As entrepreneurs Jason Bachman and Corey Smale traveled around the country they realized St. Louis needed a "cool, inventive donut shop" like others they had seen in their travels. In October 2013, they opened "Strange Donuts" in Maplewood, followed by a second location in Kirkwood in 2014. A third Strange Donuts is scheduled to open in Columbia, Missouri sometime this month.
Jason and Corey are regular patrons of Brennan's, 4659 Maryland, and when Kevin Brennan, who is possessed of the entrepreneurial spirit himself, offered co-working spaces upstairs, they moved their corporate office to the CWE. Just before Thanksgiving the pair opened the "Strange Trap Kitchen" on the first floor. Strange Trap Kitchen is the company's "lab," see below, where Corporate Chef Mary (just "Mary") and Chef Melissa Cippioneri create new varieties of donuts which are offered Tuesdays through Fridays from 7 a.m. to noon.
The chefs, who formerly worked together at the Coronado Ballroom, create in Melissa's words, "crazy, fun donuts," which are made very early in the morning at the Maplewood location and transported to the Trap Kitchen where they are finished with fillings, glazings and toppings, see below.
Every few weeks the chefs roll out four new varieties. The current selection includes from left above, a hot chocolate donut with hot chocolate glaze and a homemade marshmallow, $2, a marsala, coffee-soaked tiramasu donut with mascarpone filling and espresso glaze sprinkled with cocoa powder, $3, a cracker jack donut filled with caramel mousse and a peanut butter icing topped with homemade cracker jacks, $4, and a hot-pocket filled with chorizo, queso fresco and topped with lime aioli, queso fresco and cilantro, $5. The hot pocket is served warm.
To accompany the donuts, Kaldi's "Strange Brew" is offered at the Strange Trap Kitchen, 4659 Maryland, which is open Tuesday through Friday from 7 a.m. to noon. Seating is available at the bar, the music is good and there's wi-fi too.