Birdie M.
Yelp
Time for a treat: DONUTS!!! Well...not really donuts, but "FŌNUTS!!!"
If you're ever near 3rd Street & Fairfax Avenue in the bustling & trendy Beverly Grove area of Los Angeles & want to try something a little different, check out "Fōnuts." Just know that "Fōnuts" aren't traditional donuts. Instead, they're more like baked (not fried) muffins/cakes in the shape of donuts. "Faux" + "Donuts" = "Fōnuts!" Ha!!! Get it? ;)
If you're able to quickly find an open metered parking spot on busy 3rd Street, consider it your lucky day. Once inside the quaint, well-decorated, clean shop, you'll be greeted by masked/gloved friendly & helpful staff, cool merchandise (e.g., clothing, syrups & spreads, hilarious stationery, etc.), & an amazing antique stove repurposed to creatively house condiments, cutlery, & more. Very cool.
"Fōnuts" offers a variety of cake-type donuts ($4.50/each for regular & $1.75/each for mini-sized). Some are vegan, & all are gluten-free. Yes...gluten-free. I'd never tried a gluten-free donut before, & I honestly expected it to taste like straight-up cardboard. But you know what? They were actually pretty good! There are way too many flavours to mention here, so here's the low-down on what we purchased (in order of deliciousness - ranked least to best):
* Black-&-White - Supposedly just as good as the cookie that NY made famous....but it's not. I don't know if it was just me, but this fōnut seemed to have a weird chemical taste & smell. It was just...strange... Not something I'd order again.
* Olive Oil Wild Blueberry - Dairy-free & gluten-free with fresh blueberry compote. Even though it's dusted in powdered sugar, surprisingly it wasn't overly sweet. This was "partner-in-crime's" (aka "Donut King's") favourite. Yep, after finally retiring from "The Force," he still loves a good donut. Even a fōnut...if it's good.
* Strawberry Shortcake - This gluten-free yogurt-battered fōnut has fresh strawberry chunks throughout, & is covered in strawberry puree glaze. A little on the sweeter side, but very good, & reminds me of a strawberry shake. Yummy!
* Chocolate Chip - The gluten-free chocolate chip fōnut is probably my favourite. Tender & moist, not overly sweet vanilla cake with chocolate chips. Plain, simple, & delicious.
If you're still on-the-fence & wondering what the texture is like of these fōnuts, just imagine a tender, moist, slightly dense baked muffin with a tiny bit of slightly crunchiness to it. I think the unique texture is from the almond grain flour, but it really is good! Just try it!
The best part of our experience that made a lasting impression overall was the customer service. The lady who assisted us was very nice, helpful, & patient. We chatted for a bit, & she offered us complimentary coffee for the road as we had a long drive back to OC. We politely declined (I can't drink coffee), but she insisted & instead offered me a complimentary non-caffenated beverage to go with my fōnuts. So very kind & gracious.
Even more-so than the comped beverages, your kindness & hospitality truly made a difference... The fōnuts were tasty, but you really made my day!
Thanks again! :)
***COVID-19 Know-Before-You-Go***
* Face coverings/masks are required regardless of vaccination status.
* Staff wear masks & gloves.