Auddino’s Bakery (Facebook)
1490 Clara Ave. (map it!)
Columbus, OH 43211
(614) 294-2577
Open Mon-Fri, 6:30a-4p; Sat, 6:30a-3p
Accepts cash & credit/debit
Vegetarian/vegan/gluten free? Y/N/N
Kid-friendly? Y
Date of Visit: Tuesday, January 31, 2012 at 10:15 a.m.
IMPRESSIONS: Ah, Auddino’s. Chances are, you’ve eaten some of their product, whether you know it or not. This Italian bakery provides bread, rolls, pizza dough, and more for many restaurants in and around Columbus. You’ve most likely seen their white vans with the red, white, and green logo about town. But don’t just consider them a wholesaler; they’re so much more than that.
ATMOSPHERE: Perhaps you’ve driven by Auddino’s facility on accident, not realizing that it’s more than just a wholesale production facility. It’d be easy to assume that, given the big brick walls, the multiple loading doors for trucks, and the general location down a narrow side street just off the interstate, tucked in amongst warehouses and hotels near the Ohio Expo Center.
But Auddino’s is in fact the best of both worlds. They’re a big wholesale operation, but they’ve retained the mom-and-pop feel of a small neighborhood bakery. Enter the front doors and you’re faced with shelves of breads, rolls, pasta, sauces, and most importantly: donuts, croissants, and cookies.
FOOD: The real star of Auddino’s Bakery are their donuts. They’ve got a huge variety: cream-filled longjohns, glazed cake donuts, frosted crescents, jelly-filled, sticks, fritters. I didn’t taste anything that I didn’t like, so I give it all a strong recommendation. But pictures will speak more than words in this case, so let me just show you.
One of their unique contributions to Columbus donut culture is the glazed croissants (lovingly termed “cronuts” by CMH Gourmand). It combines the wonderful flaky texture of a croissant with the light, sugary coating of a glazed donut. Simply stellar.
Leave the gun…
I enjoy bringing home a mix of things. We leaned toward the cake donuts, plus one of the smaller croissants. (The croissants come in large and small sizes.)
Another one of our favorites are the ever-elusive lobster tails. These are crispy, flaky pastries filled with a thick, sweet custard and dusted with powdered sugar. We’ve visited multiple times and always missed them, until this one, glorious visit. Each bite involves crunching through the pastry to get through that rich custard.
SERVICE: The Auddino family is very kind and welcoming. It doesn’t take long before you feel like a part of the family. You’ll find the parents, their kids, and grandkids there. During one recent visit, my son hung out with one of their grandkids, watching cartoons while I chatted and took pictures.
OVERALL: It’s dangerous that Auddino’s is so close and easy to access from my house, because I can see justifying a quick trip there just about any weekday morning. For those of you on the west side who don’t have easy access to the deliciousness that is Auddino’s: fear not. The Auddino family told me that they plan to open a cafe in Hilliard in the spring of 2012. Stay tuned!
