A report on Puffy Cream: My maple had glossy frosting and a light texture, though I usually prefer a crispier exterior. I noticed that some of their donuts run BIG, especially the long-john types. Apple fritters were also big and unusually flat, though I didn't try one.

Service was very friendly. At 11ish on a Sunday, the place was empty.

Puffy Cream seems to meet the standard of a good donut.

I'm coming to realize the role that nostalgia plays in donut appraisal . . .

Aha! I called this morning and learned they are open seven days a week from 5 to noon! Wish they set up voicemail for their closed hours . . .

Anybody know the hours of Puffy Cream and, specifically, if they're open on Sundays? A trip is in my future . . .but only if they're open tomorrow.

I have a report on the Shakopee bakery, which is definitely an old-school place.

One of their defining characteristics is that they seem to offer two or three versions of the same donut; the variations consist of chopped nuts or sliced almonds.

Surprisingly, they had peanut cakes, just like Emily's in Hastings (though they were inexplicably called "mochas"). They were incredibly light -- better than Emily's.

I opted for a plain maple and it was solid, but not spectacular.
(And what makes a spectacular maple? Glossy frosting, a soft interior and -- here's the challenge -- an exterior with the slightest bit of crunch to provide a good counterpoint to the interior).

Overall: good. solid. if you want a donut and you're driving on 169, it's worth the brief side trip.

I stopped. I walked in. I walked out.

I like World's Best Donuts too. We tend to get up to Grand Marais in the offseason, though, when they're closed.

I tried Rosemark once and it was closed but I'm in that vicinity, so I'll have to try it again.

I remember that specific recommendation from her in that article about her kid and donuts and the donut book.

Wuollet's is too . . .bad. Really unremarkable donuts/pastries. I also remember trying Russian teacakes there around the holidays. Don't.

I saw mention of Puffy Cream in a separate post. I'll certainly give them a try when I'm in the vicinity. Same goes for Farmington. Is Farmington really good? Or just okay?

I've stopped in at Mel-O-Glaze before and was sorely disappointed by their variety. All they seemed to have was cake donuts. Maybe it was the time of day?

I know they've been around forever, though; do they still make the "mega-mel-o" (or however that's spelled?

I've been on the lookout for years for the best bakeries, which are on the decline as more people buy their donuts from grocery stores and gas stations. And to be specific, I'm not looking for a French bakery or something frou frou (no Rustica, Salty Tart, and so on), but a good solid bakery with cake donuts, maple fried, long johns, and the like.

My favorite is Emily's Bakery in Hastings, but Hastings is too far away just for a donut run. Their donuts are pitch perfect and they have some treats that no one else seems to have, like Holland Cream Sticks (oh yum!). They also have my grandma's favorite: peanut cakes (white cake with a light frosting coated in chopped peanuts).

I've been to P.J. Murphy's and can't recommend it. Their chunky frostings put me off. Their selection seems small too and their donuts mediocre in general.

Where else should I be sure to go? Trips to the Shakopee Bakery and New Prague's bakery (not sure of its name) are in my near future, but what about in the nearer metro area?

Hands down, Turtle Bread. There's nothing wrong with their bread, but eating there as a restaurant experience is terrible. The food is not great, it's overpriced, and there's a black hole of ambience. It's not quite as bad on a weekend when crowds fill the space but if you're there on a weekday and it's not very busy, it's depressing.

I second the suggestion to try Patisserie Margo's scones, which are also available at Dunn Brothers. They used to be my absolute favorite (especially the espresso chocolate chip). But I had one the other day and it was more yellow and less flaky than what I remembered from the past. Maybe they changed their recipe?

On the top of my list of bad scones is Breadsmith's. Ugh.

I love 112, but my husband and I had an unfortunate experience there on Valentine's Day due to an elementary problem: I ordered the barramundi and the chickpeas weren't sufficiently cooked. What a disappointment.

I brought it to the server's attention and he was shocked; here it is, 10:00 pm on Valentine's and nobody's mentioned that the chickpeas are underdone?

I still love the place, though. Try the choucroute bread pudding while it's still on the menu. Wow.