I remember heading to work early in the morning of March 27
quite vividly. As I drove west on Monroe Avenue, I could see off in the
distance flashing red and blue lights. “That looks like more than a traffic
stop,” I thought.
Sure enough, as drove closer, I could see multiple fire
trucks, ambulances, and police cars blocking the street. Something serious was
happening on my commute path; there was a building fire. As I rerouted to the
highway, I hoped that everyone got out alive, and when I got to work, I looked
online and braced myself for a casualty count. There were no deaths, but there
were a few injuries. Sadly, though, in addition to multiple families being
displaced, most of the businesses, including the vegan bakery Misfit Doughnuts
and Treats, could not return.
But fans of the shop can now rejoice. After nearly five
months since the four-alarm fire, Misfit will reopen Saturday, August 24, in
the South Wedge on 133 Gregory Street, a spot formerly occupied by Jamaican
restaurant Peppa Pot (don’t worry; that biz just moved to 522 East Main
Street). Excuse the phoenix cliché, but Misfit truly rose from its former ashes
to a larger, brighter space.
For those not familiar with Misfit Doughnuts, owner Jennifer
Johnson specializes in vegan doughnuts and other treats. Though she opened the
original location in the midst of a sort of “craft doughnut renaissance,” her
menu stands out, not just because of the vegan aspect, but also because of her
imaginative crafting of flavors.
I’ve found that while many doughnut shops have a wide variety
of not-so-typical flavors, their vegan offerings will be one dense, plain,
round brick. If I’m lucky, there will be two flavored bricks to choose from.
For those trying to incorporate more plant-based foods in their diets, it often
feels like the vegan choices are afterthoughts.
Johnson has placed vegan as THE choice in her shop, and the
selection is vast, so long as she has the inventory. In the old shop, flavors
would go quickly, so the early bird would the cruller. There is also a vegan
breakfast sandwich that people rave about (which I’ve yet to try, because I am
always running just a few minutes too late). With luck, the larger space will
mean larger inventory, which means I’ll finally capture my tofu whale.
Of the offerings I have tried, the lemon lavender doughnut is
a favorite. Johnson marries the sweetness and zest so well that neither
overpowers the other. My absolute favorite, however, was the special-order
sufganiyot (Kosher jelly doughnut) that Misfit made for my friend’s Hanukkah
party. Each one was the size of an adult face. As much as I wanted to finish one
on my own, I know my limits, and I had to split it with two other partygoers,
which kind of makes sense. ‘Twas the season for mitzvahs. My piece of
sufganiyah was rich and dense as a homemade one would be. It wasn’t the best
vegan doughnut I had; it was the best doughnut I’ve had.
Johnson put as much care into the new space’s design as she puts
into her recipes. The interior is as sunny as it was when it was Peppa Pot, with
a fresh coat of lemon-hued paint on the walls. She incorporated the works of local
artists, as well. A large Mondrian-esque stained-glass piece from Unified
Vision Studios hangs from the ceiling, and the walls are adorned with parts of
the mural from the Monroe location that could be salvaged. And the outside wall
was even blessed with an owl mural by Rochester-based, world-renowned artist
Justin Suarez AKA Mr. Prvrt.
This article appears in Aug 21-27, 2019.
