One of my favorite shows is “No Reservations” on the Travel Channel which chronicles Anthony Bourdain’s foodie adventures around the world. Awhile back I caught an episode on the Pacific Northwest where he visited a dive doughnut shop in Portland called Voodoo Doughnuts. After a few friends moved there, my husband and I decided to take a quick weekend trip up north and the one thing that was a must-do was visit this amazing doughnut shop.
Upon entering I learned that it’s not just a doughnut shop, but a wedding chapel too (a $175 service includes a legal wedding with doughnuts and coffee for 10). At first I thought it was a little strange, but then I tasted their doughnuts and realized what all the buzz was about.
Tony (well, that’s what all Chef Bourdain’s friends call him, and after watching the show for three years now, I feel we’ve become quite close) had the Bacon Maple bar, and I was pretty sure that’s what I was going to indulge in (apparently Brad Pitt is a fan too!). When I first shared with my friends that was the doughnut I wanted they all winced, until I reminded them how delicious the perfect bite of warm pancakes with syrup and bit of salty, crispy bacon is (I probably should have mentioned that it was Brad’s favorite, but the fact eluded me at the time).
However, when I got to Voodoo, the bacon didn’t look very appetizing, so I decided to go with the No Name, and boy am I glad I did. You can’t go wrong with a glazed raised drizzled with chocolate and peanut butter sauces and then sprinkled with rice krispies. It was deliciously sweet and had just the right crunch. I made the mistake of not getting a cup of coffee with it. Then it would have been perfect.
If you find yourself in Portland (it’s a quick hour and change on Southwest), find your way to Voodoo Doughnuts.
By Kim Bedwell
Christine says
I saw this No Reservations episode, too! I’m also very intrigued by the bacon doughnut…
Erin says
I can attest that the donuts at Voodoo are amazing and I am already planning to get a dozen (and some coffee 🙂 during my next visit to Portland!
Mary says
For a girl whose tendencies lean toward glazed old fashioned I have to say that all the doughnuts we sampled were down right DELICIOUS!
Thank you so much for coming to the PDX and sampling our fine fare.