First Look: 49th Parallel Coffee Roasters/Lucky’s Doughnuts

left: The interior of Lucky’s Doughnuts. right: Lucky's chocolate old-fashioned and mango cream. Photos by Anya Levykh

VANCOUVER

49th Parallel Coffee Roasters aren’t new to the grinding scene. Their organic, fair-trade, custom-blended beans grace the menus of more than a fair share of Vancouver’s top cafes and restaurants, and their Kitsilano location has long been a destination coffee spot for java enthusiasts.

Recently, they opened a second café at 2902 Main Street. Considerably larger than the Kits location, the room fits perfectly into the neighbourhood’s ethos, with brick walls and reclaimed wood beams, communal tables, a central bar, and, of course, lots of 49th Parallel coffee for sale.

lockwise from top left - coconut cream, bacon-apple fritter, lemon cream, PB&J, orange pistachio, chocolate old-fashioned

This location also has one other thing going for it. It’s the home to 49th Parallel’s newest venture, Lucky’s Doughnuts. Doughnuts seem to be the newest craze to hit Vancouver. I am, in truth, not the most ardent of doughnut fans, but Lucky’s adheres to a different set of rules from the greasy standard. These large, cake-based, handmade concoctions boast fresh ingredients and an inventive flavour profile.

Over a few visits, I tried pretty much the whole selection (so much for not being a doughnut fan) and found favourites among the bacon-apple fritter, strawberry shortcake, orange pistachio, mango cream, chocolate old-fashioned, and the classic crullers. At around $3.50 each, these doughnuts aren’t cheap, but the monster-truck portions, intense flavours, and fabulous cake make having more than one an act of pure gluttony. Then again, that’s the point of a doughnut, isn’t it?