Lou Albano has had baked doughnuts on the brain since 2012 — higher-quality doughnuts, the kind that aren’t greasy or made with so-so ingredients, since even earlier. The entrepreneur’s once-shelved idea for a specialty doughnut shop is now a reality in the EDGE District, the St. Petersburg neighborhood where his late dessert bar, Everything Dolce, operated for three years.
The new venture, Donut Freak, is a joint partnership between founder Albano, his longtime friend and Genaro Cafe owner Patricia Francati, and Dennis McEleny, another dear pal. Launched July 31, the skateboarding-themed doughnut shop complements Genaro’s existing coffee lineup at 1047 Central Ave.
Accomplished pastry chef Michael Ostrander, who served as executive pastry chef for Everything Dolce, is the mind behind what goes into Donut Freak’s non-fried specialty: baked doughnuts. Ostrander helped develop the shop’s secret baked dough (the tweaked version of a recipe that’s 100-plus years old), and selected the gourmet fillings, toppings and icings from his world travels and 50-year baking career.
The chef’s recipes and quality are maintained by his protégé and assistant pastry chef Brooke Warner, a graduate of Johnson & Wales University. Warner has conducted tastings of the house-made doughnut selection — which calls for a back-to-basics combination of butter, flour, sugar, eggs, cream, fresh fruit and nuts — over the last five months.
Ollie (coconut buttercream filling and glaze with shredded coconut), Primo (cannoli cream filling and glaze with mini chocolate chips), Acid Drop (lemon filling with powdered sugar), and Urban Surfer (key lime filling and glaze with graham cracker) are among the signatures. But baked isn’t the only way guests can go.
On the sweet side, Donut Freak also carries cake, gluten-free and vegan doughnuts, alongside ice cream doughnut sundaes, sandwiches and “Duffins,” muffin-doughnut hybrids. Doughnut-forward drink options include a frappe and a cappuccino, and savory plain or glazed doughnut sandwiches round out the menu. (The shop isn’t opposed to doughnut of the week suggestions, either.)
For those who come in really hungry, however, there’s the “Wanna Be a Freak Challenge” — a timed eating contest that tests whether or not customers can down an 8-inch doughnut covered with toppings in three minutes or less. Participants score a free Donut Freak T-shirt if they finish.
