (and pricey — $3.45) beast. My only real complaint (aside from having sky-high expectations) is that the Croughnut is fully covered in sugar, which might be awesome to some but was a bit too intense for me. Trust me: I enjoy sweet things, but the amount of sugar on this thing nearly killed it.

Nevertheless, I’m excited to head back and try some of the traditional offerings. I saw some chocolate doughnuts that looked more or less like heaven…

Kettle Glazed Doughnuts
6211 Franklin Ave
Los Angeles, CA 90028
(323) 462-2344