April 20, 2014

Mojo Donuts

It is undeniable that in the past six years or so, the culinary scene in Miami has developed at an impressive rate. Although we have always been a haven for Hispanic food due to our high concentration of multiple ethnicities, we were never considered a food destination until recently. Eventually (and thankfully), chefs began discovering the potential that was Miami when it came to the food world, and they began investing in opening restaurants that were worthwhile. Throughout time, these restaurants became places of interest, and Miami eventually became what it is today. It is true that we are still not in the echelon of food cities such as New York or Chicago, but I am still proud to live in a city where our interest in the culinary sense has grown as much as it has. In fact, I believe that Miami will eventually grow to be considered one of the great food cities in our nation.

Unfortunately, one thing that I have noticed is that Miami tends to be delayed when it comes to following food trends that overtake the rest of the country. It’s happened with food trucks, cupcakes, tapas, and the localvore movement. The same can be said with the donut movement, which is currently sweeping over the rest of the nation. Places like Chicago, Portland, and New York are taking full advantage of this fad, but Miami is slow when it comes to adopting the public’s need for fried dough. Luckily, there are a few places throughout our very wide city that have noticed the potential in these glorious sugary desserts, and they have begun to grow in popularity because of it in the past year or so. Such is the case with Mojo Donuts, a locally owned doughnut shop offering a large array of donuts in Pembroke Pines. This small bakery opens at 6:00 a.m. daily and closes once they sell out, and trust me, they WILL sell out. I’ve found myself here at noon sometimes will a very small selection just because the more popular items were already claimed. They follow the mentality that it is better to sell out than it is to throw away, which is something I applaud. The selections here are creative and ambitious, leading to a fun experience. Although the fun takes on flavors seem to exude a sense of freedom and imagination, what the kitchen is doing here is extraordinarily serious. The donuts I’ve had here stand toe-to-toe with donuts from the “better” places scattered throughout the nation. The dough is fried expertly, the toppings are never too much of a sugar-bomb, and there are enough options to cater to all tastes. They offer cake donuts and yeast donuts of all types, but I am more partial to the cake donuts. The prices are affordable to the point of making you do a double take when they tell you how much you’re paying for your dozen. And even if you don’t walk in expecting to get a dozen, you are almost guaranteed to walk out with that many from how tempting and alluring the display case is. I plan on making my way through the vast array, updating this blog on each one that is worth a try.

Even if this petite shop is remote from where you frequent, I recommend that you come at least once. It is definitely a destination worthy stop, and as you sit down and enjoy a doughnut (or four) for breakfast, you will not even remember that you just drove 45 minutes to get here.