America's Best Doughnuts

Part 1: Doughnuts are more than just a sweet snack—they’re an institution. Here are 10 great places to get your fix.

By Bret Stetka for MSN City Guides

From their early days feeding World War I soldiers to Homer Simpson’s befuddled mug chomping a pink frosted on the big screen, the doughnut has long been an integral piece of American culture. And now with the Atkins Diet obsession behind us, doughnuts are more popular than ever. Classic mom-and-pop shops continue to thrive while a slew of adventuresome bakers are pushing doughnuts in a sophisticated new direction. But no amount of confectionary prowess can hide the fried, sugary, down-to-earth charm that makes the doughnut the ultimate comfort food. As a fanatic of all things doughnut, I’ve dedicated much of the last year to finding the friendliest, tastiest and most interesting doughnut shops in America. What follows are the 10 best doughnut shops I’ve found from coast to coast.

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More about food from MSN:

• Sound off: Your favorite doughnuts?
• Ode to the doughnut
• Why we all scream for ice cream
• A burger plea: Keep it real
• The great pizza debate

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Beverly Hills, Calif.
Frittelli’s Doughnuts and Coffee
350 N. Canon Drive, #6
(310) 276-1408  

Mmm … Frittelli's. Where to start? This high-end doughnut and coffee shop on a wealthy commercial Beverly Hills block serves such delicacies as Meyer lemon zest glazed, key lime and plain cake infused with Tahitian vanilla. The shop offers doughnut and coffee pairings and packs their rings in elegant Tiffany-style blue boxes. Hang around long enough, and you're likely to see a celeb cramming her Gucci bag with crullers.