SammyS Berliner Donuts
Review! Mitte, Berlin // sweet treat // iconic
the ELEVATOR PITCH
The topic of doughnuts activates strong opinions within me... I prefer yeast doughnuts over cakey, simple toppings over mountains of confections, jelly-filled over plain, "doughnut" over "donut" (the latter feels tacky), and eating really just about any other dessert over a doughnut (doughnuts feel like a waste of my dessert calories when there's a whole world of more delicious sweet treats to be devoured).
All that said, SammyS' Berliner doughnuts had me utter an audible "whoa." We ordered the traditional sugared Berlin Donut with strawberry jam and the Bomboloni Choco (filled with homemade chocolate cream). Coming from America and all of its Dunkin' and Krispy Kreme glory, I couldn't believe my tongue when I realized what REAL strawberry jam could do to a jelly-filled doughnut. That humble dollop of jam had the personality of an entire field of strawberries and wore a winter coat of the most pillowy, light, fluffy, clean fried dough I have ever tasted (rancid oil didn't have a place at the table here!). I found myself also enjoying the coating of granulated sugar much more than the typical powdered variety: not only is it less messy, but it also gives a delightful crunch.
The Bomboloni Choco was delicious too--silky smooth dark chocolate cream that closely resembled a pudding consistency. Not too heavy on the tummy. But even so, Sean and I voted for the traditional strawberry jam to be the winner between the two. A must-try!
the RÉSUMÉ
address // multiple locations, we went to the one on: Sophienstraße 30-31, 10178 Berlin, Germany
operations // Monday - Friday, 9:00 AM - 7:00 PM; Saturday - Sunday, 10:00 AM - 7:00 PM
logistics // no reservations available or needed
vibes // grab-and-go or casual dine-in, great place to take kids & meet up with friends!
menu // various doughnuts, filled & unfilled. There are classic, plain flavors and also seasonal specialties!
prices // 3€ - 7€
must-try // any jelly-filled doughnut; the fruit is sooooo fresh & real & down-to-earth
site // SammyS Berliner Donuts
misc. fun facts //
used to be called The Berliner Pfannkuchen Café
the Berliner doughnut went viral in 1963, when John F Kennedy visited Germany and proclaimed with much charisma: "Ich bin ein Berliner" which translates to "I am a doughnut"... when what he had intended to say was "Ich bin Berliner," which is "I am a citizen of Berlin"... So take that as consolation, even one with great charisma can make quite the verbal blunder, and that blunder caused the demand for these doughnuts to EXPLODE!
~ cath!!
AND I'M CRAVING A DOUGHNUT NOW. THANKS
I AM A DOUGHNUT