Dainty, hand-held cakes that pass through the fryer and receive a final dusting of sugar? Yes, please. Doughnuts may be junk food at its finest, yet Crave Dessert Bar & Lounge, a sleek, five-month-old spot on the corner of 14th and Champa, manages to improve upon the age-old equation. Here, an order yields a glass bowl brimming with still warm, vanilla-sugared doughnut holes and a trio of dipping sauces: pomegranate compote, vanilla crème anglaise, and crème fraîche caramel. I say skip the crèmes and find a tangy yin to the doughnuts’ yang in the sweet-tart compote. 891 14th St., 303-586-4199, cravedenver.com

This article was originally published in 5280 May 2012.
Amanda M. Faison
Amanda M. Faison
Freelance writer Amanda M. Faison spent 20 years at 5280 Magazine, 12 of those as Food Editor.