For a city that loves its baked goods as much as Madison does, it’s a little strange that we’ve long lagged when it comes to our donut game. Longtime residents like myself remember the seemingly endless wait to get a Krispy Kreme here, only to have it close a few years later.
But all that has changed. Madison foodies had the big-city experience of waiting in line for a doughnut last weekend when Level 5 Donuts opened its brick-and-mortar location on Atwood Avenue. On the City Cast Madison podcast today, host Bianca Martin talks to co-owner and head baker Caitlin Rockey about how Level 5 became Madison’s new sensation.
And Level 5 isn’t alone in leveling up Madison’s donut game. Here are some of our favorite donuts in town. Let us know if we missed your favorite!
An open secret for years through selling their vegan donuts at coffee shops, popups, and festivals, Aaron Mooney and his wife Caitlin Rockey sold 1,200 donuts at their grand opening recently. They currently serve 14 types of donuts, including chai, blueberry, and cherry. But they also do special seasonal boxes and plan on concocting new flavor offerings at the shop.
The only certified kosher bakery in the region, Greenbush has been a Madison institution on Regent Street since Marv “Donut Man” and Barb Miller opened the spot in 1996. The sour cream donuts are the most popular ones – I’m partial to the blueberry.
A former Jiffy Lube on North Sherman Avenue has new life as a place to fill up on coffee, fried chicken, and donuts, which are designated both “premium” and “super premium.” You can even live dangerously and get Zippy Lube’s breakfast sandwich served on a halved donut.
If you fancy a cake donut, the Bloom Bake Shop location on Monroe Street is for you. The bakery mixes up both regular and rotating seasonal flavors.
Expect a wait at the only Wisconsin location for this national chain on University Avenue, because they frost and decorate each donut while you wait. It’s worth it.
Grocery store donuts are usually pretty basic, but Jenifer Street Market proves the exception. Isthmus publisher Jason Joyce swears by the Old Fashioned donut, which sells out quick.
Head to the Global Market & Food Hall near East Towne Mall to check out Glazed, which sells both Korean hot dogs and mochi donuts, which are a combination of traditional Western donuts and Japanese sweet rice cakes. They’re made from tapioca flour and look like a necklace made out of eight tiny donut holes!
