Danny Dines: Tom Thumb Donuts

My latest food journey took me to the 50th Annual Albuquerque Balloon Fiesta to try Tom Thumb Donuts

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According to the Tom Thumb Donuts website, Tom Thumb Donut Corp. is the original mini donut producer and was established in 1949.

They are very prominent in the fair and festival scene, and Tom Thumb Donuts are one of the hottest food items available at the Balloon Fiesta.

And according to a few people attending the event, the perfect morning of watching hot air balloons consists of ‘Pinon Coffee or hot chocolate, Tom Thumb Donuts, and extra hoodies.’

Believe it or not, I have lived in New Mexico for over 20 years, and I never had Tom Thumb Donuts.

I have been meaning to try them, but the power of funnel cakes is too much for me. This year I resisted that temptation because I could not afford a funnel cake. So, I got in line, Nikon camera-in-hand, to buy some ‘mini donuts.’.

The vendors were very nice, and I was able to snap a quick picture of them serving me. The coolest thing about Tom Thumb Donuts is that you can see the mini donuts being fried.

I was very excited! This was the final step to becoming a true New Mexican.

The Tom Thumb Donuts were delicious!

They were fluffy, cakey, sweet, fried-to-perfection, and surprisingly very light. I am a big fan of cinnamon sugar, and they coated each donut with cinnamon sugar, so I was a happy lad!

I almost ate two whole bags but alas, Mother Nature had other plans.

It started raining.

In about five minutes, it was pouring. I was soaked, but I still had those precious Tom Thumb Donuts in my jacket.

My posse and I started making our way back to the car, and it began to pour more. I was dripping, and not in a cool way. To make matters worse, I lost my friends and family in the chaos.

I did not panic. I hid under a tree, ate the last three donuts, and sprinted faster than Usain Bolt towards the parking lot.

I met my posse at the car rendezvous point, and we avoided the traffic. A memorable night indeed.

Where should I go next? Email me at zunigasauce@gmail.com