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Positively Philadelphia: Beiler's Donuts at the Reading Terminal Market

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By Lauren Lipton

PHILADELPHIA (CBS) -- The three-day Pennsylvania Dutch Festival begins this coming Thursday, August 8th, at the Reading Terminal Market.

And among the buggy and horse-drawn wagon rides, the petting zoo, and the bluegrass music, one of the biggest attractions has always been watching Beiler's Donuts being made, and then eating them fresh from the kettle.

beiler's fryer _andre
(The deep fryer at Beiler's Donuts. Credit: André Bennett)

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"We mix the dough from scratch," says manager Kevin Beiler.  "Not too many people do that, where you can see how the doughnut is made from the start to the finished product.  People enjoy watching us fry them and then fill them and then put on the many toppings."

Beiler says that after last year's festival many people asked, "How come you don't do this all year?"   So they decided they would.

And now, every day, people line up.

beiler's filling _andre
(The "filling station" at Beiler's Donuts, in the Reading Terminal Market. Credit: André Bennett)

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"You get to sit there and watch them make it," said one man as he munched a doughnut.  "It makes it much harder to make a decision, because you come in with a mindset, 'OK, I want the key lime pie (doughnut),' but then you see the doughnuts being made and you go, 'Oh, what's that?  Oh my god, that's fresh and I want it!' "

On the day we visited Beiler's, the line full of people included one doughnut denier:

"No, I'm not in line to buy doughnuts," she told Positively Philadelphia, "I'm here to look at other people buying them."

But if she were going to buy some, which ones would she pick?

"I like the apple fritters, the blueberry fritters, the chocolate M&M doughnuts, coconut custard.  I like everything they got."

beiler's M&M _andre
(Adding an M&Ms topping to Beiler's Donuts. Credit: André Bennett)

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This man was ready to plunge in:

"I was trying to figure out which ones to try," he said.  "I've already tried the Boston creme here.  The caramel apple I've had before and it's great!"

OK, I  have to stop now.  Doing a story on doughnuts is very tedious work, and this hard-working reporter needs a snack.

beiler's display _andre
(Beiler's Donuts, in the Reading Terminal Market. Credit: André Bennett)

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And, for this week, that's "Positively Philadelphia!"

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