FALLING DOWN THE CRONUT KNOCK-OFF HOLE (AGAIN!) AT FILLMORE BAKESHOP
Just when it seems safe to move on from one food craze to another, an original rears it's sweetly sugared head again and you get suckered back into trying something you'd hereby given up as it will never be as good as the original that you have no acess to anyway. Yes, it's the local cronut knock-off again. After sugar-shocking myself through
Posh Bagel Bakeries densely over-cooked monstrosity I swore off trying others. If you can't get the original, why bother? Then along came
Fillmore Bakeshop with their own version which they are just flat out calling a cronut. Now it's not all that new, they started doing these toward the end of last year and got a lot of press and for awhile had lines out the door as they only made and served them on Saturdays. Marketing gimmick? Maybe, but it worked. They couldn't keep them in stock. Seeing this at the time I momentarily consider braving the early morning line and giving them a try. Then I realized, I don't have that much fear of missing out (FOMO for you online folks). And if they are truly good they will still be around in a few months time when lines will no longer need to be traversed just to try one.
So it was that I found myself on the 38 Geary one heavily misty Saturday morning venturing over to Fillmore Street to finally give their version of these things a try. Fortunately they only have two kinds, thus I won't have to run 20 miles after downing them. There is a glazed and a cinnamon sugar.
So it was that I found myself on the 38 Geary one heavily misty Saturday morning venturing over to Fillmore Street to finally give their version of these things a try. Fortunately they only have two kinds, thus I won't have to run 20 miles after downing them. There is a glazed and a cinnamon sugar.
The first thing you notice about these compared to the previous ones is that they actually look better and a larger than the others. Plus they feel lighter--just lifting one up it has the weight of a croissant not a cake donut. Not only can you see the layers from the outside, but they are very distinct when you cut them open.
These also do not have those weird color/flavored icing toppings and they also do not have any cream filling. The originals actually do have a filling, but here they've eschewed that to make it more like a croissant pastry. Biting into them you can tell the difference right away also, they are crunchy, airy, flaky and light--not heavy, dense and doughy like the others. It actually tastes like a croissant that's been restructured then deep fried like a donut. Chewing it I can just taste hints of the oil still in the dough but it's not an unpleasant flavor and doesn't overwhelm the butteriness of the original dough. I did like this version--it was like a breakfast treat or morning bun. Though I couldn't help to think what kind of taste kick it would have been if they'd had cream filled ones--for me that would elevate it to actual donut/dessert item.
As is though, I did like the cinnamon sugar one better than the glazed one--it tasted fresher. The glaze was just way too sweet, even for me, and a bit treacly. I'm not sure this kind of dough stands up so well against the heaviness of a glaze, something dustier serves it much better. Though taken together I think these are so much better than the ones from Posh and I'm glad I made the trek out to try them.
If you are into this kind of thing at all I recommend venturing out to Fillmore Bakeshop to snag a few. And even if you are not, they are an everything bakery and I'm sure you can find something there you'll like from pies to cookies to cakes to macaroons to quiche. It all looks good and tasty--I'm quite sure you won't be disappointed.
