MEET ZACH
Welcome to my new series where I interview donut experts from across the country! First up is Zach Vraa from Minneapolis, better known as @vraamoney_eats on Instagram. Zach typically posts donut and burger pics. When he’s not doing #TheDonutWalk (more on that later) you can find him reviewing donuts in his car, YouTube-style.
Check out our fun Q&A session below, and stay tuned for future interviews
Expert: Zach Vraa
@vraamoney_eats | Minneapolis, MN
You’re a former Minnesota and North Dakota football star. You may be surprised to hear that we actually have a football connection…I’m from Philly, which makes me a die-hard fan of Carson Wentz! Did you ever have dreams to go pro? Have you always been a Vikings fan?
I did have dreams of playing in the NFL. I tried out with the Vikings, who I’ve always been a huge fan of, a few years back but unfortunately didn’t make it on the squad. Definitely fun while it lasted though.
You’re recently engaged, congrats! How does your fiancée feel about your love of donuts? Will you have a donut bar at the wedding?
Thank you! She enjoys it, but the donuts can be overwhelming at times. She just loves the free food when it comes around. And, of course, there will be donuts.
When did your obsession with donuts start?
I’ve always loved them, but it started as an “obsession” when I moved closer to the city a couple years ago and was fascinated by the amount of shops there were near me.
When and why did you start Instagramming about donuts? How did the #TheDonutWalk come about?
Just like I mentioned, my Instagram page grew into a food account when I moved closer to the city and I was trying out all the new donut shops and restaurants around. Donuts are a comfort food to me; I love all the simple and even crazy flavor combinations out there.
#TheDonutWalk started a while back when I would take Instagram stories of me (my feet) walking into a donut shop. Since I went to so many, I wanted it to be suspenseful so my viewers never knew where I was going at that time. I started using the hashtag and now I’ve gained a bit of a following which is awesome to see!
Describe what makes the perfect donut, in your opinion.
Such a difficult question depending on the donut, but it’s got to have the right texture, first off. Light and fluffy for raised donuts, moist for cake donuts, crispy edges with tender insides for Old Fashioneds. From there it needs to have the right balance of sweet and savory. A good texture always is a plus for me as well.
I know you were recently interviewed by the local NBC station for National Donut Day. For those who missed it, recap your top Minneapolis donuts. And how did you celebrate the holiday?
I celebrated National Donut by going to about 5 different shops and eating a lot more donuts than I thought.
Top donuts:
3. Mojo Monkey Donuts’ “PB Banana Nutella Buttercream” — PB & Banana Filling, Nutella Buttercream Topping, Toasted House-made Marshmallow
2. Cardigan Donuts’ “Almond Mounded Joy” — Coconut Old Fashioned, Coconut Glaze, Chocolate Icing, Roasted Almonds
1. Angel Food Bakery’s “Fireside” — Pumpkin Whipped Cream Filling, Pumpkin Spice Glaze, Toasted Maple Meringue and Candied Pecans
Can you plan some Minneapolis-area donut crawl routes?
St. Paul:
- Mojo Monkey Donuts
- Mucci’s Italian
Minihaha/Lake Nokomis:
- Mel-O-Glaze Bakery
- A Baker’s Wife Pastry Shop
Downtown MPLS:
- Cardigan Donuts
- Angel Food Bakery
Northeast MPLS:
- Sleepy V’s
- Sarah Jane’s Bakery
Uptown:
- Glam Doll Donuts
- Bogarts Doughnuts
You’ve dabbled in the Chicago donut scene too. I don’t miss the Midwest weather, but I do miss the donuts! What’s your take?
Chicago donuts are great and I always love trying them when I’m around. My favorite place that always deserves a visit is Do-Rite Donuts. They offer a good variety and are executed flawlessly. My favorites are the Red Velvet Coconut Cake, Cinnamon Old Fashioned, Blueberry Crumb Cake, and Cream Cheese Danish. I could probably just list the entire menu!
What donut shops are on your bucket list?
Number 1 is definitely PVDonuts (Rhode Island). I’ve heard so many amazing things about their place that I would book a flight just to go there. Also on my list is Sidecar Doughnuts (Santa Monica), Doughnut Plant (NYC), The Doughnut Project (NYC), The Salty Donut (Miami). The list goes on but I’ll stop there.
*Editor’s Note: Check out all submissions for top donut shops across the country in this “Best Of” list.
What do you do when you’re not eating donuts?
I am a Sales Engineer in the factory automation industry. Lots of traveling around the state with high technology products.
What opportunities have come from your Instagram account?
I’ve made friends, met chefs, bakers and restaurant owners, been invited to try new menu items, big events, openings, pre-openings and so much more. I don’t make any money with what I’m doing besides the free food from time-to-time, but I do plan on creating my own website where I can post my donut and food reviews.
Let’s talk gear: Camera, lenses, editing software, phone apps?
Nothing fancy, just an iPhone 7 Plus. Believe it or not, I usually only use the Instagram filtering software and rely more on natural light and Portrait mode to get the best shots possible.
Dead or alive, famous or not: who would you most want to share a donut with?
Since I’ve grown up a sports fanatic, I’d say my childhood sports hero, Michael Jordan. We could talk sports, business (Air Jordan) and even food.
Rapid fire questions
- Yeast vs. Cake (Yeast)
- Coffee vs. Tea (Coffee)
- Vanilla vs. Chocolate (Vanilla ice cream, but for everything else…chocolate)
- Ranch on Anything (No!)
- Thin Crust vs. Deep Dish (Thin Crust)
- Favorite City to Visit (Austin, TX or Chicago IL)
- Favorite Movie (Lord of the Rings)
What’s one thing you’re grateful for in the past 6 months and one thing you’re looking forward to in the next 6 months?
I’m grateful for how motivated I am to go on runs and workout at the gym for the amount of donuts I review.
One thing I’m looking forward to is my wedding day in February when I get to marry the woman of my dreams.
Anything else you’d like to add or plug?
Go Bison! (It’s an NDSU thing)
*Editor’s Note: A few days after our interview, Zach announced that he’ll be co-hosting the 1st-annual Twin Cities Donut Brawl along with @alexlodner and @secondharvestheartland. I’m plugging the event for him!
The Brawl will take place on September 30 from 11-2 at @parallel.mn in Minneapolis, featuring local donut shops and bakeries competing to become Donut Champs. Sample donuts and vote for your favorites while enjoying unlimited coffee from Parallel. Learn more at @tcdonutbrawl’s page.
