Un-Standard Doughnuts from a Beer Garden
Wander down 14th Street hipster corridor between Logan Circle and U Street on Saturday nights and Sunday afternoons, and you will discover that the Standard offers more than just liters of beer and shoulder-to-shoulder seating.
“Wanna doughnut?”
I turn to see a man peering through the Standard’s iron fence. If the weather were colder, I’m sure he’d be holding open a trench coat.
“Wanna doughnut? They’re a dollar.”
I double back, once I realize he really is selling donuts, and that he has a fresh tray of them.
“You make these?”
“Yeah, with this,” he says, gesturing to his rickety metal frying machine, balanced on a spare table that probably got too many complaints about its stability. I want to ask him if his boss knows, but instead I hand over a dollar.
“Cinnamon-sugar?”
“Ok.”
He hands it to me on a white paper napkin; it takes a few minutes for the grease marks to show. It has the roughness of sand on my hands, reminding me of my childhood dreams where Malibu was one big cinnamon-sugar shore. The first bite is a sugar rush – this isn't haute cuisine or organic wholesomeness – it's just a pure hit of sweetness and grease. The outside is gloriously, freshly crunchy (unlike the anemic, mass-produced donuts found in stores), though his fryer clearly doesn't get as hot as it should, which means the frying oil has seeped into the dough. If the oil were hotter, it would seal the outer layer while emanating enough heat to cook the doughnut's innards. But I am ok with this – it somehow validates its authenticity, and that of its brave sidewalk entrepreneur. I nibble the doughnut while standing in line up the street at El Centro (the things we will do for a rooftop bar!), and when I later wash it down with a salty margarita, I feel the evening is complete.
The Standard is also a worthy destination for its beer, pulled pork, and festive, outdoor atmosphere, but it does get extremely crowded later in the day – and the patrons tend to stick around, so waiting can be painful. But arrive in time for a BBQ brunch, and you should be ok. It is closed on Mondays and when the weather is bad (this is strictly an outdoor establishment), and doesn't have a listed phone number (no, you cannot make reservations).
The Standard, 1801 14th St NW, Logan Circle; http://standarddc.com/
GalTime's intrepid foodie, Jean Schindler, loves exploring the DMV's restaurants in search of the perfect meal. Have somewhere you'd like to send her? Let us know.
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