Sometimes all it takes is a company-sponsored happy hour for a food pairing epiphany to occur. That's what happened to Ryan last Thursday at a bar in the East Village.

He took a sip of his free beer then glanced outside at the thin coat of snow that was attempting to accumulate on the New York sidewalks and streets. Maybe it was the sparkle of the snow that illuminatated the two store fronts across the street. Or maybe it was just a moment of sheer brilliance. Across the street, two stores sat side by side. To the left the sign announced: Vanessa's Dumplings, and next door, Dunkin' Donuts. In his moment of inspiration, Ryan morphed the two stores into one, creating the idea for a new kind of eatery: Dumpling Donuts.

Cakehead arrived on the scene in time to witness the ephiphany and to unpack this idea. The Dumpling Donut would not attempt to turn dumplings into donuts or donuts into dumplings. Rather, this would be a one stop shop to first eat a doughy envelope filled with spice or savory fillings. Then, you chase it down with a sweet puff filled with chocolate cream or jelly.