Thing: Crazy doughnuts

Place: Legendary Doughnuts

I love: Doughnuts

Say it together: Mmmmm DOUGHNUTS

Who knows my true age?  Only my besties.  Coincidentally, it is only my besties who actually read this column, so I'll just assume this is an appropriate venue for a personal letter concerning my upcoming (in five months) birthday festivities.

Dear mom and those other four people I pay to be my best friends,

As you all know, I'm turning (insert appropriately young age here) soon.

There's no need to prepare too far in advance, as I've already decided on most of the specifics.

First, the venue will be ... wait for it ... Legendary Doughnuts near Lake Tapps.

It's just about the cutest little doughnut shop I've ever seen, and beats the pants off any other doughnut shop here in the South Puget Sound area.  The owner, Shannon Patten, has had this place going since Mother's Day of 2010, and you can tell it's a sensation by the sheer traffic volume going in and out of her little doughnut shop.

For my birthday cake, Patten is going to craft a super-sized hamburger made with three 9-inch doughnut rings and a side of fries made from doughnut sticks. She even gave me an option to have my "burger" with or without bacon.  I've included a picture for you to drool over.

Aside from a clever array of doughnut cakes - some of which include mounds of glazed raised doughnuts topped with candy, cereal, gummy worms and frosting - Patten also offer your typical doughnut fare: crullers, fritters, old fashioned and croissants. But most come with a demented flavor twist.

The doughnuts at Legendary Doughnuts have names like: "Captain Jack" (chocolate rum frosting), "Captain Crunch" (the cereal, duh), "Albert Einstein" (chocolate and coconut flakes), "Triple Chocolate" (dark and white chocolate), "Pig Pen" (chocolate, cookie crumbs, gummy worms) and "Cherry Tart" (coconut and cherry). 

Legendary even has the ever-popular maple bar covered with bacon, which they've humorously named "The Oprah."

Dog lovers will enjoy dog treats shaped like doughnuts, and Melanie Rushforth will enjoy Legendary's cold-dripped coffee - which has more caffeine than an espresso.

So there.  Mark your calendars and prepare for a sugar high. 

Love,

Steph

P.S. No need to shop for presents, because most of you suck at gift giving anyway.  Although, I still have that universal tap for boxed wine Jennifer Johnson gave me one year.

[Legendary Doughnuts, 1410 Lake Tapps Parkway E., Auburn, 253.736.0036]