Len's Bakery [RIP]

Bakery: Len's Bakery
Address: 37 Dundas St E, Napanee ON
Website: n/a
Style: Canadian
Price: $ 

[NOOOOOOOOOOO! They did not just close down Len's!!] 

Len's... ah, Len's. *-* Thinking back to Len's always gives me warm, sugary memories, even though I drove past this bakery and was questioning whether it was even open. I mean, the "e" on their sign wasn't quite whole and downtown bakeries of this age, predominantly in towns and smaller cities, are more often than not shut down. Seeing someone walk out, I thought I would give it a try and bridge that bakery gap between Kingston and Toronto.

Len's is part of an endangered species of bakeries: the homestyle doughnut bakery. With Tim Hortons on every stinkin' street corner, pumping out factory-made, defrosted doughnuts, no one seems to want fresh, normal doughnuts from anywhere else. It's so sad! I love doughnuts (uh, a rather embarassing confession when put like that) and it's actually not that easy to buy them; not bacon doughnuts, mind you, and excluding any sort of ethnic variations. Where has the humble doughnut gone? Well, you would think from the lack of bakeries that sell doughnuts that no one wants them, but Len's proves otherwise. I walked in and found a lineup to the door with most people being told the variety they wanted (I was pining after the apple fritters) was already sold out. A woman in front of me excitedly snatched up the last three of something, happily explaining she'd never gone that late in the day (noon) and found them still there. Of course, these guys also sell bread, squares, and muffins, but it looks like everyone is really there for the doughnuts.

And I was there for the doughnuts. With the apple fritters gone, I opted for the doughnut fritters ($3 for half a dozen). That's right: doughnut fritters. How could I possibly resist? Freshly-made, deep-fried dough fingers made from a soft, moist cake dough and coated in a thick honey glaze. I can smell and taste them as I'm writing this. These were heavenly; this was perfection. I can't remember the last time a doughnut had totally blown my mind like this. It had been so very long.... I couldn't stop; I've grown infatuated with them -- I should have gone for a dozen! ;_____;

Rating: ****