When you think of doughnuts in the Hamptons, there is a place in Sag Harbor that takes the cake. That place is Grindstone Coffee and Doughnuts. If you haven’t been there, add it to your list. It’s an adorable little spot that offers a little bit of sunshine into your day. The company was started by a guy that used to work as a cashier at K-Mart named Kyle Sanderson, who brought his personal vision to reality with Grindstone. I love stories like that. America.
But let me get to the nitty gritty. The doughnuts at this place sort of blow your mind when you are in there. You’re overwhelmed by the smell of the dough, which is all made on site, and then there is the array of gigantic $5 doughnuts on display in the window. The varieties are not crazy at all, most are totally normal such as cinnamon and sugar or Boston Crème, but it’s the quality of these doughnuts that sets them apart. They are in essence, a thing of beauty. If you’re feeling a little crazy, something that you can do here is ask for the doughnut to be cut in half, have a scoop of ice cream added to it and then heated up a little, if you’re in the mood to have your mind completely blown, I’d recommend you try this at least once in your life.
As I stared into the doughnut window making what felt like one of the most important decisions of my life, I could not take my eyes off of the Nutella S’mores Doughnut. I would have Nutella mainlined into my arteries with an IV if I could, so to throw that on top of a fresh Grindstone doughnut, and to then melt a marshmallow on top of it and sprinkle a graham cracker crumble, I was intrigued, this doughnut was it for me.
“I’ll take that one.”
“Excellent choice.”
I felt validated and scrambled out of the store with my 14 month year old daughter in tow and I was very excited. THIS WAS GONNA HAPPEN AND OH MAN IS THIS GOING TO BE GOOD. My expectation for this doughnut was higher than a card counter at a black jack table.
There is a bench just outside of Grindstone that has sort of turned into the default doughnut eating in shame bench of Sag Harbor, so I posted up the stroller next to it and held the doughnut in my hands. The Nutella was melted, the doughnut was warm, and when I took a bite…oh my God, I needed to sit down on the bench.
Not caring about really anything else in the world except for maybe my pants getting chocolate on them from the others doughnut warriors who have failed to maintain their posture, I ate this doughnut with so much bliss, so much happiness, so much….I mean, my pupils dilated eating this thing.
I’m the type of guy that hammers things down, it’s difficult for me to savor, but I hammered and savored this doughnut impossibly.
I looked at my daughters eyes, one little bite for her won’t hurt. She deserves it.
