5 Things to Know About Du's Donuts and Coffee
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Wylie Dufresne, the James Beard Award–winning chef behind wd~50, the now-closed temple of molecular gastronomy, has teamed up with Keith Durst to launch his first casual concept: Du's Donuts and Coffee. Located adjacent to The William Vale Hotel in Williamsburg, Dufresne is lending his mad scientist–like creativity to a changing selection of cake donuts and crullers. Here’s what you need to know before you go:
Dufresne is going back to basics. Though known for his innovative cooking in the kitchen, Dufresne’s culinary beginnings can be traced back to times spent at his great-grandfather’s Rhode Island diner, which served American classics like johnny cakes, chowder and coffee milk. With Du’s Donuts, Dufresne is focusing on a simple American staple he associates with his earliest food memories.
You can watch the donut-making in action. The glass-enclosed space designed by Richard Lewis (Balthazar, Minetta Tavern, Bubby's) plays with a variety of textures, from blond wood paneling adjacent to stainless steel countertops to distressed cement floors meeting white subway tile. It’s mostly dedicated to donut-making and features an open kitchen.
There’s coffee milk on the menu. For drinks, Du’s offers hot coffee, espresso drinks and cold brew courtesy of Brooklyn Roasting Company, which sources sustainable coffees and roasts its beans in Brooklyn’s old coffee district. Housemade coffee milk (coffee syrup and milk) — the official state drink of Rhode Island — is served by the glass.
Flavors change frequently, so check online for daily offerings. While the types of donuts offered — New England–style cake donuts and crullers — stay constant, flavors dreamed up by Dufresne and head baker Colin Kull (Tartine) will keep you guessing (and coming back for more). Sample opening flavors include Mexican hot chocolate, grapefruit chamomile, creamsicle and pomegranate tahini.
It’s open from 8 AM until supplies last. We’d recommend heading over sooner rather than later to avoid donut disappointment.
107 N. 12th Street, Brooklyn; 718-215-8770
