Is it donut or doughnut?
I asked this question in a blog post a few weeks ago.
Does anyone really know how to spell the word donut/doughnut?
Even spell check has no clue.
The members of my little family are what you would call donut connoisseurs.
Some families love to do Disney every year, others love to travel to foreign lands and some love to try new and exciting restaurants.
Us?
Donuts.
When we’ve see a sign for donuts along the side of the road, we may or may not have made skid marks on the road to veer the car to get into the parking lot.
SKID MARKS ON THE ROAD, to be clear.
Yes sirree, we love ourselves a good old donut.
But, I am picky when it comes to my donut.
I don’t like cake donuts or donuts with doodads on them.
Like American flags or sprinkles.
They just get in the way of my donut eating.
I don’t need speed bumps in the way of my delicious carbohydrate frenzy.
Here is my list of favorite donut places in Lake County, with or without the speed bumps … er … sprinkles.
Let’s get this straight, Round Lake Beach, NOT Libertyville, gave birth to this amazing bakery many years ago.
Sure there is a location there now but RLB is where Lovin Oven started and is almost famous for it.
Well, that and the mammoth bridge construction project of the century.
I digress …
Our wedding cake, wedding shower cakes, birthday cakes, first day of school cupcakes all came from this little bakery.
When family comes in from out of town, we get their famous chocolate chip coffee cake.
Lovin Oven is a little piece of home for a lot of people.
Their donuts are amazing, ESPECIALLY the maple bacon.
I know bacon on a donut has been done to death but they were doing it here before all y’all were pinning it all over Pinterest.
Get the maple bacon AND a slice of chocolate chip coffee cake. You won’t regret it.
The original location is 2207 N. Route 83 Round Lake Beach. The Libertyville location is 355 N. Milwaukee Avenue.
Lee Donuts
If a donut place can stick around for 25 years, you know it has to be good.
Speed bumps, doodads and all.
Lee Donuts is the cutest little place tucked in along busy Peterson Road in Libertyville.
Most likely you have passed it and never noticed it in the cute little strip mall especially with all the road construction that was going on.
WHAT IS WITH ALL THE ROAD CONSTRUCTION BLOCKING DONUT PLACES?!?!
One could say they are experiencing their own little speed bumps, hmmmm?
Hmmmm???
Sorry.
Go here for the “legendary” apple fritters.
Lee Donuts is located at 124 Peterson Road Libertyville 847-816-7764
Gurnee Donuts
I have never had the pleasure of enjoying one Gurnee Donut but I have heard so many amazing things about this place from so many different people and I want you to enjoy it too.
Unfortunately, in August this little donut shop was destroyed by a fire.
No more red velvet donuts or apple fritters, which they are renowned for.
Until a kickstarter campaign was created to raise money to bring it back to life!
Please go to the site here to donate even a little.
Everyone deserves the right to good donuts in their lifetime.
Don’t deprive the good people of northern Illinois a good fritter.
Gurnee Donuts is located at 4949 Illinois 132 in, obviously,Gurnee. Or to people who live in Chicago, the place where Six Flags is.
This last donut place is a little outside of Lake County but lets face it, if you are a donut connoisseur, nothing will hold you back from a drive for donuts.
The hubs and I got to come here this summer on a date.
I was recovering from pneumonia and was kind of blue so he wanted to take me out and give me a break.
He took me to the only food place he KNEW would make me smile.
A donut shop.
A whole entire sit down restaurant dedicated to donuts.
Those donuts healed me, as corny as it sounds.
So many donut decisions, it was the first time in over a month that I wasn’t thinking about my wheezing or coughing. Don’t worry I wasn’t contagious as to spread my germs over the glorious donuts.
But it did make me smile and laugh and get chocolate and powdered sugar all over my mouth.
I might have even eaten a speed bump or two on my donuts that day.
Best date day ever.
Even the name makes you smile.
Come on, try to say it and not smile.
Spunky Dunkers is located at 3441 N Arlington Heights Road in Arlington Heights.
Next time you are up this way, give me a call.
I never turn down an opportunity for a donut.
