Case Study 011: Donut World

Site Name:     Donut World

Site Address:  720 NE Burnside Rd

                       Gresham, OR 97030

One rainy day, the research team decided to make the long trek to the suburbs in search of a new donut experience. Through the downpour, off in the distance, a big red barn shown like a beacon of hope. That beacon was Donut World. That hope was expressed with raspberry fritters.

Figure 1. Site Exterior

Donut World is a barn full of doughnuts. The stained-glass window greeting you as you walk in (Figure 2) gives you a good feel for what you're in for...

Figure 2. Site Interior

Donut World reminded Josh of what espresso shops looked like in the mid-nineties in Portland: this weird transition to something fancy, but not fully committed to it. Josh loves this vibe, given how much of his adolescence was spent in places like this. He was a trench-coat and a pack of Djarum Blacks away from being fifteen again...

Figure 3. The Goods


Josh sampled a raspberry fritter and a buttermilk bar (he was ravenous from the hike out to Gresham). The fritter had a heavy, sugary glaze and a dense dough with a neon pink swirl. This one ran a little too far on the sweet scale for Josh.

Josh reported that the buttermilk bar was dense and creamy. This was a spot-on doughnut; acting as a counter-punch to the teeth-rattling sweetness of the fritter. Well played, Donut World.

Figure 4. Josh's Sample

Lorna sampled a Boston Cream. She reported the cream was pretty typical, but still good. The frosting was a bit thin, but the cake was nice and fluffy. Overall, Lorna was happy with both her sample and the bite she had of Josh's fritter. After a long debate on the merits of the glaze in the construction of a fritter, Lorna and Josh agreed to disagree.

Figure 5. Lorna's Sample

Below is an eerily accurate account of a typical Sunday morning at the Keeling household (just replace Garfield with our lumbering dog, Bear). How do you know us so well, DW?

Figure 6. A Typical Day in the Keeling Household

Donut World has a special sort of charm that appealed to both Josh's love of kitschy coffeehouses and Lorna's nostalgia for the homey vibe of the Midwest. The doughnuts have their merits, but are not enough to justify the trip if you live in the city. That said, if you live in Gresham or happen to be passing through, they're worth a stop to settle in with a hunk of dough and a giant white chocolate mocha.

Case Study 010: Tonalli's Doughnuts & Cream

Site Name:      Tonalli's Doughnuts & Cream

Site Address:   503 SE Dorion Ave
                        Pendleton, OR 97801



This was a long time coming. Tonalli's has been an important part of Josh and Lorna's life. Their courtship took place just down the street from Tonalli's and many a late-night snack were giggled over by younger, rosier-eyed Keelings.

Tonalli's has been an anchor of the Alberta community for awhile. It's right on the corner, with big windows for people watching. They serve ice cream and burgers and have a super friendly staff.

Figure 1. Site Exterior

As is the case with many shops, timing is everything. At least in our younger days, you could get super fresh doughnuts here if you showed up around ten o'clock at night. Mmmm... fresh buttermilk bars...

Figure 2. Site Interior

Lorna sampled a Boston creme while Josh had an apple fritter. Lorna reported the cream-filled was alright, though nothing noteworthy. The cream and frosting were both fairly standard.

Josh noted the glaze was quite heavy on the fritter that he had. This is a point of taste for fritter lovers. Josh prefers his fritters to be fluffy and fruity, while some fritter-ers prefer a a heavy glaze that dominates the flavor. For you glaze lovers, Tonalli's is the place (close second goes to Donut Queen on Burnside). For you fluff-fans, go to Honey Jar.

That said, we know from past experience that where Tonalli's really stands out is with their old-fashioneds and buttermilk bars. These denser delights are creamy on the inside and crisp on the outside; an absolute treat. Few other shops come close to Tonalli's in this regard.

Figure 3. Samples

The nice thing about Tonalli's is the atmosphere. There are always people coming and going and you get to see all kinds of families walking through. A particular vocal child gives a running commentary on the environment in the recording below.


The counter is the perfect spot to hang out and people-watch. Come by in the evening and you might catch the guys from a nearby AA meeting as they feed their sugar fix and unwind. Bum them a cigarette and maybe they'll tell you where to get the best candy in town (ex-drunks are the best sugar hounds). Suffice it to say, everyone is super friendly.

Figure 4. The View

And they clearly love their doughnuts, as evidenced by the shrine built in doughnuts' honor (after seeing a couple of these, we're starting to feel like all doughnut shops should be required to have some sort of alter to the doughnut gods). 

Figure 5. Doughnut Love

If you're in the neighborhood, Tonalli's is a great spot to take a load off and feed the need for a little doughy goodness. They tend to err on the sweet side and there are certainly better doughnuts in town, but few shops have the friendly, community vibe you get at this shop. 

Years ago, it was enough to help two aspiring doughnut researchers fall in love...