great food...they have bacon donuts!!!. let me just start by saying good lord that was good! so, that should tell you the way this review is going to go. this was one tasting that i was glad to be a part of. my only worry would be diabetes haha. that won't be a problem for you, but i had the pleasure of trying about 5 different donuts a breakfast sandwich and a cookie. side note: if you wear "skinny jeans", being a food blogger isn't for you. my dad used to kid about wearing maternity pants for eating, yeah my dad was a forward thinker
location: if you're going east on beach blvd (heading towards the water for the directionally challenged like myself), penman is on the left at a stop light that has a car wash at the light. if you see dunkin donuts, turn around, you went too far. anyways, head down penman and it will be on your right. they have been in this location for 26yrs and the locals willmakesure you see it due to the crowded parking lot. and we all know a crowded parking lot is a sign of good food!
a little background first: this is a bonus section… michelle vining is the 5th generation baker/owner. cinotti's has a strong following, they have been around in one form or another since 1936 and their food shows why. if you stop by,makesure you say hi to michelle, she is very personable and loves to meet her customers.
food: the showcase donut for me is the maple bacon donut. when they brought that out, i think the clouds outside parted …. the sun started shining and as michelle started walking in slow motion while a jack johnson song played softly in the background (don't judge me). as michelle described the donut "some people don't care for it while some people's mouth's start watering". let me just say this, if you love bacon, there is no way you won't like this donut. it was the perfect combination of sweet & savory. the bacon is crispy and salty and well done…perfect! the next one was the carrot cake donut. i'm not a fan of carrot cake normally but this was surprisingly good. it was very moist and the taste was spot on. this will be an option for me when i go there now. there is a battle of the donuts going on with the staff of cinotti's between the key lime donuts and the coffee donuts. the front of the house is the key lime group while the back is the coffee group. well, cinotti's, i'm with the back of the house…coffee all the way. it was perfect, moist, not too sweet and just tasty. we also had the opportunity to try the bacon, egg, and cheese croissant. the croissant is big! this is not your burger king croissant, this is for big boys. big pieces of bacon, american cheese and a hearty serving of egg. it hit the spot. this and a cup of coffee makes for a good breakfast.
overall rating 1-10: 9.5 a great breakfast spot. it's a little off the grid but the locals are very loyal. once you stop by, you will see why.
would i eat here again: in the words of sarah palin "you betcha!" what a great place to sit down, catch up with a friend or a loved one and just enjoy some good food and supporting a local bakery/restaurant in jacksonville.
extra info: with valentine's day coming,makesure you check out their decorated cookies. oh and for all you mardi gras loving people, they are one of the few bakeries in the jacksonville area thatmakeking cake's.makesure you call and place your order! good luck getting the baby! that probably sounds creepy if you don't know what a king cake is haha. google it please:)