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New York City — indeed the whole of the food world — is in a cronut frenzy.

What’s a cronut, you ask? Imagine croissant dough, shaped into a donut, and deep fried. These dreamy confections, birthed just months ago in New York, can then be stuffed, glazed and topped like regular donuts. Lines begin forming at SoHo’s Dominique Ansel Bakery, the source, as early as 6 a.m.

Of course, like all good trends, the practice is spreading, with copycats popping up all over. So the question becomes: Who will be the first in Cleveland to offer cronuts? (And where does the line form?)

“Croissants are good, and donuts are good, but they don’t need to become one to be awesome,” says Courtney Bonning, pastry chef-owner of Bonbon Café. “It may hit Cleveland, but we appreciate the classics a little bit more.”

So perhaps not Bonbon — but when and where will the cronut strike Cleveland?

This article appears in Jun 12-18, 2013.

Jason Beudert has had a dynamic career as a leader with The Walt Disney Company, ESPNZone, The Cleveland Indians, and as a restaurant entrepreneur. He is utilizing his twenty years of hospitality experience along with his love for the Cleveland food scene to contribute exciting and insightful food pieces for Scene. Along with being one of our food writers, Jason is also the food critic for WOIO 19 Action News, and makes a weekly appearance on Q104's Fee's Kompany radio show to promote food and the Scene. Jason is also a contributing writer for Travel + Leisure Magazine.

9 replies on “‘Cronuts’ in Cleveland?”

  1. Croissant donuts are not new to the Cleveland area, in a classic shape, deep fried and glazed. They’ve been available at Kidrowski’s bakery for quite some time. They don’t currently fill them, but I could see the appeal in it and bet they may be a leader on this. Just look at the snoogle.

  3. …then, once you’re done smelling it and you take a bite, the calorie count for the cronut goes from 50 to 1000

  4. Buettners on E185th makes croissant doughnuts… so this Soho cronut is not an original its a variation on a well tred idea

  8. Kiedrowski’s Bakery in Amherst Ohio (440-282-2700… taking orders 24 hours a day), has been making THE ORIGINAL croissant donuts for OVER 30 YEARS… THESE NEW YORKERS took our idea, adjusted it a little, and just ran with it. That’s ok, we still do it the best at Kiedrowski’s… and YOU CAN PLACE AN ORDER FOR even JUST ONE… to make sure we have it when you arrive. At 85¢ each, still an unbelievable deal, and best in the country…….I promise.

  9. Kiedrowski’s Bakery DOES NOT offer cronuts at all! my wife had called and they had no idea what she was talking about. yes, they do have “Glazed Croissants”… but that’s NOT cronuts.

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