Must-Try: gourmet doughnuts we’d devour by the dozen at the Harbord Room

By Matthew Hague | Photograph by Sian Richards

Chef Cory Vitiello at the Harbord Room likes to change the menu every couple of weeks, but whenever he tries to take his Sicilian-style doughnuts off the dessert card, there’s a backlash from diners. Blame it on the ricotta batter, which makes them as fluffy as the Twilight novels, along with orange zest and pistachios, which elevate them way above the lowly Timbit. Three of them arrive fresh from the fryer next to a little bowl of velvety espresso-caramel pot de crème topped with tapioca pearls, whipped cream and crispy shards of meringue. It’s tempting to inhale the ethereal fritters first, but we recommend saving one to soak up every last ­remnant of sweet pudding. $9. 89 Harbord St., 416-962-8989.