Photo Credit Rachel Lyn Photography |
Scott Suchman Photography |
And the originally from DC Astro, which opened its LA
outpost in April of this year, has the confectionary street credit to back it
out. The shop was called by TimeOut an
“exemplary fryery” and one of the top-21 best fried chicken restaurants in
America. Thrillist named Astro among the
“21 best donut shops in America,” and the Washington Post crowned the Crème
Brûlée doughnut “the city’s best.” Let’s
drop the mic for some sucré accolades!
Astro Doughnuts and Fried Chicken offers a combination of
four classic daily doughnut flavors (Vanilla Glazed, Maple Bacon, PB&J, and
Crème Brûlée) along with a rotating selection of specials. When Edible Skinny was there choices
included: Birthday Cake, Cherry Pie, Blueberry Lemon
Thyme and Root Beer Float made with Boylan Root Beer. The newest class of doughnuts are available
for a few weeks before they disappear like the cast of Brigadoon after their
contracts haven’t been renewed. My
absolute favorite of this group was the Birthday Cake, moist chocolate cake topped
with a sweet (but not too sweet) white cream and sprinkles!
For the Carnivores (read not me) Astro offers fried chicken
with all the classic fixins’; if your idea of classic fixins’ include Buns such
as doughnuts or their cheddar biscuit (BTW: one of the best biscuits of my
life, and I absolutely scrutinize biscuits!), Sauces such as Sriracha Buffalo
and Blue Cheese, and Add-Ons such as Kimchi Cole Slaw and Pickled Jalapenos. I decided to rock all these options with an
egg sandwich and it was simply Fab Fab (a big shout out to D. Lo and Marta for
the suggestions!). The whole dining
experience has a fast paced Chose Your Own Adventure feel to it, as if the
energy of hip hop came in doughnut form.
Rachel Lyn Photography |
This was finished by some of absolutely best tater-tots in
my life! They were a perfection of
crispy outside igloo-ing the perfect amount of warm potato goodness housed
within. I’m tell you head over and drop
the $2.95 (less than a cup of coffee at Starbucks) to rock them with some
Sriracha Buffalo!
A bit of history, the first Astro Doughnuts opened in DC in
2013, when childhood friends Elliot Spaisman and Jeff Halpern, the first native
Washingtonians to play for the Washington Capitals, bonded over a love of all
things missing a hole. Halpern and
Spaisman grew up playing the sport together in Montgomery County, MD, often
meeting for a post-game doughnut off the ice.
As adults, the two food lovers forged their childhood pastime into a
local eatery offering lighthearted interpretations of two comfort food
favorites: doughnuts and fried chicken.
Leveraging Spaisman’s experience at Balducci’s (formerly
Sutton Place Gourmet), the duo found ways to add a modern spin to classic
recipes with inventive seasonal flavors, culturally relevant releases, and
sandwiches combining both items for a new take on the traditional southern
combo of waffles and fried chicken.
Something to take note about the LA Astro Doughnuts, a lot
of people work there… which means that they’re really busy… which means they’ve
got a lot of customers… which means they’re making money. According to James Brice, member of the kitchen staff at the LA location, Astro is are already actively seeking to open a second
location in the City of Angeles and acquire a food truck (because what would a
doughnut shop be in LA without a food truck… LOST, that’s what!).
Alen Lin Photography |
So if you’re looking for doughnuts, fried
chicken, and the best tatter tots of your life head over to Astro Doughnuts!
Kat Thomas is the
Editor in Chief of Edible Skinny, a site dedicated to making your life postcard
worthy. She is also the CEO of the creative media company This Way Adventures.
You can find more about both brands at http://www.thiswayadventures.com