Yesterday I had my very first Proud Mary’s donut.

Now I’m not here to recap the ongoing cake vs yeast donut debate (for the record, PM’s are cake style) that you might find in Bon Appetit or on some foody site, but I will say that it was delightful, delish, and well worth driving over the bridge and to the West Bay for.

On Bullocks Point Ave in Riverside - the back of the shop overlooks the bike path - Proud Mary’s are a little different from PVD and Knead. They’re smaller (you can eat more), lighter (ditto), and made hourly, so essentially you find yourself either biting into or carrying out a warm donut. Build your own and choose from 9 different glazes and at least 20 toppings or pick from the Mary’s Favs menu that includes the Townie (vanilla & red sprinkles), S’Mores (chocolate, marshmallow & graham), and my fav, the Ocean Breeze (honey & sea salt). Either way your order is finished while you wait and you get one or one dozen freshly made, (again) warm doughnuts, which is all kinds of old school comforting, cozy, and charming.

There are also updated versions of the breakfast and the ice cream sandwich with the bread being replaced by (you guessed it) DONUTS! And they didn’t forget coffee. Grab a classic cuppa hot, courtesy of Borealis that’s only about a block or so up the street, or the now nearly ubiquitous cold brew version.

So text the donut lover (or #donutsnob) in your life and make a date to motor over to Proud Mary’s - before lines down the street start forming.