Does The Doughnut Vault Serve the Best Doughnut in America?

The Doughnut Vault [Photograph: Nick Kindelsperger]

The Doughnut Vault serves the best doughnuts in the nation, according to The Daily Meal, which recently published a list of America's 25 Best Donuts. Of course, Brendan Sodikoff's tiny and perpetually packed River North spot is no stranger to acclaim, having already popped up on best of lists in Food & Wine, Imbibe, U.S. News & World Report, Saveur, and, um, this site (and let's not forget Time Out Chicago's incredible five star review).

Whether you think the shop deserves the praise or not is a completely different story (I personally love them), but it is worth pointing out that Chicago completely dominated list, with Dinkel's Bakery, Dat Donuts, and Do-Rite Donuts all making the cut. All told, Chicago has more doughnut shops in the top 25 than New York, Brooklyn, and Los Angeles combined.

I haven't done enough research around the country (read: stuffing my face with fried dough) to weigh in here, but I'd love to hear your thoughts about whether Chicago's doughnut reign is deserved or not.

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