Pittsburgh Places: Peace, Love & Little Donuts

Growing up, my Dad always would always tell us stories of going on car trips with the Sundell Boys (these were my Mom's cousins) and he said that Jeff could always spot the "Krispy Kreme Hot Light" from miles away.  I didn't know what this Krispy Kreme Hot Light was until we were on family vacation and Dad spotted a hot light and pulled a Cousin-Jeff-U-Turn to treat us to the hottest, sweetest, melt in your mouth morsel we'd ever experienced.  I mean, everyone has had a Krispy Kreme from a gas station, but until you've had one of the glazed donuts the minute it drips fresh off the conveyor belt, you haven't lived!

So ANYWAYS, Tommy also has this THING for donuts too.  He is crazy about them.  More crazy than me.  When we first started dating we discovered that we shared a love for certain foods: lo mein noodles, cups of good joe, chimichangas and the boston creme donut.  When Tommy discovered we shared a love for the same flavor donut our food adventures kind of started focusing more on the donut/pastry/sweets side of life than other things (which I can't say I minded. Especially since I'm cheap and donuts are cheap treats!).

A few weekends ago, we were strolling through Pittsburgh's Strip District and we both smelled the sweet aroma of fresh donut wafting in the air.  Had we been driving it would have been one of those Cousin Jeff U-Turn moments, but instead it was both of us speed walking in the direction of the smell!

We found ourselves arriving at this cute little hole-in-the-wall donut joint called Peace, Love & Little Donuts.  You walk in the door and you can see them making the donuts right in front of you.  It was like the Krispy Kreme Hot Light...BUT EVEN BETTER!!!  They have donut 'flavors of the day' and they make these tiny, cute little cake donuts and they're the tastiest, melt in your mouth donut EVER!

First you get to watch the gal pour this cake donut batter into what Tommy called "The Donut Pooper."  This little contraption holds the batter and then plops it out into the hot oil in the shape of a ring.

Then you get to watch the tiny masterpieces float down the hot river.  The Donut Master stands behind the line and flips them when they stop at the dam halfway down the donut line.  Then they plop out all hot, crispy and AWESOME!!!





Then you get to go up to the counter and tell the hippie dude what flavors of little donuts you want.  We didn't try EVERY flavor...YET!  We went for what WE decided were the top six (we had to leave ourselves with multiple reasons to go back):  Oreo Cookies & Cream, Chocolate & Cookie Dough, Vanilla Sprinkle, The Classic Glazed, Cinnamon and YES FOLKS THAT is a Maple BACON donut.  Honestly, I think the Bacon one was surprisingly my favorite.  I was like eating Pancakes and Bacon but in the form of a donut!  Surprisngly, that was the flavor I wasn't AS jazzed as Tommy about trying, but then I loved it the most.  Tommy says he doesn't have a favorite, that is how devoted he is to loving all donuts equally.  The only donuts he discriminates against are the Maple Cream Filled Logs and anything with Jelly in the middle (I mean who honestly enjoys eating something called a "log"...it's like you're eating something that is meant to go into your fireplace or a toilet).

So if you're ever passing through the 'Burgh or if you're a local Yinzer, this is a place you've gotta try at some point in your lifetime.  Check out their website  and don't tell me that DIDN'T make your mouth water, because I KNOW it did...