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These guys at Krispy Kreme are just havin' too much fun here. Check them out and see the tastiest buttons ever. We wish we were unethical enough to steal all their donut pictures.

Krispy Kreme donut shops can be found all over the eastern and southern USA except for New England.

Donut Scoop

The craze for Krispy Kreme donuts in Los Angeles, covered in Salon this month. (Get Lost still scooped them with the story you're reading, but Salon is always worth reading.)

IN PRAISE OF KRISPY KREME DONUTS

It all started with this note from Dave Friello of Washington DC:

Twin sis told me Krispy Kreme is going public. Have you seen their website? www.krispykreme.com Nearest store is in Alexandria, about 15 miles from here; the only one in the area.

Of course, we had to look into this. In Seattle, Westernco, Dunkin Donuts, and Winchell's chains are all we have, and though they're not bad, they don't exactly inspire slavish dedication like the following:

KRISPY KREME, NO HOLE IN THE WALL

A suspiciously fond memory by Gail Boysen

Close your eyes...(Figuratively, or else this is going to be very boring, which it might be anyway) Fix your thoughts on the 40's retro green and white box of heaven sitting on the coffee room table in front of you. Lean gently forward and breathe deep; smell the warm sweetness of leavened yeast, glaze, a perfect doughnut. Ahhhhh. Run your tongue across your lips, slowly and give them a little smack. Stretch out your hand and touch the box with a whisper, feel the warmth in your palm as it hovers just out of fingers grasp. Trembling, you reach to open the box, anticipation rising as the steam from your just brewed cup of coffee, the perfect companion for this dulcet delectable. Slowly, open your rolled eyes, a sultry grin on your face. Lifting the lid, your heart palpitating out of control immediately screams, "They're all gone!" (Along with several other superlatives)

Krispy Kreme doughnuts cannot be compared to any other doughnut in my book and I'll wager to say I do not stand alone in this sentiment. Personally, I'm not a traditional glazed doughnut kind of a gal. I prefer chocolate. I never understood what people saw in a plain old boring glazed doughnut until I was introduced to these tiny delights several years ago. Fresh and warm out of the cooker, these gems melt in your mouth and leave gooey glaze in your hands. (Perfectly finger licking good) There is something magical about the simplicity of a Krispy Kreme doughnut. The perfect roundness, the perfect hole, the just right glaze, the smooth velvet melt in your mouth texture. Dunkin' Donuts don't stack up, Publix can't hold a candle to them, even the local bakery doesn't have the right stuff. They reveal all their secrets (sort of) on their website, and I believe every one of them. How else could this sacred doughnut be concocted except through pixie dust and fairy magic?

Go! Go now! Don't drive by that little shop without going in one more time. Get a dozen, maybe two and take them home. Brew a pot of coffee and enjoy, but be forewarned, you'll need a cigarette after you're done.

No Krispy Kreme near you? Have your own Global Cavalcade of Donuts this month, with Martha Strom's recipes