National Doughnut Day falls on a Friday this year, which means diving into a pillowy doughnut today is practically patriotic. Our pick to celebrate the confectionary? Asian-American sweets shop Rose Ave Bakery (1100 Vermont Ave., NW), nestled in the Block DC food hall. Owner Rose Nguyen fills airy, brioche doughnuts with tropical flavors like passion fruit, pandan coconut, and strawberry rose lychee. Pastries are available for pre-order, but you can walk in and snag a doughnut from Wednesday to Saturday if you miss the pre-sale window.
There are plenty of other spots to grab a fried round around DC, which has shaken off its doughnut-desert status in recent years. Takoma Park’s Donut Run tops vegan confections with playful touches like Cinnamon Toast Crunch cereal and salty pretzels (6904 4th St., NW). The bakery is offering a free doughnut today if you mention their Instagram post dedicated to National Doughnut Day.
District Doughnut has locations in Ballston, Barracks Row, Georgetown, Union Market, and the Wharf, so you can pick up your pastries around the city. New York expat Mah-Ze-Dahr (1201 Half St., SE) offers both brioche and cake doughnuts in Navy Yard. For delivery, Astro Doughnuts & Fried Chicken dispatches fried dough out of their downtown beer hall, Shaw shop, and Falls Church location. You can even go savory with a fried chicken sandwich bookended by a glazed doughnut. And, of course, there’s always Krispy Kreme, which is offering a free doughnut today.
Daniella Byck joined Washingtonian in 2022. She was previously with Outside Magazine and lives in Northeast DC.
