In Chicago, you can find a donut shop on almost every corner. Firecakes, Glazed and Infused, Stan's Donuts, Do-Rite, Doughnut Vault, and more – everyone has their go-to.
But if you're looking to try a more unique type of fried dough outside of Chi-Town's standard baker's dozen, look no further than the bomboloni at BomboBar in the West Loop. These Italian-style hole-less donuts are stuffed with different fillings and then rolled in sugar. Trust me, they look as cute as they sound, and they taste even better.
BomboBar, a walk-up window off the side of Bar Siena, does more than just delicious donuts. In keeping with their Italian-roots, they also have gelato made from scratch, coffee and espresso drinks, and (wait for it...) spiked Italian ice.
The Bomboloni
Although it was almost impossible to decide which tasty Italian-inspired treat to try at BomboBar, I chose their salted caramel bomboloni. Let's just say I understand why it's one of their most popular flavors.
The bomboloni was served warm, oozing with gooey salted caramel, and covered in granulated sugar, so it wasn't exactly a piece of cake to pick up and eat. But once I managed to take a bite (ignoring the caramel dripping all over my hand), I was in heaven.
The salty-sweet balance in the caramel was perfection, and it definitely wasn't lacking in filling. The dough was airy but also wonderfully chewy. The decadent donut paired well with my refreshing iced coffee, and I'm sure it would also be amazing with a warm latte on a cold fall day.
If you've had your fill of the over-hyped salted caramel, BomboBar has many other classic flavors to satisfy your sweet tooth, like Nutella cream and PB&J. They also offer a seasonal flavor every month – in October, they're selling pomegranate bomboloni to support breast cancer awareness. #BombosForBoobies, anyone?
In these next colder months, I'm looking forward to trying their new hot chocolate with insane toppings, dubbed "Hotter Chocolate." Can BomboBar do no wrong?
When it gets warm again, I'll definitely be heading back to BomboBar to try their unique gelato and Italian ice flavors (I'm looking at you, coffee & caramel crisp and coconut pineapple rum). And if it was socially acceptable to eat every treat they offer all in one sitting, you can bet that I would do it in a heartbeat.