Starbucks--and Babeland, and Krispy Kreme, and Ben & Jerry's, and Irwin's, and Cupcake Royale, and probably other places we haven't heard about--got a lot of publicity when they offered to give away free coffee to anyone who voted today. (And maybe more Facebook publicity than they hoped for. ) Turns out, though, that bribing rewarding voters with free stuff violates some of those pesky election laws. Never fear, though: You can get a free tall......

Seattlest was in Vancouver this weekend, and, on a whim, made our first foray into a Tim Hortons. We'd heard good things -- "the apex of Canadian cuisine," for example -- and as lifelong doughnut fans we were happy to test that claim. We bought a maple glazed ring and a chocolate longjohn and took them back to our room. The verdict: Canada, you're better than that. The doughnuts were fine, but they're nothing......

"Top Pot Doughnuts" by Nerd's Eye View We're doughnut lovers, but we've never been a fan of the light, airy, spun-sugar doughnuts that Krispy Kreme built its empire on. We're devotees of the solid, cakey, embody-the-word-pastry doughnuts hand-forged by Top Pot. Even a non-fan like us, however, understands that Krispy Kremes taste best fresh. Not just fresh -- partially molten and direct from the fryer is more like it. If your Krispy Kreme doesn't taste......

As usual, Seattlest has donuts on our mind. Since we are compelled to endure that barbaric time of day known in some parts of the world as morning, we can't help but have our thoughts wander toward more pleasant morning-related topics. It's not just us, however; our colleague-ists have been thinking about them too. Last week, Chicagoist wrote of a devious, healthy plot on the part of Krispy Kreme. Rightfully, they retorted with a hearty,......

Bummed by bumper-to-bumperdom, Seattlest recently jumped off I-5 and onto Route 99 for a journey north. Late for an appointment, we now had limited time for a much-needed snack. We wanted it quick, cheap, and crisp. Yes, we had a crispy craving (not to be confused with a Krispy Kreme). Aurora Avenue was serving up lots of Asian options, which ordinarily might have met much of our criteria. There were also many fast food joints......

Results are in from partly-local food blog The Ethicurean's recent doughnut taste-off. They pitted doughnuts from Top Pot, Mighty-O, and Krispy Kreme against each other. You should read the entire taste-off account -- very entertaining -- but we'll spoil the results now: We quickly decide on our favorites. For the Butter Bitch, Top Pot’s old-fashioned is the best because it has a consistent flavor but isn’t sickeningly fake. The cake is nice and moist. Mighty-O’s......

Forget hot vs. not, flight vs. invisibility, and left hand vs. right hand. We've settled a far more epochal question: which beloved local pastry institution is better, Top Pot or Cupcake Royale? It's a cruel choice, but we are cruel people. And we have voted. Two local indulgence vendors enter, one local indulgence vendor leaves: by a vote of 8-3, Top Pot reigns supreme. Who voted for which, and why: Michael: Top Pot rules......

Seattlest is way into the culture of life, so on Saturday we decided to experience some firsthand in Skagit Valley at the 22nd Annual Tulip Festival. After a brief detour to Krispy Kreme, we made our way over to Tulip Town, a self-described "magical place," though to us, it seemed kinda low on magic when compared to the acres and acres of tulips. Don't get me wrong; tulips are great flowers, and the colors......