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Nathan Zucker
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Nathan Zucker
The combination may seem improbable, but after you visit the charming eatery in Hillsboro Village, it makes delicious sense.
Consider: Brioche donuts sporting an array of enticing glazes and fillings, and “haute” dogs in a range of global tastes, proffered in a toasted brioche bun. The unifying theme: egg- and butter-rich brioche dough.
"It’s a yin-yang thing," Will Primavera, who co-owns The Donut + Dog with his wife, Nicole, says. "Sweet and savory."
Born in San Diego, Will grew up in the world of dining on the West Coast. His father—his hero—had run several different restaurant concepts, all with the same foundation of “hospitality equals hospitality.” It instilled in Will an entrepreneurial spirit. He followed a corporate career path, running restaurants and casinos in Las Vegas, but, with a mindset shared by his wife, to have a business to call their own.
After a promising visit here a few years ago, the couple kept Nashville on their radar, waiting for the right opportunity. When their realtor informed them of The Dog of Nashville’s closing after 10 years, they immediately saw the possibilities. It was located in the heart of Hillsboro-West End, a community embracing both commercial and residential, and the setting, a 1940s bungalow, could be transformed into neighborly café.
"We bought the business on our honeymoon," Will laughs.
Will and Nicole collaborated on the refinement of his brioche recipe. Fine ingredients—Plugra butter and King Arthur flour—are at its heart, and the method includes four rises with a 10-hour rest.
"Our dough starts light and ends light," he says, "with a deep, satisfying taste in the middle."
Indeed, the beautifully structured dough is fragrant and yeasty, and not too sweet. This allows the fillings and toppings to shine. In both circle and square shapes, each is handcrafted. Filled doughnuts (such as the triple crème bruléed Sweet Baby Jesus) are painstakingly piped on all four sides so that each bite has a delightful measure of pastry cream. The house brown-butter glaze, combined with cinnamon and Himalayan pink salt, makes the Dirty O.G. simple perfection. A swirl of smooth mango puree and playful lime jelly candy crown the Sin-U-Rita with tropical panache.Napped in clarified butter, before being toasted on the flattop, the brioche bun (formed like a lobster roll) is the ideal holder of the dogs. Seeking all organic products, and local if possible, the Primaveras work with Doug Bagwell of Walnut Hills Farm for their pork.
We’re partial to the “Not So Basic” dog, wrapped in applewood bacon, which you can get kicked up with avocado, tomato, and basil-sriracha aioli. Ask for the B.A.T., too. The sweet Italian sausage comes cloaked in a cunning combination of roasted and pickled peppers. Yes, there’s a veggie dog, plus a hand-dipped corn dog for the kids. The most popular is the Elote Loco, a righteously spiced chorizo dog, embellished with cut corn, chipotle powder, cotija, and a wedge of lime. Each dog comes with your choice of house kettle chips or spiced “loco” fries. You can’t wrong either way.
It’s worth noting that the coffee (organic fair trade beans sourced from HC Valentine in Birmingham, AL) is rich, smooth, and artful. And, in the case of the smoked caramel latte, which gets a poof of apple or cherrywood smoke inside a glass box before serving, is a little gimmicky, but one smoke-kissed sip is convincing. Gimmick away!
And there’s beer. The D+D offers some locals on tap, and, in a nod to Will’s hometown, Ballast Point’s iconic brews from San Diego. Look for suggested beer and donut pairings on the table tents. BP’s Victory at Sea imperial porter is a natural with the brown-butter goodness of Stairway 2 Heaven.
2127 Belcourt Ave, 615-457-2476; thedonutanddog.com