Uncle Leo's Not Just Coffee & Donuts in Redding

A top secret doughnut recipe, a father and son business, and a dozen or so different types of doughnuts and New York-style bagels mean that mornings in Georgetown just got that much better, thanks to the arrival of Uncle Leo’s “Not Just” Coffee and Doughnuts.

Norwalk residents Leo Spinelli III (age 22) and his father Leo Spinelli, Jr., recently opened Uncle Leo's in the heart of Georgetown, at 19 Main Street, in the former Swirl Ice Cream location. The shop is a second coming for the father and son and the familiar Spinelli surname, who previously owned Spinelli’s Not Just Bagels in Norwalk that closed in 2009.

Uncle Leo's specializes in making what they describe as “old fashioned hand-cut doughnuts” as well as other baked goods and breakfast sandwiches. The shop will be open early and daily, perfect for morning commuters looking for their breakfast fix.

On my visit, I took home six varieties of (their ten) doughnuts, including: glazed, glazed with chocolate frosting, powdered sugar, powdered sugar with jelly, cinnamon, and cinnamon with jelly. The 3+ inch large doughnuts are yeasted, meaning they rise and are much more pliable than cake doughnuts. The sugary jelly-filled doughnut was the standout for me—a pillowy, soft and chewy exterior covered in sugar with a sweet pastry taste was filled to the brim with raspberry jelly.

Uncle Leo’s is located at 19 Main St. in Georgetown, CT. It’s open from 5 a.m. to 4 p.m. Mondays through Saturdays and from 6 a.m. to 2 p.m. Sundays.