There is something magical about doughnuts.

They give off a mysterious sensation that envelops the person biting into a fresh creation and blocks all thoughts about fat content or calories with a sigh of contentment.

Those sighs will now be heard coming from the Donut Hole, 426 E. College Ave, which opened Saturday, allowing the incredibly tempting smell of doughnuts to waft down College Avenue Sunday morning.

The Donut Hole has a lot more to do before it's fully operating. The small space is mostly bare, with one table and a cooler. There isn't too much in the way of decor, though the little green sign proclaiming the counter as "Doughnut St." was cute.

The real action, however, goes on behind the counter. There, hungry customers can watch as the doughnuts are made, which is fascinating for those of
us used to just opening a pre-packaged box.

One man was working behind the counter, and he greeted me with a warm smile and identified himself as the owner and apologized for everything not being ready.

It's obvious that one person can only do so much. Though the shop didn't look completely functional, things should be easier when there are more people working. To be fair, I'm sure the owner wasn't expecting a student crowd early Sunday, either.

The glass shelves in the counter can hold at least a dozen varieties of doughnuts, but only four or five trays were out for sale. The shop sells all the traditional kinds of doughnuts: glazed, chocolate, blueberry and banana.

The owner pointed out some selections and went off to search for a tray of banana glazed he had just made. Unfortunately, he couldn't find it, but I settled for one glazed doughnut, one labeled glazed spice and one labeled double chocolate. The tray was actually glazed chocolate, however, but I didn't mind, because chocolate is chocolate.

I threw in some juice, and the total came to a few bucks, which is not a bad price for a quick and easy snack.

According to the menu on the wall above the cash register, the Donut Hole also offers several types of breakfast sandwiches, all served on croissants. If the croissants are anything like the doughnuts, the sandwiches alone will be worth a return trip.

The eatery also offers some lunchtime options for those who aren't in the breakfast mood. From the look of things, though, it may take a few weeks before everything's running smoothly enough to branch out from doughnuts.

The only problem I can see with the shop is its location, given its hours of operation. The Donut Hole is tucked away on East College, where a quick morning meal is only convenient to those who live in apartments directly behind it and maybe some Eastview Terrace or South Halls residents. The shop closes at 3 p.m., so it can't access the traffic of those students coming home after a long day of classes, or those customers who want something for dessert later at night.

I pondered this issue as I walked home, but I was distracted by the delicious taste of the doughnuts. The glazed one captured that perfect combination of flaky, slightly crispy crust and pure liquid sugar. The chocolate glaze was even better, and the amount of chocolate in the dough was just right. Finally, I bit into what had been labeled as spicy glazed, thought for a second as I chewed, and realized I had just found one of the missing banana doughnuts.

The Donut Hole may have some kinks to work out, but all in all, it was a wonderful start to my day.