Let the Good Times Roll!!! Edible Skinny was lucky enough to be in New
Orleans for the last two weeks! We had a
fabulous time there and the extra pounds to prove it, much of which is the result
of District Donuts. Now, I openly
proclaim that normally I don’t even like donuts. I think they’re a ridiculous breakfast food
that murders your blood sugar before the day even starts… but I’m now eating
crow as all that changed with a Big Easy intro to District Donuts.
District Donuts located in the heart of the Garden
District, far from the winding lines of the French Quarter, hands down make the
best donuts I have ever had in my life. Yay,
that’s right I said that Café Du Monde (which I made sure to cross off my list
of NOLA food activities… look for a post on that to come). It’s an even bolder statement coming someone
who has sampled sugar concoctions from the donut greats such as Voodoo Donuts
in Portland and Kettleglazed Donuts in Los Angeles.
At District every calorie has been placed in their
food with dedicated intention. They do
everything from scratch, down to their sprinkles! Seven options are available daily, each more
creative than the next, from Vietnamese Coffee (with Boba inside of it), Maple
Sriracha, and Brown Butter Pistachio.
District is also committed to micro-batch roasted
coffee. Their coffee partner is the
Atlanta based 1000 Faces who only ever roasts less than 20 lbs at time. Through a technique called profile roasting, individual
coffee beans are roasted to find their sweet spot, a special profile
of time and temperature variables are created and adhered to that offer
their interpretation of perfection. This
means that they don’t use traditional terms like light, medium, and dark
roasts. (How cool is that? They’re so cool they’re above classic coffee systemization…)
District opened in October 2013 focusing on creative
donuts and sliders, the latter includes Fried Chicken with Sweet and Spicy Slaw
and Candied Jalapeno, a Pork Belly sandwich on a Waffle Bun with Garlic and
Anise-flavored Creole Mustard, and a Lemongrass Chile, Tofu, Cucumber, Campari
Tomato with Sweet Soy Glaze (which BTWs is fantastic!). A year later, the team opened District: Hand
Pie & Coffee Bar on upper Magazine Street selling sweet and savory versions
of the portable filled pastry. The team are set to open a new location in
Lakeview this summer. That will be the
third brick-and-mortar for the company in three years.
District also has taken the ubiquitous concept of a
food truck flipped it Crescent City style.
Their mobile wheels look like a New Orleans streetcar, but it’s really aStrEATcar. Along with offering District’s
donuts and sliders, there’s milk on tap.
In addition to serving great food, the strEATcar serves another
strategic purpose, to help connect New Orleans children and teens in foster
care with families. 100% of the profits
from the StrEATcar go to support Crossroads NOLA, a local non-profit serving
children in foster care. This really is
a streetcar you’ll desire.
So here’s to life being delicious and encountering the
best donuts of your life!
