Yes, There Are No Donuts in Paris

Primo's Donuts on Sawtelle Boulevard in Los Angeles has the best donuts ever. Celia and Ralph Primo (that's Celia in the photo) have been running it since 1956. I wish I could go there right now.... Today is National Donut Day in the U.S. (I just read that it was inspired by women who served doughnuts to American soldiers in the First World War, like my grandmother who met her husband that way).  I speak for many, many Americans in Paris-- and even French people who used to live in the States--  when I say that Paris could use a good donut store. Yes, there are croissants and pains au chocolat in plenty, the pâtisseries are marvellous, and you can make your own pancakes at home without too much trouble if you really crave them. But doughnuts (the original, hardly ever used "correct" spelling) are another matter. In the States, they're so easy to find and delicious with your morning coffee. Even if I crave one only once in a while, it's nice to know they're there. But in Paris, while they have things that look like donuts, to this day I have never had a real donut. It's one of those lacks that someone needs to step up and fill, the way Starbucks saw the need for iced drinks and free wifi, or Haägen-Dazs saw the need for decent ice cream in Europe. There are 40 Starbucks in Paris now, including two at the Louvre; and 19 Haägen-Dazs. I assure you these are not making all their money from expats. And a world city like Paris does not suffer from having foreign food available. Have you ever been down the rue Sainte-Anne? So come on, dear Donut Provider! Step right up!