29. Voodoo Doughnuts, 1/15/11

If there was ever a business that captured the kooky essence of Portland, it is definitely Voodoo Doughnuts. The original location is at 22 SW 3rd Avenue, just south of the Burnside Bridge, and the other location is at 1501 NE Davis St, just across the river. Since Kathy and I wanted sit and sip a cup of coffee with our doughnut, she chose to take me to the Davis location, as the original location has no inside seating. However, she wanted me to have “the full experience” so she took me downtown just to see the original location. In true Oregon fashion, the rain was coming down HARD and as we walked around the corner there was a line of people out the door and down the street. I could not believe the line, just to get a doughnut I thought, a doughnut good enough to stand in the rain for, I guess I would have to try one and find out.

From the belly of two locations, sweet-fingered magicians concoct what might best be described as avant-garde doughnuts. When Voodoo first opened, it offered doughnuts glazed with NyQuil and dusted with Pepto-Bismol — until the health department put the kibosh on them. Lest that sound unappetizing, please know that Voodoo’s other offerings are actually quite delicious. The namesake Voodoo Doughnut has a gingerbread man shape, with a pretzel stick stabbed through its abdomen and red jelly “blood” filling. Another popular Voodoo attraction is The Texas Challenge: If a person can eat an entire Texas Challenge doughnut – a glazed doughnut the size of six full-sized doughnuts – in 80 seconds or less, the doughnut is free. On December 24, 2008, then-Portland Mayor Tom Potter introduced a resolution to the city council that would designate Voodoo's Portland Creme as the "Official City Doughnut." The Portland Creme is a raised creme-filled doughnut with chocolate coating and two "eyes." They represent the vision of our great city. The resolution was passed by city commissioners that night, in a move that also (as mayor Potter stated) expressed Portlanders' "deepest gratitude to Voodoo Doughnut management for its dedication in the face of these stringent economic times in providing employment opportunities...and above all, creating and naming a doughnut after our beloved city that leaves a lasting taste and fond memories on its customers near and far away.

In addition to doughnuts, Voodoo Doughnuts offers legal wedding services (legally or not), complete with doughnuts and coffee for the reception.

Featured on the Travel Channel’s Anthony Bourdain’s No Reservations, Man v. Food, Doughnut Paradise, and G4s Attack of the Show, as well as the Pacific Northwest edition of Globe Trekker. It was the destination in the season finale of the 3th season of The Amazing Race.

Thanks again Kathy for a wonderful day and for helping me knock two items off my list today.