The Doughnut Plant

While Russell and I were exploring the Lower East Side yesterday, we didn't just get our fill of sugar at Economy Candy, we were actually already pretty hyped up from a stop at The Doughnut Plant.


Grand Street storefront

The Doughnut Plant opened in 1994 in the basement of an old tenement on the Lower East Side. Back then, owner Mark Israel delivered the yeasted doughnuts he made using his grandfather's recipe by bicycle to various specialty grocery stores around New York City -- in 2000, with the help of his family, he opened the storefront that you can visit today at 379 Grand Street. Since then, Mr. Israel has invented the jelly-filled square doughnut, popularized a cake doughnut in flavors like carrot cake and tres leches, filled doughnuts with creme brulee and opened nine Doughnut Plant stores in Japan. Though the storefront is small, and a bit of a palaver to line up in, especially when the line-wait is 45 minutes, it is charming and the wait is worth it. The doughnuts are delicious, inventive, and super fresh.

We tried a few of the items on the menu, and can you blame us? After all, waiting in line all that time was hard work! Here are a few shots of The Doughnut Plant and what else, her doughnuts.


Saturday's Menu


A not-so-vast array of doughnuts -- they were busy!


Square Glazed Jelly Doughnut


A look inside

The Doughnut Plant is located at 379 Grand Street on Manhattan's Lower East Side.