the banbury cross i have to bear

i've been fiendish for doughnuts lately. i can't remember where this urge has sprung from. i could be dealing with some heavy latent shit, you guys. Occasionally when i was a kid, my mom, my aunt emily, my sisters and i would usually hit up some old tired ass doughnut shop in the midtown/east memphis area. the shop of choice was usually howard's doughnuts on summer avenue near perkins/goodlett (can't remember...it's been too long). one of my favorite smells ever is a very old doughnut shop. the scent of the pre-indoor smoking ban still lingers there (good luck finding that smell in salt lake city) as do the old timers, who still get the same 2 glazed doughnuts and cup of coffee like they've been getting since 1954. i'm always on the lookout for places that make doughnuts the way the old style places in memphis do. i found one in salt lake city (sans cigarette smell) and, thank the maker, it isn't all hip and excellent to be seen getting doughnuts there. I FUCKING LOVE BANBURY CROSS. when you walk in the door hold your breath for like a second so the smell of the outside world doesn't mingle with the smells going on inside. cassie, bryan and i went there on sunday to try their doughnuts. i was quite satisfied. you folks should know me well enough by now to know that i didn't go straight for the fancy sprinkle-y doughnuts, or the ever so alluring bavarian cream ones. and get thee hence bear claws! no, i needed to know how good their plain glazed doughnuts were. it's like a cheese pizza. if a pizzeria sucks at making a cheese pizza, forget it. same with d-nut shops. if the glazed doughnuts aren't absolutely stellar, don't bother. benchmarks, people! so yeah, the very simple and glazed d-nuts are what i got on sunday. they were pretty perfect. very light, very fluffy, not too yeasty, and not too sugary. you have to be gentle with them, otherwise they'll end up getting smushed (smooshed? nah, smushed)), and i for one do not like my d-nuts smushed. i went back today with my partner in crime jennie, with every intention of trying a new menu item. and guess what they had? fucking blueberry cake d-nuts. before today, my favorite blueberry cake doughnut could be found at select krispy kreme outlets. now, banbury cross is where i will shell out my "hard" earned money for these fluffy creatures. no joking, it's been a very very long time since i've found a blueberry cake doughnut this good in a mom and pop shop. today was momentous, dudes. we saw a pack of homeschool kids in sweatpants come in too.