Does Sonoma County need a $275 doughnut? No. But is there something oddly delightful knowing one exists — right here in Rohnert Park — filled with chocolate-hazelnut cream, gilded with gold leaf and served with a 1-ounce pour of Louis XIII Cognac, should you want it? Yes.
The Millionaire’s Doughnut may be the most expensive piece of fried dough in the county, but it is hardly the strangest item at SoCo Dough Co., the new cafe inside Graton Resort & Casino. That honor goes to the everything bagel doughnut filled with cream cheese. “Abomination” feels harsh, but not entirely inaccurate.
The cafe and bakery, one of three recent additions to the casino’s expanded nonsmoking wing, leans into Vegas-style excess. Doughnuts come stuffed with banana pudding, lacquered in espresso glaze, or topped with candied bacon, honeycomb streusel and li hing mui.
Even in an era of over-the-top pastries, the lineup of 15 buttermilk doughnuts inspires a kind of childlike awe. There’s the Vietnamese Coffee Time, glazed with espresso and drizzled with condensed milk; the Rap Berry, with raspberry icing and white chocolate; and the Wake ’N Bacon, sticky with maple glaze and strips of candied pork. Tropic Like It’s Hot, mango-glazed, coconut-drizzled and flecked with lemon zest, serves as a gateway to Matcha Made in Heaven, coated in green tea glaze and shredded coconut.
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Tucked away from the casino’s busiest areas, the diner-style cafe features glass cases packed with glossy pastries vying for your attention. I’m not going to sugarcoat this: You’ll go a little mad at the self-order kiosk, where images of doughnuts the size of dinner plates make $6.50 suddenly seem reasonable.
Beyond the pastry case, the drinks menu blurs the line between coffee and dessert with nitro cold brew blended with gelato and a selection of “Dirty Milk” concoctions (think milkshake without the shake) made with doughnut-infused milk, whipped cream and caramel.
You get the drift. This kind of sugary silliness is all about spectacle, made for bachelorette parties, casino date nights, Sunday hangovers and late-night cravings (the shop stays open until midnight most evenings and until 2 a.m. on Friday and Saturday). You could bring home treats for the kids (Graton is a 21-and-over property), but you might want to skip the $275 doughnut — vintage cognac just doesn’t travel well in a takeout bag.
SoCo Dough Co., Graton Resort & Casino, 288 Golf Course Drive W., Rohnert Park, graton.com. Closed Tuesday and Wednesday.