It’s a doughnut. It isn’t 14-karat gold filled, or even served on a silver platter. It’s just a doughnut.

Since the opening of the new doughnut shop at 3409 Arden Way, the buzzword around town seems to be “Krispy Kreme.”

Even pop culture icons such as Rosie O’Donnell and Madonna can’t stop talking about the things.

Why are people willing to camp out or stand in line for two hours just to get a taste of Krispy Kreme? Can a doughnut really be that amazing? I swear on a glazed cruller that I will find out.

My mission began as I joined the hype and stood at the back of the two hundred-person line, anticipating the moment that my first Krispy Kreme would cross my lips.

Friends that accompanied me on my quest shared stories about their first experience with the legendary pastry. They were excited to see what effect a Krispy Kreme might have on my sweet tooth.

As we stood in the cold night air, winding through the line, smiles were plastered to our faces. It was like waiting in line to ride Space Mountain at Disneyland. Our adrenaline was pumping, and we had one thing on our minds, Krispy Kreme.

Upon entering the building, a whiff of sugary air told me that we were getting close. The glass viewing area entertained the group as we watched a constant flow of raw ringlets slide off the conveyor belt into a bath of hot oil where they are fried to a golden brown. After a quick drain, the doughnuts glide under a waterfall of the sugary glaze and are then quickly rushed to the customers while still piping hot.

After receiving our free Krispy Kreme paper cook hats that you might see someone wearing at a fifties-style diner came the moment of truth, my first bite.

I began my tasting with the original hot glazed doughnut that made the company famous. The warm pastry just sort of melted in my mouth, very similar to the way cotton candy does. I can honestly say that I have never had a better doughnut.

From there I moved on to Krispy Kreme’s wider variety, first the glazed devils food and then the spiced pumpkin. Both were good, but neither had the appeal of the first. The chocolate iced creme filled doughnut was a nice surprise. The creme filling was similar to that which you would find in the center of a Twinkie or a Hostess cupcake, both childhood favorites of mine.

All in all, the doughnuts were?well they were doughnuts. Don’t get me wrong they were quite tasty, but worth camping out over? Give me a break people, it’s a doughnut.

The real buzz over the doughnuts has to do with the fact that the glazed ones are served hot and gooey, and that is really hard to beat. I suppose that I was too caught up in the hype and was expecting something closer to heavenly.

Although my expectations were let down, I must admit that never in my life have I been so excited to eat a doughnut, and that alone was enough to make standing in line for an hour worthwhile.