Sweet Dreams are Made of ThisHook and Press Donuts Debuts a Sugar-Raised Oasis
WORDS Ninette Paloma
By the time I pull into a parking spot on Figueroa street, the line outside of Hook & Press donuts is already halfway down the block. Bracing myself for an arduous wait, I settle in behind a caffeine-fueled couple and watch longingly as a parade of kraft donut boxes marches past me. After fifteen minutes, I vow to stop glancing at the clock and focus instead on the Santa Barbara Sunday scene. People sure do love flip-flops. I count twenty-two pairs by the time I reach the register.
After a highly successful stint at the Mosaic Locale co-op space (daily sell-outs and long queues were de rigueur), Denisse Salinas and John Burnett set out to find a flagship spot all their own. Their efforts yielded a sun-filled corner space on the Figueroa side of La Arcada, a whimsical shopping destination built in the 1920s complete with bronze sculptures and a beloved turtle sanctuary. Soothing blue tones and rainbow murals greet me once I make my way inside. Velvet pink banquettes and terrazzo café tables are jam-packed with cheery guests sinking into discs of hibiscus rose and cinnamon crumb. In the corner, a barista is slinging steaming cups of butterfly pea and rose matcha lattes alongside classic coffee selections. A tray of mimosas floats past me. No wonder everyone is smiling. From a striking glass case, rows of cream-piped and lacquered donuts shimmer in the morning light, their flavors highlighting a trip to our farms: blueberry crisp and lavender lemon and a strawberry shortcake piled high with the season's first crop. And then there is the cake variety: just on the right side of dense and textured with chocolate malt or perfumed earl grey. As I make my way outside - a dozen donuts boxed and resting warmly in my arms - the cake walk shows no signs of slowing down. But the crowd is in good spirits, chattering excitedly as they inch their way toward the front. Donuts really do make people happy. Hook and Press Donuts 15 E. Figueroa St. Santa Barbara |
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