Liz Biro: Eat these doughnut sandwiches now, period

"Every sandwich is on a doughnut, except the one on a biscuit."

I couldn't believe I was writing those words -- by way of a compliment. But there I was.Instagramming, Facebooking, tweeting, touting fried chicken tucked between something I should have been dunking into coffee.

I was gaga over doughnut sandwiches.

#deathofafoodsnob

The hashtag was kind of harsh considering the exterminator was not a sugar-glazed Luther Burger grease bomb tossed to me from a ballpark vendor. The doughnut sandwiches that charmed me were created by caring cooks at Fletcher Place's General American Donut Co., better known as "Indy's first craft doughnut shop." The place debuted its lunch menu March 20.

If you disdain doughnut sandwiches, these could change your mind. If you love doughnut sandwiches, General American Donut Co.'s versions may ruin your taste for all others.

It started with The General

Last summer, the hot sauce fan club Sriracha Indy hosted the Sriracha Gold Beer Tapping Party. Indiana City Brewing Co. supplied Sriracha-infused Sriracha Gold American wheat ale. General American Donut Co. husband-and-wife owners Adam Perry and Kari Nickander were among food shops serving sriracha-spiced bites. The General the pair created inspired their shop's new lunch menu. Like most of Perry and Nickander's doughnut sandwiches, it plays on a savory/sweet equilibrium. The doughnut is unglazed. Think subtle sweetness akin to Hawaiian bread. A smidge of housemade strawberry jam is spread on a spilt doughnut (everything on these sandwiches is made from scratch). Next comes breaded and fried-to-order, all-natural Fischer Farms chicken from Jasper along with a little sriracha mayonnaise, fried housemade pickles and crunchy vinegar-dressed red and green cabbage slaw. First bite in, you're thinking about ordering another one of these. Do it.

It dates to The Pakora

Perry and Nickander are known for doughnuts, but before General American, they ran a food truck named Taco Lassi. One of the most popular items was a vegetarian taco filled with Indian-spiced mung dal. "That was the star of the truck in a way. Vegetarians just followed us around," Perry said. I could see why after tasting The Pakora. A deep-fried mung dal and potato patty lands on a doughnut along with cumin mayonnaise, fried pickles, that cabbage slaw and hari sauce, a blend of cilantro, honey, lime, cumin and ginger. Exotic comfort food.

It gets better

When I mentioned that April 12 was National Grilled Cheese Sandwich Day, Perry and Nickander went to work. Next time I popped in, The Grilled Granny was on the menu. Forget "that other doughnut grilled cheese"a chain restaurant brought to the Northwestside last year. The Granny layers nutty Fontina and spirited blue cheese with fig jam and thin, crisp, sweet-tart Granny Smith apple slices. The balance of flavor, texture and temperature is what sets General American Donut Co. sandwiches apart from other sinker sandwiches.

Don't forget the biscuit

The one sandwich that's not on a doughnut is on an oh-so-soft homemade biscuit slathered with corn butter and housemade blueberry jam that's more berry than sweet. The jam embraces rather than masks the fried chicken breast in this sandwich. Pure-T love.

When you've eaten too many doughnut sandwiches…

Try the salad. Tender Dino kale, baby spinach, fresh apples, beets, cashews and dried cranberries in housemade citrus vinaigrette is the just-right dose of goodness to justify dessert, that being a doughnut, of course.

General American Donut Co.

Lunch prices: $4.50-$6

Address: 827 S. East St.

Hours: Lunch 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. Tuesday-Sunday. Full hours 6:30 a.m. to 2 p.m. Tuesday-Friday, 7:30 a.m. to 2 p.m. Saturday and Sunday

Contact: (317) 964-0744 and www.generalamericandonutco.com

Call Liz Biro at (317) 444-6264. Follow her on Twitter @lizbiro, Instagram @lizbirodishand Facebook. Email her at liz.biro@indystar.com.