The array of dining options in CityScape just got a whole lot sweeter with the addition of Fractured Prune, which features fresh, made-to-order doughnuts. Nestled between The Corner cafe and Grabbagreen, this is the fifth franchise location in Arizona.
To begin, I must let you all in on a little secret: I’ve never been a passionate fan of doughnuts. It’s not that I don’t have a sweet tooth, because I most certainly do, but the overload of sugar, sprinkles and frosting has never appealed to me as much as other desserts have. Because of this, I wasn’t expecting to enjoy my visit to Fractured Prune as much as I did, given that doughnuts are the only thing on the menu.
As my roommate and I ventured to CityScape, we ran into the slight issue of not being able to find Fractured Prune. Unfortunately, it can be difficult to locate, seeming as the signage is small, and you have to go through the entrances of either Grabbagreen or The Corner to find its hiding spot.
Once we were finally standing in front of the giant menu, I was faced with the tough task of deciding which of the thirty varieties I wanted the most. These aren’t just your regular old “original glaze” or “powdered sugar” doughnuts. Instead, you can have your choice of Death by Chocolate, Green with Envy or Marshmallow Madness, amongst many others.
In the end, I was intrigued by the Bacon Bomb, which is topped with maple glaze, cinnamon sugar and bacon. My roommate went for the Blackberry Cobbler, drizzled in blackberry glaze with graham crackers and powdered sugar on top.
Then came the real fun: creating my own doughnut. The process itself is simple: Using a paper form, you mark your desired glaze (there are more than 15 options) and up to two toppings (there are 14 choices). I couldn’t resist the chocolate glaze, and I chose mini M&Ms and chocolate sprinkles as my final touches.
It takes just a minute for the doughnuts to be prepared and served. When I first glanced at our doughnuts, I thought they were on the small side. However, after a few bites, I was thankful they weren’t any bigger because I was already full.
Just by looking at them, I knew I was in trouble. When I first sampled the Bacon Bomb, I was overwhelmed by how warm, flavorful and fresh it was. Bacon doesn’t sound like your normal topping for a doughnut, but when combined with the maple glaze and cinnamon sugar, it’s delicious. Each bite was better than the last, if that’s possible.
I tried a bite of the Blackberry Cobbler, and it was sweet and fruity, too much so for my personal preference. My custom-made chocolate goodness, on the other hand, was delectable. That’s the great part about this place: You are able to choose and create doughnuts that appeal to your taste buds, and you certainly have more than enough options.
However, make sure you are prepared to get messy. Their doughnuts are warm and fresh out of the oven, but they will create an unavoidable sticky disaster for your fingers. It would be pretty difficult to eat them on-the-go.
The sweetest part may not be the doughnuts themselves, but rather the price tag. For some reason, I was prepared to pay $4 or $5 for each doughnut, but in reality, an individual is $1.89, and a dozen is discounted to $15.99. Considering the delicious flavors you get to enjoy in every bite, I’d say this is more than a fair price. Pop, water and tea are available for sale as well.
Overall, I was very impressed, and I spent the rest of the day telling my friends about the “to-die-for doughnuts.” The environment is good, but it’s hard to tell where The Corner ends and Fractured Prune begins, and it’s rather crowded. The food itself is definitely the highlight here.
Fractured Prune is open from 7 a.m. to 3 p.m. on Monday-Friday and from 8 a.m to 2 p.m. on Saturday-Sunday.
Location: 50 W. Jefferson Street Suite 100 (In CityScape)
Star rating (0-5): ★★★★★ (Downtown Devil dining reviews changed their scale from a 4-star scale rating to a 5-star scale)
Contact the reporter at rbouley@asu.edu
