’Round Reno

Doughnuts make the world go ’round, or at least they should. The tradition of eating fried dough in a circular form—center-less, dipped in glaze, and handed to you warm—brings out the kid in us all. Doughnuts are a dessert for breakfast, a sugary afternoon snack and an all-around good time. Whether you enjoy cake, raised, maple, twist, jelly-filled or bar, there is a doughnut for you. Here in Reno we’re lucky enough to have a selection of storefronts to choose from when deciding on a destination for deep-fried sugar comas.

Dunkin’ Donuts

435 Sparks Blvd., Sparks, 356-2720

The first Dunkin’ Donuts was opened in Quincy, Massachusetts in 1950 by Bill Rosenberg. Today, according to the company website, there are more than 11,000 Dunkin’ Donuts worldwide. The franchise celebrated its Sparks opening—complete with a ribbon-cutting ceremony with Mayor Geno Martini—in July 2015, officially welcoming the hot pink and fluorescent orange logo to our area. The shop offers a huge menu, covering all of the doughnut classics from glazed to chocolate-covered raised and frosted with sprinkles. Dunkin’ is big on holiday themes and flavors as well. It’s a place to take the kids and hope that their mouths don’t change hue from all the color-frosted doughnuts. The pumpkin spice cake doughnut, with just a hint of glaze, is a great fall item. You can swing by the store—or hit up the drive-thru and grab an iced latte while you’re at it.

Donut Bistro

465 South Meadows Pkwy., 853-4009

Donut Bistro is a simple, neighborhood doughnut shop. It opens bright and early at 5 a.m. with its display case filled to the brim with sugar twists, chocolate bars and crumb cake doughnuts. The flavors range from maple-bacon to lemon-filled jelly. Perhaps try the coconut cake donut, which is all-around perfectly sweet and tropical-nutty. Celebrating something? Donut Bistro does custom frosting and sprinkles and even offers a large, cake-like donut.

Doughboys Donuts

5115 Mae Anne Ave., 787-8586

Doughboys Donuts is the doughnut shop you wished that your grandpa owned. With an always friendly staff and freshly made pastries, there’s nothing wrong with the place. Doughboys serves a great buttermilk bar—a doughnut pastry with a crunchy outside that protects the spongy, cake-like center. The shop’s blue Wolfpack claw-shaped doughnut is a local amusement, as are notably rectangular doughnut holes. Grab the big box in the back because they’re cheaper by the dozen. (You can substitute doughnut holes for whole doughnuts when you buy a dozen, too. Three doughnut holes replace one doughnut.)

Rounds Bakery

294 E. Moana Lane, 329-0800

Rounds Bakery is like any other doughnut shop—except its menu boasts something exceptional. The bakery specializes in taking two conventional pastries—croissants and doughnuts—and combining them into a singular delicacy. The thin, peel-apart layers of a traditional croissant are formed into the shape of a doughnut, missing center and all, before being fried, glazed and coated with decorative toppings. White chocolate raspberry, sea-salt caramel, and Nutella-flavored croissant doughnuts are just a few examples of what you’ll find here. Of course, you may have heard of this treat before. Some people call it a “cronut”—but not at Rounds. In fact, if you follow Rounds on social media, you’ll probably see the hashtag #NotACronut. The bakery started using it in 2014 after receiving a cease-and-desist order from lawyers representing Dominque Ansel of New York’s Dominique Ansel Bakery, who holds a federal trademark on the term “Cronut.” The owners of Rounds, who said they’d never used the term, started sending mocking apology tweets to Ansel using the hashtag, like this gem: “@DominiqueAnsel To say sorry, I drew you a picture with my Crayolas. Damn, I mean my wax drawing sticks #NotACronut.” A round of applause is in order for both their pastries and their wit.

Jelly Donut

1750 S. Virginia St., 324-7272

Jelly Donut is Reno’s only 24-hour doughnut shop, which is great when you have a midnight appetite, or you’re someone who starts your day before the sun comes up. The chocolate cake doughnut here tastes like you’re eating something from grandma’s kitchen. It’s chocolatey, baked goodness in a mini fried form that melts in your mouth and leaves you wanting a glass of ice-cold milk. Jelly Donut is conveniently located next to a laundromat, so you can grab an old-fashioned to eat while you wait for your delicates to dry. The shop can also fill bulk orders for holiday events and special occasions, too. Just be sure to call a few days ahead.

Holey Schmidt! Donuts

490 S. Center St.

There’s a new doughnut shop coming to town. Opening sometime this winter, Holey Schmidt! Donuts proclaims to be Reno’s first specialty donut shop. What does “specialty” mean exactly? Well, have you ever wondered what it would be like to combine the world’s two greatest breakfast choices: doughnuts and cereal? You can give it a try here when the shop opens. Holey Schmidt! Doughnuts is said to have 57 flavors daily, according to a teasing video on its Instagram. Check out the Facebook page for more details: www.facebook.com/HoleySchmidtDonuts.;Ω