This LA Donut Shop Combines Two American Classics Into One Sandwich

Thrillist Video

At LA’s Astro Doughnuts and Fried Chicken, it’s all about perfecting two American classics: donuts and fried chicken. Founders Jeff Halpern and Elliot Spaisman wanted to totally flip the OG donut on its head and create an entirely new concept -- something that would take the donut to places it had never gone before. So instead of just opening a donut store, they decided to include something for lunch: fried chicken.

What makes the perfect donut? “The experience,” says LA Operating Partner Art Levitt. “It’s really about the details of everything [Jeff and Elliot] do, from the way the lemons are zested to the way they pick the individual strawberries for the peanut butter and jelly filling. It’s really about how it all comes together as a full package.”

From vanilla glazed to the sweet and savory maple bacon, the donuts here push boundaries while still tapping into childhood nostalgia. The most popular option is the crême brûlée: piped with pastry cream and sprinkled with sugar, the entire donut is torched so the sugar hardens and crystallizes, just like its namesake.

For a sweeter take on the traditional fried chicken sandwich, Astro also uses donuts to bookend its Fried Chicken BLT, making a hybrid sandwich that can be eaten for breakfast or lunch -- or better yet, breakfast AND lunch.

To find out more about this most American of sandwiches, check out the video above.

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Amy Schulman is an Editorial Production Assistant at Thrillist who likes old fashioned crullers. Follow her on Instagram.