Recession Obsession: Randy's Donuts

A Recession Obsession is, 1) a meal so great that it sticks in your mind long after digestion's end, and, 2) plays nice with your sensitive wallet. Is there a better place than Los Angeles to eat a wide variety of amazing food that happens to be inexpensive? Probably not. We're as lucky as we are well fed. We last obsessed over the 24/7 El Gran Burrito in Hollywood, and this series' Greatest Food Hits. Today, we obsess...

Growing up on the East Coast I recognized early in life that doughnut culture orbited around the sugary planet called “Dunkin Donuts.” Some of my earliest memories were commercials featuring a gentlemen (who resembled both Super Mario and Hitler) who would exclaim softly through a grin, “it’s time to make the donuts.” Los Angeles didn't seem to have an equivalent character, nor a universally agreed upon doughnut hub. I observed the undiscerning masses finding satisfaction in the city's numerous, tiny independent doughnut shops (whose wares looked to all have rolled off the same assembly line in Palmdale.) But it didn’t take long to figure out that the most prominent doughnut in LA was three stories tall and stale as hell (see picture above.)

Thanks to some creative architecture, Randy’s Donuts (topic of recent LAistory) has received many looks since its 1952 birth. From film, to blogs, to television -- Randy's circular tribute to calories is one of LA's most visible landmark. Good news! History rarely tastes so sweet, and its not typically this cheap. In a time where an arrogant cupcake can cost upwards of $5, Randy’s baked goods range from $0.37 To $1.00. Of course Randy's Donuts is LAist’s latest Recession Obsession.