Doughboys – Affordable & Delicious Donuts
A new donut shop just opened up in Reno, and it deserves to be talked up, not just because they make donuts, but that their donuts are made with the best ingredients and oils, and some are over a foot long. Something also to note is that you can get a fresh cup of Joe and a glazed for only $2.
This family run business got its start in Camarillo, Ca, where they have been making donuts for over 30 years at the sister store “Rolling Pin Donuts”. DoughBoys is run by Bob, Marge and Jay (whom you may remember from his UNR baseball days) Kenny, and every once in a while you can find even younger generations behind the donut case. DoughBoys gets its name from the Army enlisted soldiers and non-commissioned officers in World War 1.
One thing to note is the donuts and pastries at DoughBoys are not small, even the donut holes are larger than the fist of most children. The Tigertail is over a foot long and the Bearclaws could really fit on a bear. They even have specialty donuts like; the Wolf Pack Paw (a smaller claw dipped in frosting and either chocolate chips or sprinkles – just right for kids), the Chocolate Chip Roll (just like a cinnamon roll, but topped and filled with chocolate chips and chocolate frosting) and even 8 different filled croissants. Also don’t forget their good coffee and colder options of juices, milk and sodas.
Make sure you stop by when the urge arises and try one or a dozen. You won’t be sorry!
DoughBoys Donuts
57 Damonte Ranch Parkway
Reno, Nevada 89521
775-85DOUGH (36844)
Open daily from 5am to 10pm
“Donuts. Is there anything they can’t do?” – Homer Simpson
Chocolate Bar serves more than sweets
By: Colleen Hagen
When Chocolate Bar opened in downtown Reno in 2005, I rejoiced. There was actually a place with a menu that consisted only of chocolate and cocktails, the two official food groups of women everywhere. The posh modern interior worked with the location since it put Chocolate Bar on the Saturday night downtown bar rotation along with Silver Peak and Imperial.
But when I heard earlier this year that Chocolate Bar would have a Summit Sierra location off the Mt. Rose highway, I was skeptical: How could the leather-and-chandelier-spackled lounge survive in a mall that is equidistant to Lake Tahoe and Carson City? Could they have picked a more isolated location for a place that thrives off the late night scene?
So Chocolate Bar took a page from Darwin and evolved. It now serves lunch.
At upscale bistro prices, chic and hungry shoppers can dine on a variety of small gourmet plates and lunch specials.
The lamb “lollipops” ($12) marinated in garlic and rosemary, were not on the rib bone, as in the classic definition, but skewered with wooden picks. Still, they were tender, savory and served with a sweet potato purée.
The ahi sliders ($12), though, were disappointing. What they call a French roll was more like a thick gummy bun that enveloped the ahi, making the delicate, briny flavor all but disappear. The same was true of the generic-tasting sirloin sandwich, where the flavorless bread seemed to scream “defrosted from a bag.”
The garlic fries ($7) were crisp and tasty but were scant on actual garlic. The chef should take a trip to the Santa Cruz Boardwalk where the fries seem to garnish the garlic, not the other way around.
While Chocolate Bar’s décor is the embodiment of chic, modern and daring, the chef has yet to take many risks with the menu. The dishes, while adequate, are uninspired. I would expect shrimp cocktail and Caesar salad at a run-of-the-mill restaurant, not from a place decked with giant jet-black chandeliers and oversized Victorian mirrors.
Thankfully, the dessert lives up to the fuss. I relished the delicious chocolate mousse cake ($7) while trying to put my finger on its tangy lingering flavor (Baileys?). The “cbar” bread pudding ($7) is made with layers of croissant, giving it an unexpected airiness. Another favorite was the doughnut sampler ($8), a sophisticated presentation of three dishes of doughnut bites rolled in different flavors (cinnamon spice, bittersweet chocolate and powdered sugar), accompanied by three sweet dipping sauces.
So while Chocolate Bar is certainly no mall food-court locale, the newly formed lunch menu still has some evolving to do. But having experienced Chocolate Bar’s devotion to attentive service, luxe decor and sinful sweets, I am sure it will be no time before the lunch catches up to the panache and ganache.
Chocolate Bar
-13979 S. Virginia St. Reno, Nevada 89511
-475 S. Arlington Ave. Reno, NV 89501
-Hours: Sunday through Thursday from 11:30 a.m. to 12 a.m. Friday through Saturday from 11:30 a.m. to 2 a.m.
