Wylie Dufresne Is the Magician of Offbeat Flavors at Du’s Donuts

Today marks the return of science-forward chef Wylie Dufresne with the debut of Du’s Donuts, his deceptively simple doughnut and coffee shop in Williamsburg’s William Vale Hotel. Du’s opened at 8 a.m. today with 1,000 fresh-made doughnuts that are on track to sell out by mid-afternoon sold out as of 2:41 p.m.

Customers lined up starting at 7:30 a.m. to get a taste of Dufresne’s first project in three years — including chef friends and food media like former Food & Wine editor-in-chief Dana Cowin, who is now the chief creative officer with Chefs Club International. It’s been a long, molecular gastronomy-less road without Dufresne, the chef-owner who rose to fame with WD~50 and Alder, and people are psyched he’s back.

As is Dufresne’s modus operandi, there’s more than meets the eye when it comes to his food. He’s applying the same methodical sorcery to doughnuts as he did to dishes like his renowned eggs Benedict with fried hollandaise sauce. That means spending three months perfecting the cake doughnut recipe with head baker Colin Kull (San Francisco’s Tartine) and figuring out ways to ensure the glaze melts in your mouth and not on your hands.

Grid View

• Strawberries and cream
• Creamsicle
• Pomegranate sesame
• Cinnamon apple
• Banana graham
• Peanut butter yuzu
• Malted coffee
• Grapefruit chamomile
• Pistachio pink lemonade
• Mexican hot chocolate

Offbeat flavors — which go for $3.50 each — such as pomegranate tahini, pistachio pink lemonade, grapefruit chamomile, peanut butter yuzu, and more — are on the opening menu, alongside coffee from Brooklyn Roasting Company. Apparently the most popular so far today is the banana graham, which is dusted with Golden Grahams and filled with a banana flavor.

Once it gets its footing, Dufresne plans to serve traditional New York egg and cheese breakfast sandwiches, as well as cocktails, wine, and beer. “I love [the idea] that people can enjoy a cocktail old fashioned with an old-fashioned doughnut,” Dufresne told Eater said.

Du’s is now open daily at 8 a.m., until sold out. Should you go, let us know how it is.

• You Could Find the Perfect Doughnuts at Du’s, Wylie Dufresne’s New Shop [ENY]
• All Coverage of Wylie Dufresne [ENY]
• Du’s Donuts [Official Site]