City Garden Doughnuts and Coffee is a picturesque shop with a fancy but friendly atmosphere offering gourmet sweets and an array of lattes. The staff are incredibly friendly and greet you as you walk in to take your order.
The menu also offered savory scones including the Hobbs scone.
Each of the doughnuts were priced between $4.25 and $4.75.
The list goes from my favorite to least favorite.
1. Doughnut Holes
They were pillowy and light like the doughnuts since they are made with the same brioche dough, but in a convenient bite size. The granulated sugar they were rolled in provided a nice crunch to pair with the airy dough. Overall they satisfy the sweet craving, but they weren’t too decadent or heavy.
2. Pumpkin Spice
Go for this seasonal addition if you like pumpkin flavored anything. This was one of two doughnuts on the list that have extra ingredients in the batter itself. The dough is made with organic pumpkin, pumpkin puree and warm, wintery spices that remind you of the holidays. All that with a sweet glaze on top. The candied nuts and crunchy topping were a nice contrast to the softness of the doughnut.
3. Gravenstein Apple Streusel
This choice had Gravenstein apple juice mixed in the batter making it explode with apple flavor. This doughnut was soft and pillowy like the other brioche ones and the streusel was a nice contrast with its sweet crunchiness. This was overall a well rounded doughnut, but the syrupy glaze made it that much sweeter. Enjoy this one with some milk.
4. Bacon Maple
Bacon and maple doughnuts have been quite popular for a while, and City Gardens’ version did not disappoint. The doughnut is made with their signature brioche dough with a decadent maple glaze and two crispy pieces of bacon on top. The glaze is made with organic Vermont maple syrup and the applewood smoked bacon is from local Hobb’s. On its own the maple glaze is a bit sweet, but the saltiness from the bacon makes it a match made in heaven.
5. Lemon Olive Oil
The rosemary garnish and combination of flavors made this an intriguing doughnut. This is a choice even non-citrus lovers can enjoy. The cake wasn’t too dry and the lemon flavor in the glaze was recognizable, but not overpowering. It had a lighter flavor, and it was satisfying without feeling too heavy.
6. Wild Huckleberry Honey
This one was also one of their brioche doughnuts with a flavorful huckleberry honey glaze. The glaze had a mesmerizingly bright, deep pink color that screamed ‘sweet’. The glaze’s honey flavor was indeed strong, but balanced well with the plain brioche dough.
7. Pistachio
This choice would pair well with some milk or coffee, but on its own it’s a bit dry. The light green crushed pistachio topping is attractive, but only added to the dryness. If you usually like cake doughnuts then this is a good pick. The nutty flavor of this doughnut was enjoyable, but niche.
City Garden Doughnuts and Coffee sits at 1200 Fourth Street in Santa Rosa.
They offer Apple Pay which is always appreciated and have a simple online ordering system that’s very user friendly. They’re open Friday through Sunday till noon and their menu occasionally has rotating and limited amount flavors so be sure to place your orders early.
