Sunday Sweetness
Sundays are Donut Day at Certified Burgers & Beverage. And that's something special!
Since the doors opened at Certified Burgers & Beverage, the restaurant has been establishing itself as a player in the island dining scene. Using fresh ingredients sourced as locally as possible for burgers, sandwiches, salads, other entrée specials, and sides that are made by hand, on site and prepared on demand, you know the quality of what’s going on your plate. Their “grinder to griddle” philosophy and great food keep customers coming in steady stream. Amazing milkshakes, late night hours, and a fantastic bar and tap selection are some additional bonuses. And on New Year’s Day, owner David Carrier and his wife, Ryanne, added something unexpected to tempt the tastebuds, and perhaps reach new customers as well.
You see, Ryanne, who has been with Sea Island Resorts since 2010 and currently holds the title of Director of Wine & Spirits, CS., is also a pastry chef. (She says “was,” but I promise you that after you experience the fruits of her labor at CBB, you will agree that she definitely “is!”) Ryanne holds certifications in Professional Cookery, including Baking and Pastry, and put these skills to task in order to do a little something fun to help out her husband and his restaurant. At least, that’s how it began.
Ryanne says that she was missing her cooking and baking days, and came up with the idea of making some donuts to serve at CBB on New Year’s Day. She knew that following a night of revelry some people might want a later breakfast and something sweet, and a lot of places aren’t open on the holiday. David, being the smart guy that he is, thought the idea was brilliant and knew that his talented wife could be “another bright, shiny tool in the toolbox” of the CBB restaurant kitchen. If she was willing to put in the time and effort, he knew that she definitely had the baking and pastry skills to put out a delicious product under the same fresh, real, quality ingredients standard that is the hallmark of CBB.
So on New Year’s Day, CBB served up about about a dozen French crullers, a dozen cinnamon rolls/sticky buns, and a dozen chocolate donuts. They were snapped up eagerly. Then customers asked Dave and Ryanne whether she’d do it again the next week. And since Ryanne was having fun with it, she did. And again the next week. And the next. Now, Sundays are Donut Day at CBB. Since demand vastly exceeded the three dozen donuts of that first Sunday, Ryanne now estimates that she makes a little over 300 donuts each weekend. Since the ingredients are all fresh, this is not a quick process either. There’s making the dough, letting it cure, prep work for baking, baking, frosting and filling. It takes at least 24 hours for everything, so when they’re gone, they’re gone. They can’t whip up another batch in an hour or two.
Donuts and Coffee at CBB
The donut and pastry varieties are always changing too. There are the powdered sugar-dusted cream-filled brioche donuts, and that cream might be vanilla, chocolate, lemon, strawberry, or even caramel. There are the eggy and light-as-air French crullers. (David’s #1 choice.) There are the decadent cream-cheese iced cinnamon buns and melt-in-your-mouth toffee-pecan sticky buns (Ryanne’s own favorite). Buttermilk donuts, chocolate-topped, danish in a variety of flavors – these are all items that might appear on Sunday. Sometimes the creations are entirely organic, Ryanne says, and that’s part of the fun. When she runs out of cream, but still needs filling, a strawberry-filled brioche is born. Dave also says she’s a stickler for perfection, so she is constantly tweaking the recipes until the dough or the glaze or the filling is just the right flavor and consistency. The best part? Not only are customers now lining up before CBB opens on Sunday to get some of these not-available anywhere else delicious treats, Ryanne is loving the immediate gratification that comes with baking for people, “Not only do you get to see the fruition of the results. There’s the appreciation factor. People are enjoying it and are grateful. That is so rewarding!” David enjoys letting Ryanne’s talents speak for themselves and seeing the fun she is having with her hands back in the dough again. The additional folks coming into CBB on Sunday to scoop up the donuts before they’re gone is pretty terrific too!
1 of 4
Julie Andrew
Pecan Toffee Sticky Buns
2 of 4
Julie Andrew
Cinnamon Rolls
3 of 4
Julie Andrew
Buttermilk Glazed
4 of 4
Julie Andrew
Chocolate Creme Filled
Ryanne and David both believe in being passionate about cooking. That having a love for the process of making something delicious is an important part of creating a dish that you are proud to serve. So, it might seem strange to have donuts being served up at a burger joint, but that’s just more proof that Certified Burgers & Beverage is NOT your ordinary burger joint—they’re extraordinary!
If you haven’t tried the donuts yet, be sure to stop in CBB at 44 Midway Square (just off Frederica Road, south of the intersection of Frederica and Sea Island Roads) on the next Sunday you can. The restaurant opens at 11:00 a.m. The first donuts are put out at 11:30 a.m. and the full selection is generally available at 12:30 p.m. You’ll be glad you did!
