“Donuts for Grownups”

Los Angeles leads the pack when it comes to trendy food, but don't dismiss Blue Star as a mundane donut shop. They take put a modern twist on a beloved classic. This shop boasts their reputation, "Donuts for Grownups" and you can taste for yourself at their new location in Manhattan Beach.

Blue Star’s donuts are exceptional in terms of taste, texture, and originality. The donuts get their structural integrity from either the brioche yeast or vegan cake dough and are fried up in rice oil.

Blueberry Bourbon Basil, a yeast dough item topped with a deep purple glaze is their signature. The glaze is sweet, but not overpowering and is balanced out with the natural tang from the berries and the subtlety of the bourbon. The basil adds a floral undertone that will make you wish you were eating this donut in a garden on a warm summer day. For now, Downtown Manhattan Beach will have to do.

The Matcha Green Tea cake donut incorporates matcha powder into the dough and is topped with a simple glaze, then drizzled with more matcha. The powdered green tea gives the dough a delicate earthiness. The texture of this donut is the star while the simplicity of the rest of its elements work in quiet harmony.

Blue Star also offers fritters. The Hard Apple Cider Fritter is made with shredded apples, sugar, spices, and golden raisins mixed into chopped pieces of the brioche yeast dough. It's finished with a hard apple cider glaze, which melts into the crevasses of the crisp outer layer. The inside is gooey and moist, similar to the Matcha Green Tea donut in texture. This fritter tastes like perfectly fried autumn.

These donuts are luxurious and decadent, worth the $3-$5 price tag on each, ideal for a weekend morning outing or a well-deserved indulgence at the end of a long work day.

Blue Star takes pride in both their ingredients and freshness; all of the donuts and fritters are made from scratch daily. This means that when the donuts are gone, the shop is out until the next day, so make sure you get to Blue Star with plenty of time to try out their imaginative treats.