A Taco Alternative?

The Donut Palace
1583 Thousand Oaks

(a couple of blocks east of U.S. 281)

Few things in the realm of food can count as a substitute for that San Antonio staple, the sacred breakfast taco. Donuts are among those few. This morning, heading out to the wilds of Government Canyon, and knowing that there are very few acceptable breakfast options along the way, we stopped in at this traditional little donut shop in the 281 corridor. It's just far enough off the freeway to have escaped the mercilessly crass commercialism on view there, tucked into the endcap of a little strip center filled with stores of a decidedly quirky  bent. 

We immediately rejected the kolaches. They appeared to all be of the pig-in-a-blanket variety, which holds no attraction to someone like me, who has been to West and eaten sausage-jalapeño kolaches of heavenly consistency, even day-old. I never cared too much for the link sausage wrapped in what seems to me to be refrigerator-case biscuit mix, and, I'm sorry, but a little jalapeño ain't gonna make that enough-better.

Last city inspection: March 2011
a perfect score!

We both went instead for the breakfast-sandwich croissant, which despite being re-heated in a microwave was quite good. The croissant itself was flaky and buttery; the egg, too, tasted of butter; the cheese was, well, ordinary, and the sausage (patty, not link) was reasonably good. I tried an apple fritter, too, which had the delicious texture of a cinnamon pull-apart bun, but almost no apple flavour to it. My friend Rick tried a chocolate glazed donut, which he pronounced better than Krispy Kreme. Considering that he dislikes Krispy Kreme, that could either be a plaudit, or the damnation of faint praise.

The coffee had a remarkably strong nut flavour without being in the least acidic or bitter. That alone would justify a recommendation for this little hole-in-the-wall, with its two tiny tables. But I'd still rather have tacos.

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