Since day one I’ve been a sucker for Max Santiago and his donut making abilities. I’ve even been dubbed his #1 fan and in an effort to forever live up to the name - I made my way all the way to New York with his new donuts on my mind.

It’s safe to say Max played a huge part in the artisan donut craze in Miami when he co-founded The Salty Donut just about two years ago. Earlier this year, Max left The Salty Donut and is now the Corporate Pastry Chef for Sugar Factory and is still the Donut King in my eyes. While he won’t be making donuts in Miami for another year and a half (there’s a salty non-compete stopping him for now), he will be cranking out some delicious donuts in New York and soon to be other Sugar Factory locations in the meantime.

Sugar Factory is an over the top restaurant that makes candy coated dreams come true and now with the addition of donuts (especially Mad Max’s donuts) there’s no stopping them when it comes to inducing sugar comas on a daily basis.

The donut menu will continue to be ever changing. Currently the creative menu of donuts each priced at $3.95 includes:

• Disco-Tahitian Vanilla Bean+Buttermilk - 24 hour raised brioche dough, vanilla infused buttermilk glaze, topped with edible “bling-bling” pink/gold luster dust glitter

• Old Fashioned Blueberry Crumb Coffee Cake - fresh blueberry stuffed cake donut, coffee glaze, blueberry compote, streusel topping

• Boston Cream - 24 hour raised brioche dough, stuffed with homemade vanilla custard, glazed with bittersweet Valrhona Chocolate ganache topped with dark chocolate curls

• The Original Cannoli -  24 hour raised brioche dough, citrus zested ricotta filling, white chocolate dipped and crusted with white chocolate shavings

• Charcoal+Maple+Bacon+Bourbon - maple glazed, crispy smoked bacon, bourbon reduction drizzle

• Tiramisu - 24 hour raised brioche dough, espresso-Kahlua spiked, mascarpone cream, chocolate shavings

• Baked Samoa “Cookie” Girl Scout Favorite -  almond butter base, salted caramel glaze, toasted sweetened coconut flakes, dark chocolate crust and drizzle (this one is vegan)

• Rainbow Pride - rainbow layered 24 hour raised brioche dough, cotton candy glaze

• Galaxy Donut - 24 hour raised brioche in celestial colors stuffed with homemade "dark as the sky" chocolate mousse, galaxy glaze coasting and sparkling sprinkles

The donuts were everything I hoped they would be. Completely worth the plane ride and the eight block walk from my hotel. I was among the first to try the new Galaxy Donut and it was absolutely perfect. Max says he hasn’t noticed much of a difference in flavor with the New York City water yet, but that the dough feels lighter.

Sugar Factory has three locations in New York City, two in Miami (one Lincoln Road and Ocean Drive) and one soon to be in Espanola Way featuring a Gummy World, and locations in Las Vegas, Virginia, Illinois with more in the works. Max is going to be a busy guy - but I’ll be patiently waiting his donut return to Miami.

Sugar Factory Restaurant and Donut & Coffee Bar

1991 Broadway

New York City, NY