Month: February 2021

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Uncle Leo’s Not Just Coffee and Donuts – Wilton, CT

Uncle Leo's

Alert! Alert! Donut Club has officially been taken over by an amateur donut reviewer. Hi everyone! My name is Diane and I’m a big fan of Marc & Jason’s work here. I recently visited Uncle Leo’s Not Just Coffee and Donuts in Wilton, CT and wanted to share a quick review.

Uncle Leo’s has two locations in CT – one in Redding and one in Wilton. Since the one in Wilton was closer to me, I took a quick trip over to see if this was a hidden donut gem. It was quick and easy to get to from Stamford, CT – my hometown. Given their name, I should’ve realized Uncle Leo’s would offer far more than just donuts. I’d classify it more as a traditional deli that just so happens to also sell donuts versus a donut shop that offers other items. After reviewing the menu and since I hadn’t eaten breakfast yet, I decided to order a bacon, egg, and (swiss) cheese on a toasted english muffin, with a coffee, and of course, 1/2 dozen donuts.

Uncle Leo’s offers both cake and yeast donuts. As a cake donut lover, I got a few more cake donuts than yeast. Of the cake variety, I opted for a traditional chocolate glazed, a red velvet glazed, a red velvet glazed with cream cheese frosting, and a traditional blueberry glazed. From the yeast variety, I ordered a traditional glazed and a black raspberry jelly. My eyes also landed on a coffee crumb cake in their glass case, which I had to have too!

Here’s how I’d break things down:

  • BEC & Coffee – Solid 9/10
  • Coffee Cake – 5/10
  • Chocolate Glazed Cake – 5/10
  • Blueberry Glazed Cake – 7/10
  • Red Velvet Glazed Cake – 5.5/10
  • Red Velvet Glazed with frosting Cake – 6/10
  • Black Raspberry Jelly Yeast – 8/10
  • Classic Glazed Yeast – 8.8/10

Overall, I think Uncle Leo’s is a better deli than it is a donut shop. Some might argue it’s hard to mess up a BEC, but I’ve had some bad ones, and I appreciate it when it’s made exactly as I ordered it (well done bacon, well toasted, well done egg). I’m also a bit finicky when it comes to other people putting half & half in my coffee because it’s rare for somebody to make it exactly as I would – but Uncle Leo’s did not disappoint! It was perfect.

I’m not sure if the cake donuts were made that day, but I rated them lower because they were pretty dry inside. Good glaze, but pretty dry nonetheless. That being said, the yeast donuts really surprised me! They were light and fluffy and simply delicious. I couldn’t get enough. I’m also not a big jelly lover, but the black raspberry jam was bomb. The coffee cake also seemed a bit dry and let me down.

Overall, if you’re ever in the area, I definitely suggest popping in for breakfast or lunch, with a side of some delicious yeast donuts! The staff working in Uncle Leo’s were also very accommodating and lovely to talk to.

Well, that’s all folks! Thank you for letting me jump in and share my first official donut review. Until next time – D4 is out!

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Galloway’s Bakery – Scarsdale, NY

Galloway's banner

I probably should have reviewed Galloway’s a long time ago considering how close it is to where I live in the NYC suburbs of Westchester County. Better late than never I guess, so I headed to Galloway’s this past weekend and had a great experience.

Galloway’s Bakery has a great history, starting in the Westchester town of Bronxville originally as luncheonette, then moving north to Hartsdale to become a bakery only, then finally moving to its current location in Scarsdale, NY. Galloway’s is in its third generation of family ownership, now owned by Shannon Galloway.

Galloway’s is like so many of the small business donut shops we review here – they are doing their best to make things work during the pandemic. Being an SMB is tough enough, then add the need to keep employees, customers, and – in this case – family members safe, and things can get really challenging. The good news is that Galloway’s seems very supported by the community, sometimes with customers waiting outside to get in.

I visited pretty early on a Saturday, so I only had to wait for a minute outside before heading inside, where I was met with shelves and display cases of all kinds of baked goods. I was pretty overwhelmed (in a good way), so when the employee behind the counter asked how she could help, I just blurted out, “Do you have donuts?!” Obviously that’s why I was there, so I started sweating a bit behind my mask. But the employee was super kind and offered to make me a six-donut sampler box, to which I enthusiastically agreed.

Donuts from Galloway’s Bakery – Scarsdale, NY – love the classic tied box!

Once I saw the hand-tied white cardboard box, I knew I was in good shape. The sampler included an Old Fashioned, Cinnamon Old Fashioned, Cinnamon Sugar, Glazed, Jelly and Powdered Jelly. Galloway’s is known for its jelly donuts and I could see why – the filling is super unique, very balanced and not too sweet. I tried to figure out what’s in it (currants?) but no luck. Cinnamon Sugar and Glazed were my next favorites – both were light and airy, just how I like them. I’m normally not an Old Fashioned superfan, but the cinnamon version was pretty great. I swear I tasted some “fall flavors” other than just cinnamon in the dusting, but my family said I was crazy.

I’m glad I finally tried Galloway’s and really enjoyed my donut box. Next time, I hope to be less of a deer in headlights and see what else might be worth trying. I’ll definitely be getting the donuts again.

Side story – while I was waiting for my donut box, another customer came in and had a specific request – a vanilla cake with chocolate frosting. The employee helping her checked with the baking team and while they had the cake, it wasn’t frosted. They agreed to frost the cake while the customer waited – customer service and kindness that made an impression on me.

Galloway’s Bakery is currently open Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays and is cash only. You can follow them on Instagram.