If you’re interested in binge eating without the drive, may we suggest the new Butler County Donut Trail?
Just a short 45-minute jaunt from Cincinnati is a magical place called “Butler County,” home to one of the largest number of donut shops per capita in the Midwest. And among these donut shops are nine family-run establishments that have come together to offer humans a chance to test the limits of their interest in fried and filled dough, as well as their blood glucose levels.
The participating bakeries are listed on a downloadable map from
gettothebc.com , which
includes cult carbo-dealers like Stan the Donut Man, Milton’s Donuts and Ross Bakery.
With almost 230 years of experience between them, these indie donut shops do traditional very well — glazed donuts, cake donuts, the twisty things with cinnamon and sugar — but they also know that people today require a little more glamour and/or bacon on their baked goods, so don’t be surprised if you encounter donut flavors and toppings like Fruity Pebbles, maple bacon, orange juice, cheesecake or even the much sought-after cronut.
Fair warning to trail newbies: Similar to Holtman’s in OTR, these mom-and-pop shops close for the day when they run out of donuts, which has happened as early as 10 a.m. for some, so plan accordingly.
The Donut Trail also offers a passport online. Ask each shop you visit to stamp it with a secret code. If you get a stamp from all nine, mail your passport to the Butler County Visitors Bureau and be rewarded with a free T-shirt to prove to all your friends that yes, you can eat almost 3,000 calories worth of donuts in a day, and, yes, this shirt is an XL.
For extra credit, visit
Central Pastry Shop (1518 Central Ave., Middletown) and grab an “ugly,” a lumpy cake donut.
More info: gettothebc.com/donut-trail.
This article appears in May 18-25, 2016.