Nostalgia-Baked Goods
Healdsburg is where I call home. It’s where I grew up and where my father grew up. Healdsburg is nothing but a town of change, going through a make-over every decade. There are a few things that have stayed the same, and when I have Graduation Goggles and TLC playing in my head I find myself seeking those comforts. (Exasperated sigh) Nostalgia. It’s something we experience when digging up old memorabilia like awkward prom photos and self-addressed postcards. My go to remedy for all things nostalgic (like when Tupac starts rapping on the radio) is always comfort food, and my favorite is the Donut Muffin from Downtown Bakery. An institution which has been around since 1987, a lifetime ago for some but over a century after Healdsburg was founded. Nevertheless, it was established before the plaza had a fountain or copper-roofed gazebo or before most shops even dreamed of opening up shop in the small, farming town.
Downtown Bakery is located on Center Street right on the plaza in a small yet cozy spot where you can snuggle in to a seat and enjoy your freshly brewed coffee and array of breakfast items. When I go out for breakfast, it isn’t for an egg scramble because you can be sure I am an omelet master, it is for something delectable that I can’t easily whip up in my morning stupor. The Donut Muffin is the shi*.
Though not for the calorie counter or diet-goer because this item is exactly what the name suggests: a hybrid of a muffin and a doughnut. It is shaped like a muffin but the top part is covered in cinnamon sugar and tastes like a doughnut hole. That muffin top brings me back to the olden days when that phrase only meant the top part of a muffin. In middle school we were able to purchase these treats during our break for $3 and only ever ate the top. No wonder our teachers kept caffeinated.
To my personal delight, I can always find an old fashion Donut Muffin at the Downtown Bakery (if I’m there early enough because the limited supply goes fast!). I am tickled that it hasn’t yet been retired by the new health trend because though I like to eat healthy, nostalgia plays a big role in my naughty indulgences.
My relationship with the Donut Muffin is a personal one attached with memories of the old times. Regardless of the nostalgic satisfaction, it is a perfect morning treat or sugar-high substance to get you jacked and please your taste buds. Not every morning is a doughnut muffin morning, but I can count on most.
