#1 - Maple Bacon Donut

The Nickel Diner

You know that dog “Dug” from the movie UP. He’s the one that would lose it every time he saw a “SQUIRREL!”. Well the same sense of unbounded joy holds true for me and BACON. Let’s face it, bacon became super cool a few years ago when Top Chef wannabees included the porky product in every amouse-bouche, reduction and gastro molecular dish they could. Let’s be clear – I’ve tried turkey bacon and chicken-apple bacon, but I mean it’s like comparing the original Freaky Friday with the bastardized Lindsay Lohan remake…you don’t mess with the classics. So, I thought it seemed fitting that my favorite crispy companion be featured as part of the first dish for 99 pLAtes.

The guest eaters for today’s episode…errr…blog installment (can you tell I work in TV?) are also very appropriate for the 1^st official pLAte. John, the dude, and Kelly, the dude’s BFF, were in the mood for a little breakfast adventure so they joined me for a trip to The Nickel Diner in downtown LA for a taste of the coveted Maple Bacon Donut.

Previously on the 99 pLAtes blog, Kelly sent John an email with an article from LA Weekly naming the “99 Things to Eat in LA Before You Die”. That article led to this blog, which led to us hopping on the 101 on a recent Sunday morning to taste our first dish.

This is the face Kelly makes when I offer her apt to strangers

Kelly actually lives in NYC and was visiting John for her bi-annual trip to the City of Angels. Things you need to know about Kelly include: she makes very intricate Photoshop collages, she runs the entire Student Life department at the School of American Ballet and she has a wicked (holla Boston peeps) pad on the Upper West Side (in case you need lodging the next time you are in NY).

The Nickel Diner is (like almost everything else) relatively new to the Downtown LA scene. Opened in 2008, it’s earned a reputation for delicious homemade pop tarts, amped up classic diner food and the aforementioned Maple Bacon Donut – the holy grail of sweet and salty. This place has gotten all kinds of press lately including being featured on an upcoming episode of Diners, Drive-Ins and Dives (Triple D for those of us who Tivo the show).

After arriving a little later than scheduled (John drove – will have to save that story for another blog post), we found the spot marked clearly by a conventional sign and somewhat unconventional mannequin heads.
 

This being the dry run for the blog, I wasn’t quite sure how this would all go down. Do we tell the waitress that I am writing a blog about this donut? Do I write notes about the taste, quality, texture? Do we take pictures of the knick-knacks around the restaurant? All of these questions have still gone unanswered, but John thought the one thing that would be appropriate to just take a picture of Kelly and I. Candids

as he calls them…

Now the Maple Bacon Donut isn’t the only special feature on the menu. They also have donuts in flavors such as Nutella, Strawberry Crumble, Red Velvet and SAMOA. 

“Samoa!” I exclaimed out loud, “Like the…GIRL SCOUT COOKIE”. I used my excited voice of course which kind of sounds like a cross between Gonzo and Ethel Merman. You know Samoa’s – those are the delightful mixtures of coconut, chocolate, wafer and 12-year old girl in green uniform goodness.

“Sold out” said our waitress with the same gusto that those Girl Scouts mention the $5 price per box of cookies. So we settled for just the Maple Bacon Donut, better to not confuse our palate with too many variations of donut lard. In addition to out first pLAte, all of us ordered a version of the egg/omelette/huevo ranchero staple seen in brunch spots across Los Angeles.

It wasn’t long at all before our gift from the Gods of Pork and Pastry was bestowed upon us. The first thing I noticed was that not only was the donut served hot, but the plate was actually warm as well. It immediately reminded me of my Italian Grandma Angie who, before every meal, throws dinner plates in the microwave to make sure they are the same temperature as the pasta about to be heaved onto the dish. There is no greater test of patience than having to wait the full 30 seconds for the microwave ding before you can dig into her linguini with homemade red sauce. Back to the donut…

Kelly and John insisted that this being my first blog entry and all, I should have the inaugural bite. Upon first taste of the glistening glory, I was immediately smacked with an injection of salty and sweet flavors all at the same time. Let’s face it – if you want to light up the taste buds either salt and sugar will do it. But with their superpower forces combined…even Quailman doesn’t stand a chance. 

I believe (based on no actual research) that Los Angeles has more donut shops per capita than anywhere else in the world. You’ve got Stan’s Donuts, Randy’s Donuts, Winchell’s Donuts…but interestingly no Dunkin' (rumor has it there are plans for a West Coast expansion). Despite the sweet baked smell wafting through the city (its especially tempting around 2am when walking home from the bars…ask my old roommate Adam) I probably haven’t had a donut in 3+ years. From what I remember of the ring shaped treats, donuts are cake-like and depending on the variation, often crumble apart in your hands. Not the Maple Bacon Donut. Instead, this variation is almost spongy with a chewy moist consistency punctuated with blasts of salty pork.

 

 

John and Kelly took their own turns, each pointing out the thin layer of sweet frosting that stays on your lip even after you’ve finished. It’s kind of like the film of sugar on your spoon after eating a bowl of Fruity Pebbles. John, a bacon-aficionado, approved of the well-done state of the bacon crumbled on the upper rim of the ring.

With nothing left but a layer of syrupy remains (too embarrassing to scrape up with a fork) on the plate – our work was done. The Maple Bacon Donut gets thumbs up around the table. Honorable mention goes to the creamy polenta that accompanied my omelet. Thanks to this one-two breakfast combo, my arteries will never be the same again. 

Not gonna lie…I could have made room for that Samoa Donut. Is it Girl Scout Cookie season yet?

Maple Bacon Donut

The Nickel Diner, 524 S. Main Street

Los Angeles, CA