Doughnuts bring to mind the days when my brother and I would quickly devour the first pastry dad would buy us and then, our sweet tooth not quite satiated, ask for another. I fondly remember the sweet, delicious Bavarian cream, chocolate and fruit fillings nestled in soft dough most often topped with sprinkles and colorful frostings available in Port Washington at the time.
Though my tastes have evolved somewhat in terms of breakfast, there is a new doughnut shop in Milwaukee that takes me back to my childhood and also dispels the idea that doughnuts are too sweet for adults to enjoy. Holey Moley, newly opened in the Third Ward, has taken the next step in doughnut creation and brings to the breakfast table gratifying flavors to suit nearly everyone’s palate.
Joe and Angie Sorge of the local Hospitality Democracy restaurant group founded the establishment in July and work in partnership with Hawthorne Coffee Roasters’ Owner Steve Hawthorne to offer the best gourmet doughnut and coffee experience in the Downtown area. Hospitality Democracy chefs create the impressive doughnuts (at least 12 new flavors each week are taste-tested) and Hawthorne provides the coffee and staff for Holey Moley’s walk-up counter.
When I heard about craft doughnuts and premium coffee all in one place, I made plans to visit immediately.
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First thing to note is that Holey Moley’s smooth coffee/espresso drinks are some of the cheapest in the area, ranging from $1.60-$3.75. Offerings are seasonal and rotational. “I buy coffee in small batches, so the selection is always unique,” Hawthorne shares. Make sure you ask at the counter which roast(s) pair best with the doughnut(s) you choose.
For the high caliber of doughnut offered, the pricing is quite reasonable, ranging from $1.75-$2.50 depending on how fancy of a doughnut you pick from the beautiful display case. All fresh-daily doughnuts are hand-coated with glazes crafted on-site from scratch. About six core flavors are readily available with a few rotating specialties, such as S’more’s and Crème brûlée. There is at least one vegan and one gluten-friendly doughnut available at all times as well. As Hawthorne says, “Our chefs are always experimenting and we are not limiting creativity right now.”
To start, I tried the Vanilla Cake glazed doughnut, Holey Moley’s inaugural creation which Hawthorne says took about two weeks to perfect. The glaze adds a light amount of sweetness to the delicious, vanilla-infused cake dough that is all but meant for coffee dunking.
The next morsel I sunk my teeth into was the Violet Beauregarde—a fun tribute to Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory. This blueberry-lovers delight is filled with fresh blueberry puree and topped with matching blueberry cream cheese frosting. It looks decadent, but the combination of real blueberries, light cream cheese topping and perfectly raised dough makes for a satisfyingly fruit-forward doughnut.
I was excited to try the next—a zippy Lemon Old Fashioned glazed cake doughnut. This one hit the spot with a bright, true lemon flavor (I promise, it does not taste like grandma’s lemon candy drops) and a tangy aftertaste that matched perfectly with Hawthorne’s Ethiopian roast coffee. If you’re looking for a good morning pick-me-up, this is the doughnut to pair with your caffeine.
Finally, I gave the PBCB (Peanut Butter Chocolate Bacon) raised doughnut my attention. This is a nicely done modification on the sweet-salty craze that continues to define the direction of many local confections. The thin, smooth layer of chocolate frosting is the best I’ve had in years—no fake chocolate flavoring here. The peanut butter pastry cream filling is fluffy and successfully adds flavor without sticking to the roof of your mouth. Small, perfectly crispy Nueske’s bacon bits are crumbled on top the chocolate, perfectly cutting the sweetness. And for those vegetarians out there, a PBC version is available.
Holey Moley is open daily 6:30 a.m.-3 p.m. at 316 N. Milwaukee St. You can also pre-order on their website. If you see lime green boxes—their signature color—you’re headed in the right direction.
