So I’m the butt of this knock-knock joke, because until yesterday, when I was deep in discussion about this Canadian doughnut chain’s “NYC invasion” — which consisted of transforming a dozen Dunkin Doughnuts locations from DD to T-whatchamacallit between Friday afternoon and Monday morning — well, I’m pretty sure I got Tim Horton’s name wrong, and had no idea that the chain was named after a pro hockey player, let alone a hockey-player-company-founder. (Watch this video, it’ll get you up to speed.)
Anyway, I made up for it with a doughnut exploratory adventure this morning. Apparently, NYC is digging on Tim Horton’s, because when I got to the TH shop (can we call it that?) in the LIRR wing of Penn Station at about 11 a.m., the doughnut case was looking pretty bare.
In essence of the tasting, I bought a bunch of “Timbits” — aka doughnut holes, aka DD munchkins — one of each respective flavor. Here are my translated-from-a-yellow-stickie impressions:
1. Original. I knew you were original. Nice and airy. Light glaze. Sure, I can see how you, as a whole, might give other doughnuts a run for their glazed money.
2. Blueberry Cake. Really? Blueberry doughnuts? Excuse me, Timbit, but you sort of taste like a bad blueberry muffin. But that’s probably why people like you.
3. Honey Dipped. Whoa there. If I wanted cinnamon anywhere in my mouth, I’d be all over you. Because way more than honey, you taste like cinnamon (I get the honey part, too).
4. Chocolate. Smack, smack, so thick and cake-y! But I guess if chocolate for breakfast is your thing, then, hot damn, go for it.
5. Is it sour cream or old-fashioned? Either way, this lumpy, cantankerous Timbit reminded me of nothing so much as a super-sugary finger-dip into a crock of store-bought frosting.
Overall: Some are better than others, but then, I’d never eat all these flavors of doughnuts in one sitting, anyway. As a non-regular doughnut eater, I say: Bring it on!
