It’s 3 pm on a Wednesday afternoon and a couple kids are lined up in front of the counter, their faces pressed to the glass, eyes wide as they scan the line of brightly colored glazes, sprinkles, and toppings. This time of day is the busiest at Hot Dippity Donuts (171 S Riverside Ave, Croton-on-Hudson), says Evan Liaskos, the chef and co-owner who opened this made-to-order donut counter in the same space as his other family business, Bagels on Hudson.
The concept is simple: Donuts are fried to order, allowed to cool for only a few seconds, and then dipped and topped to make a myriad of combos. Fresh from the fryer, the donuts are lighter and fluffier than any cake donut I’ve ever had. If a donut isn’t hot, Liaskos won’t serve it, a fact that’s evidenced by a small tub of rejected donuts behind the counter.
So just what combinations can you create? Pretty much anything you can think of. The “Choco-Lot” donut is dipped in fudge icing and topped with melting chocolate chips. Maple glaze could get a thick coating of cinnamon sugar, a swirl of cream cheese icing, or a sprinkling of bacon. There’s vanilla and Nilla wafers, fudge and peanut-butter drizzle, caramel and sea salt, Nutella and Rice Krispies, and mocha and Oreo. Some of the most fun donuts evoke popular desserts like Key lime pie, strawberry cheesecake, or blueberry cobbler.
At the end of the day, Liaskos washes tiny fingerprints off the glass case. “I like the idea that it’s fun,” say Liaskos. “I have an affinity for easily attainable food. Not fast food, but stuff that everyone can [enjoy], just a neighborhood joint.”
