The Other Critics

The Grey Lady Totally Digs Federal Donuts

Federal Donuts
Federal Donuts Photo: Michael Persico

Here in our humble burg, we have a tendency to blow things out of proportion, which up until this morning was something you could say about the hype surrounding Federal Donuts. But when the Grey Lady comes calling, you know it’s truly something big. And on her behalf, restaurant critic Pete Wells paid a visit. And guess what? He drank the Kool-Aid. Or in this case, ate the donuts. After sampling each of the Solomonov’s and Cook’s early morning offerings, Wells concedes that they are “world-class doughnuts.” He gushes over the blowtorched marshmallow glazes, the lavender, cocoa and orange blossom fairy dust that anoints the fried-to-order varieties, and the “galvanizing brightness” of a passion fruit glazed number topped with poppy seeds. And that’s all before he moved on to the chicken, which he notes is also enlivened with dustings of Lior Lev Sercarz’s spice mixtures. The chile-garlic glazed and the za’atar spiced varieties he says get a “boost into the realm of the extraordinary.” [NYT]

The Grey Lady Totally Digs Federal Donuts