rwtrend.com
I’m curious. What did you give YOUR Valentine this year? Red roses, perhaps? A box of chocolates? Or maybe a bottle of champagne? I find myself faced with a self-imposed dilemma when it comes to gift giving. When you’re known as the Trendmaster, standard offerings just won’t do. Personal pride demands that I surprise and delight my recipients, and my brand integrity dictates that my gifts be deemed trend-worthy.
Holey designer doughnuts--mission accomplished this Valentine’s Day! While on vacation in Florida I surprised my husband with a box of scrumptious designer doughnuts from The Mandarin Gourmet Donut Shoppe in Miami. (www.mandaringourmetdonutshoppe.com) After placing an order 24 hours in advance, my gift was delivered fresh to our door the following day. Besides being decadent and delectable, they were a perfect fusion of several contradictory trends.
In case you haven’t heard, gourmet doughnuts are to 2010 what cupcakes were for 2009. The FoodChannel.com listed cupcakes as #3 in the top ten food trends of the last decade. (Sushi was #1 and bacon was #2.) While cutesy cupcakes have been riding high on the trend curve for some time now (thanks to the Sex in the City girls and their visits to The Magnolia Bakery, a cupcake boutique in Greenwich Village), they're about to be supplanted by designer doughnuts, the new darling of the pastry scene.
These epicurean treats shouldn’t be confused with the greasy state fair doughnuts of days gone by--they aren't just retro retreads. Purveyors of designer doughnuts such as Miami’s Mandarin Gourmet Donut Shoppe and Portland’s Voodoo Doughnuts have elevated these humble rings of pastry to heavenly status. New flavor twists include blueberry with mascarpone, lemon chamomile crème custard, dulce de leche drizzle, pomegranate thyme, and bing cherry balsamic. Delicious confirmation that “Everything Old is New Again.” Glazed Donuts in Chicago even garnishes their iced mint mojito doughnut with fresh mint leaves.
What about the guilt, you ask? Michelle Vazquez, owner of the Mandarin Gourmet Donut Shoppe, uses only organic ingredients, trans fat-free oil, and fresh seasonal fruits. She says her creations appeal as much to the health-conscious as they do to gourmet ‘foodies.’ In my book, that qualifies as a “Healthy Indulgence.”
Today’s young urbanites are embracing these new creations as “Luxurious Commodities.” It’s a divine way to indulge in a gourmet treat without breaking the bank. Priced between $1.55 and $1.99, you don’t even have to forgo your designer coffee to be able to afford one.
That means that now, you can have your ‘cake’……and eat it, too.
 |
Mandarin Gourmet Donut Shoppe |
 |
Designer Doughnuts |