Food Truck Fridays are back! As we lead up to Heard on Hurd (returning to Downtown Edmond July 21), we’re helping you discover the best food trucks in the state. Thanks to Citizens Bank of Edmond for sponsoring these reviews.
Donuts are good. That was No. 12 on the original Bill of Rights, but it was cut due to interference from the devious Fritter Lobby. But I’m not a strict constructionist. Donuts being good is still the spirit of the law and it’s one that I intend to uphold.
Fresh donuts are almost always superior to stale donuts, though I will give stale donuts the nod if you like to dunk them in coffee. And it’s almost impossible to get donuts fresher than the ones served by Metro Minis.
How fresh are they? I once saw a Metro Minis donut put it’s hand on your mom’s lower back while whispering something titillating in her ear.
But the question remains: How does one become fresh? Generally, you must be born and raised in west Philadelphia before crossing some guys who are up to no good.
Metro Minis takes a different tack and just tries the donuts on the truck or in their store when you order it.
Yes, Metro Minis set down roots in Bethany, sharing space with M.O.B. Grill, so you can get your fresh donut fix more regularly. But wherever you taste them, you’ll be hooked. As the young lady working the counter told me, “I love donuts, but I can’t eat them from anywhere else now.”
The Food
It’s somewhat cruel that Metro Minis requires customers to do math during prime donut hours. I was barely awake enough to find my way there, much less try to grapple with a bunch of numbers.
Regardless, the in-store pricing is three donuts for $3, six donuts for $5, 12 donuts for $8, 24 donuts for $15 and 60 donuts for $40.
“Who is eating 60 donuts?” you might ask, incredulously.
Well, see, these are mini donuts, as the name implies, and they’re crazy light and they sort of melt in your mouth. I’m not saying I could take down 60 donuts solo, but I could definitely see a group of three or four hungry souls taking down 15-20 each.
The real draw of the larger order sizes are the variety of flavors. Order three donuts and you can only choose one flavor. At 24 donuts, you get three flavors. The big 60-pack gives you five flavors.
And Metro Minis has really got some on-point flavor combinations.
The simplest is probably the powdered sugar donuts, but it’s the best way to gauge exactly how much difference freshness makes. Grab one of those dry powdered cake mini donuts you get at the grocery store and test it out beside one of these.
Metro Minis donuts are like a magic trick. They’re solid enough to spear with a fork, but the second they hit your mouth, they disintegrate, flooding your tastebuds with the flavor of fried dough and melting sugar.
My kids chose Bedrock for another flavor and I’m glad they did. Dipped in vanilla glaze and covered in Fruity Pebbles cereal, these donuts combined that instant melt texture with the tender crunch of cereal. The added artificial fruitiness is just a little tart, providing a wonderful counterbalance to the sugary vanilla glaze.
The Cookies n’ Cream variety replace the cereal with crushed Oreo pieces. It’s enjoyable precisely because the donuts are so small. Any bigger and you’d be overloaded with sugar after a bite.
One of the more experimental flavors is Sunshine, which starts with a lemon glaze that’s striped over with blueberry puree. That’s a much more authentic fruitiness than the Bedrock, so while the texture is much more plain, the depth of flavor takes your tongue on a journey. A little sour, a little tart with an underlying foundation of subtle sweet fried dough.
The Spotted Elk was tied for my favorite of the bunch, though. A mix of semi-sweet chocolate, caramel and sea salt, these were the easiest to eat en masse. Chocolate, salt and caramel have long since become a pretty standard flavor combination for chocolate lovers, but the careful application of salt and caramel keeps these donuts from overwhelming the senses.
Pecan Bomb is the variety tied for my affections. The maple glaze Metro Minis uses is rich and lovely while the crushed pecan pieces add heft and, naturally, a delightful nuttiness. I mourned the end of my batch of Pecan Bombs even as I placed the last one in my mouth. We both knew it had to end, but it was worth it to be in love again...even if just for a moment.
Perhaps we’ll rekindle our affair at the next Heard on Hurd. Just do yourself a favor and get yours early. Once the night is in full swing, the lines get pretty unwieldy.
Food Truck Friday reviews are brought to you by Citizens Bank of Edmond, which presents the monthly street festival, Heard on Hurd in Downtown Edmond. Heard on Hurd is an authentic block party style festival that features three dozen food trucks, a live concert with local artists and retail pop-up shops. Edmond has a special vibe of its own and Citizens Bank of Edmond provides an outlet for the Edmond community to shine. Heard on Hurd highlights the importance of supporting local eateries, artists and retailers. At the heart of Heard on Hurd is Citizens Bank of Edmond which is proud to provide the means for so many local thriving businesses.
The next Heard on Hurd is 6-10 p.m. July 21 at the corner of Broadway and Hurd in Edmond. For updates, follow @HeardonHurd on social media with hashtag #JointheHurd
