The Buttermilk Drop, New Orleans

The titular treat at Buttermilk Drop Bakery is similar to a donut hole, though perhaps richer and sweeter. People clamor for the buttermilk drops (available in various flavors) at local festivals and the bakery's storefront locations, but they're far from the only sweet served. Its classic donuts, pound cakes, iced danishes, and traditional king cakes are all made from recipes developed its former baker, who in his burgeoning career as an actor starred in Beasts of the Southern Wild. Although the Tremé location is the original, the brand-new Elysian Fields spot also serves southern breakfast dishes in a café environment complete with free Wi-Fi.