Everyone’s been buzzing about Paulette’s Original Donuts and Chicken. The small, quirky take-out joint opened its doors in Leslieville last month, just down the street from us, in a long-time vacant storefront that we always assumed was an undercover drug operation.

Following the elite fast-food trend sweeping over Toronto, Paulette’s offers naturally-glazed artisanal donuts (the cakey kind, not yeasty, with names like Mango Yuzu, Blueberry Balsamic, Rootbeer Float, and Fresh Mint and Lime Mojito), in addition to simple, basic, fried chicken: naturally-raised, free-run birds, brined over night in a subtle mix of lemon, herbs and spices, and double-fried for extra crunch.

We stopped into Paulette’s last week, fresh off the heels of our ridiculously strict “Paleo Diet” regime. We grabbed a couple donuts, some fried chicken, a side of mac-and-cheese, and a drink; the bill came to $25 bucks. Was it worth it? At the time, absolutely. Although, in truth, we could have eaten a deep fried bug that day and been completely satisfied.