The team behind the upcoming Astro Doughnuts & Fried Chicken—the latest venture to join the ultra-ultra-comfort-food trend—has been tight-lipped about the shop’s exact downtown location. Now a rep for the storefront tells us that a “coming soon” sign will soon be hung at 1308 G Street, Northwest, mere blocks from the White House and Metro Center station. Better yet: You can start placing delivery orders right now.
The storefront won’t officially open until January 2013, but former Fiola pastry chef Jason Gehring is ready to fire up the fryers for delivery in a limited area between Ninth and 15th streets, Northwest, and E and H streets, Northwest. Those lucky downtown dwellers can pick from five standard flavors, which include glazed vanilla, crème brûlée, peanut butter and jelly, maple-bacon, and Brooklyn Blackout, made with devil’s food cake and cookie crumbs. In addition to the staples, there’ll also be five additional flavors that change daily, such as salted caramel with almonds, triple chocolate (chocolate dough stuffed with chocolate custard and swiped with chocolate glaze), and a special for all you Twinkie lovers/mourners out there: the Twink-nut, where golden vanilla cake gets a buttercream filling and vanilla glaze. Still, don’t let the Hostess-inspired name fool you. Gehring and co-owners Elliot Spaisman and Jeff Halpern say they’re sourcing ingredients from top-notch purveyors, some local, such as Virginia-based Benton’s Bacon and luxury Valrhona chocolate.
Unfortunately the fried bird component of the operation will only launch along with the eatery in January, at which point you’ll be able to nab both sweet and savory to go. In the warmer months you may be able to find sidewalk seating, and after the debut, the team hopes to expand the delivery area to other neighborhoods in the city. Until then, check out the delivery menu below, and try to abstain from taking over office space within the delivery zone for the coming weeks.
Astro Doughnuts. 1308 G St., NW. Delivery orders must been placed by noon the day before the delivery, with a dozen-doughnut minimum. Call 202-599-8440 or e-mail info@astrodoughnuts.com for orders.
Astro Doughnuts & Fried Chicken Catering Menu
Daily Selection (available every day)
• Vanilla Glazed: vanilla bean glaze ($2.25)
• Brooklyn Blackout: devil’s food cake, chocolate glaze, cookie crumbs ($2.50)
• Maple Bacon: maple glaze, Benton’s bacon ($2.50)
• Peanut Butter & Jelly: strawberry jelly, peanut butter glaze ($2.85)
• Crème Brulee: vanilla custard, brûléed vanilla glaze ($2.85)
Monday
• Lemon Blueberry: blueberry cake, lemon glaze, streusel ($2.50)
• Pistachio: pistachio glaze and crumble, chocolate drizzle ($2.25)
• Salted Caramel: caramel glaze, almonds, fleur de sel ($2.25)
• Applesauce: cinnamon dough, apple compote, caramel glaze ($2.85)
• Lemon Passion Fruit: lemon curd, passion-fruit glaze ($2.85)
Tuesday
• Peanut Butter Chocolate Chip: chocolate chip cake, peanut butter glaze, cookie crumbs ($2.50)
• Saigon Cinnamon: cinnamon dough, cinnamon glaze ($2.25)
• Espresso: espresso dough, espresso glaze ($2.25)
• White chocolate mocha: espresso dough, white ganache, espresso glaze ($2.85)
• Creamsicle: orange curd, blood orange glaze ($2.85)
Wednesday
• Pumpkin: pumpkin raisin cake, maple glaze, gingersnap crumbs ($2.50)
• Carrot Cake: carrot dough, cream cheese glaze, pecans ($2.25)
• Piña Colada: pineapple compote, coconut glaze ($2.85)
• Boston Cream: vanilla custard, chocolate glaze ($2.85)
• Triple Chocolate: chocolate dough, chocolate custard, chocolate glaze ($2.85)
Thursday
• Banana Nut: banana cake, mascarpone glaze, pecans ($2.50)
• Gingerbread: gingerbread dough, gingerbread glaze ($2.25)
• Grapefruit: pink grapefruit glaze ($2.25)
• Black & White: chocolate dough, white ganache, vanilla glaze ($2.85)
• Gianduia: chocolate dough, chocolate custard, hazelnut glaze ($2.85)
Friday
• Twink-nut: golden vanilla cake, buttercream filling, vanilla glaze ($2.50)
• Chocolate Glazed: Valrhona chocolate glaze ($2.25)
• Pecan: butterscotch glaze, pecans ($2.25)
• Mocha: espresso dough, chocolate custard, espresso glaze ($2.85)
• Oatmeal raisin: oatmeal dough, buttercream filling, granola crumbs ($2.85)
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.
