Photos by Amelia Goe
I’m going on a whim here and stating that the next foodie trend here in Phoenix will be surrounding a certain o-shaped baked good, the doughnut.
What used to be Shine Coffee, on the corner of Central and Vernon avenues, has been newly transformed into Rollover Doughnuts + Coffee, as of Oct. 1 this year. The transformation comes as a product of new management in the form of Short Leash Hot Dogs. That’s right, the local business is adding to its repertoire of culinary expertise. Short Leash will keep the tradition of Shine by providing its coffee and drinks but is spicing things up by adding a menu of both sweet and savory Rollover Doughnuts.
Now, let’s talk food. At first, I thought I’d grab lunch at Oven + Vine, which is located in the same building as the indoor seating of Rollover. This way I could get a substantial lunch before diving into the sweets. On second thought, I decided to nix the idea and simply have doughnuts for lunch. I don’t hate myself entirely for the final decision.
I went ahead and ordered a pick-your-own half-a-dozen box of doughnuts ($11.25), including one with a maple-glaze covered in bacon, a citrus-glaze covered in pistachios, a vanilla bean glaze, a strawberry glaze, a chocolate glaze with walnuts, and a kahlua-tasting cream stuffed into a doughnut covered with a light glaze with sugary crumbles on top.
Taking all that in, I suddenly realized I’ll never have a better lunch.
The base of Rollover’s doughnuts are made up of brioche dough. It’s made up of primarily eggs and butter, which create a light and fluffy doughnut, which was evident in the cream stuffed and pistachio covered doughnuts. However, the single-glazed doughnuts seemed to have a heavier doughnut, almost thick and cake-like. While the dough might be the same, I certainly liked the doughnuts that were covered with glaze and toppings. That being said, I believe it just depends on the batches. I’m sure consistently and texture differs from batch-to-batch.
I will say that the vanilla bean glazed doughnut was plain and simple, just a good doughnut. For those looking for something that doesn’t pack a crazy punch but has truly great classic flavors, this is the doughnut for them. This is a doughnut I’d pair with any and all drinks on the menu.
The chocolate glazed doughnut covered in walnuts went really well with the chai latte ($3.25 – $4.95), which I ordered hot with almond milk.
With the citrus glazed doughnut covered in pistachios you might try one of the many green teas that Rollover carries.
As for aesthetics, this is probably my favorite coffee-shop atmosphere in all of downtown Phoenix. To paint the landscape, you have an adorable brick house with white wood detailing where you order your beverages or doughnuts. There is a little bar area and outdoor seating, but that’s not all. Walk across the patio to a larger and longer version of the adorable brick house and open an orange door displaying the word “inside.” You’ll find a space that isn’t crowded with bulky tables and chairs. If I could compare it to a great magazine layout, I’d say it has the perfect white space. Comfy chairs with side tables are sprinkled along the walls and two long work tables are placed by the windows.
For those of us who have acted as patrons to Shine in the past, we now become loyal to Rollover. It’s the space we know and love, tucked away into one of the many small streets found off of Central Avenue. There’s really nothing to be disappointed about and we’re only looking forward to many more new flavors as the seasons change.
Contact the reporter at angoe@asu.edu
Location and Hours:
10 W. Vernon Avenue
Phoenix, AZ 85003
Monday – Saturday: 7:00 a.m. – 5:00 p.m.
Star Rating (0 – 4): ★★★½
DD Recommended: The vanilla bean glazed doughnut, the cream stuffed doughnut with sugary crumbles on top and the chai latte
