Captain Gregory’s Speakeasy, the hidden bar inside Del Ray’s Sugar Shack Donuts, tried to open quietly this summer—and then Kevin Bacon dropped by and ruined everything (typical). Now owner and former Delegate Rob Krupicka is ready to officially launch with full hours and a menu of sweet and savory dishes.
By day the Richmond-based doughnut shop serves fresh, hand-rolled doughnuts, but drinkers can text the cozy bar come evening for reservations (it’s tucked behind a wall in the back of the shop). Barman Sam Brooks crafts classic cocktails and seasonal variations using house-made vermouths and infused spirits. Customers are welcome to bring in a box of doughnuts, though the new menu offers plenty of doughnut-inspired creations worth trying.
Snack options include a variety of toasted doughnut sliders, made with savory doughnut dough that has the same crisp-and-airy texture of the sweet variety. Order them stuffed with honey-Sriracha chicken and pickled jalapeños, pulled pork barbecue, pork belly banh mi-style, or in burger form. There’re also crunchy doughnut sticks served with local Port City beer cheese for dipping. Come dessert you’ll find maple-bacon beignets, strawberry shortcake—made with fried dough, of course—and a samoa doughnut sundae with vanilla ice cream and chocolate sauce. Other eats include charcuterie boards and mac n’ cheese, which sound tasty but not as fun.
For those who just want more good ol’ fashioned doughnuts, Krupicka is opening a second branch of the Richmond-based Sugar Shack at 3400 Columbia Pike, Arlington next year.
804 N. Henry St., Alexandria; 571-281-0059 (text for reservations). Open Wednesday to Saturday, 6 PM to 1 AM (last call midnight); Sunday 7 PM to midnight (last call at 10).
Anna Spiegel covers the dining and drinking scene in her native DC. Prior to joining Washingtonian in 2010, she attended the French Culinary Institute and Columbia University’s MFA program in New York, and held various cooking and writing positions in NYC and in St. John, US Virgin Islands.
