Hello there, dear derbyers. It seems like a lifetime ago we first embarked on this journey together. At long last, we have reached the end of round one—eliminating 16 worthy contenders from our fritter list. In our final bout of the first round, Mount Pleasant bakery Heller’s narrowly—and we mean narrowly—beat out Dunkin’ Donuts for the last rung on the bracket. That means none of the three major chains—Krispy Kreme, Starbucks, and Dunkin’—will move on. Way to keep it local, Washington. We have our sweet 16, and now we start whittling them down to the elite eight.
So let’s get to it: Our first round-two contenders are the Tabard Inn, where brunch-goers dive into cinnamon sugar puffs complemented by vanilla-laced whipped cream; and Migue’s Magnificent Mini Donuts, a farmers market favorite that serves wee treats in flavors like crystal glaze and sour cream.
