Firecakes.

Alex and I are huge doughnut fans, so much so that we've made it an objective to visit every artisanal doughnut shop in Chicago (you say "impossible," I say "easy").  A few weeks ago we tried out Firecakes.  And I'm still dreaming about those doughnuts.

I love the shop itself.  It's not so small as the Doughnut Vault, but still only has a little counter and no seating--fine by me!  Outdoor doughnuts are the best doughnuts.  (They apparently serve fresh blood-orange juice which sounds just lovely with a sweet doughnut.)

We ordered the basics, an Old Fashioned Buttermilk and a Classic Jelly, because if they can't get those right, I refuse to trust them. The Old Fashioned was lovely, sweet (perhaps a little too sweet for me), and crispy on the outside; perfectly soft on the inside.  They somehow achieved a light and fluffy doughnut without forfeiting any of that delicious denseness that makes me adore the Old Fashioned.  The highlight of the Jelly was the jelly: thick and sweet, but a little tart, with actual berries.  So so delicious.  

I'm already looking forward to our next visit there.  To try next time: Pistachio Old Fashioned and the Meyers Lemon.