Sidecar Doughnuts Update — Doughnut Gluttony Edition

Still no official word from Sidecar about when their Santa Monica location is going to open. They said November, so I’m holding my tantrum in until then.

We took the occasion of a party to get a few dozen doughnuts from Sidecar. Still incredible.

Sidecar Doughnuts – the Best Doughnuts in LA

I don’t think of myself as a doughnut-douche, but I have been spouting off with strong opinions lately about doughnuts. A number of LA’s iconic dough slingers have left me disappointed, and a couple new fancy options (Donut Friend and Donut Snob) have not quite met expectations.

As of now, I’m ready to declare the best doughnuts in the LA area behind the Orange Curtain at Costa Mesa’s Sidecar Doughnuts.

Bakeshack — The Closest Thing in LA to Tartine’s Bread

Bakeshack is a new bread baker that has been setting up shop at farmers markets in the OC, and now is coming to the Playa Vista farmers market. They sell big, chewy loaves that are unlike almost any other bread in LA. In fact, it’s really almost a ripoff of SF’s Tartine.

This is some seriously great bread. It tastes like they just followed Chad Robertson’s directions in his Tartine cookbook. A sourdough that is not very sour. A crust that is charred but not tough or crisp. Moist chewiness is the signature here, with a bit of sour and a bit of salt.

85°C America – Imagine a Starbucks Where People Waited in Line for an Hour for Pastries

85°C is the Starbucks of Taiwan, with a branch on every corner and people from all walks of life stopping in a couple times a week for drinks — boba milk tea or sea salt lattes. 85°C has since opened 4 branches in America, all here in Southern California, but the draw is a huge assortment of breads, pastries, and fancy cakes — as well as a drink bar with many of the drinks that made them famous in Taiwan.

[* apologies for the lead photo. 98% of the clients are Asian, so this photo of the white girl in the inappropriate shirt is not representative.]

Santouka – After Five Times I’ve Decided Santouka Is OK

Now having an official Top Ten Ramen list, courtesy of JGold, I had the chance to revisit my first check on this list, Santouka. Strangely, this happened in Irvine, CA, in a hidden corner of the old Heritage Plaza near where Bullwinkle’s used to be (now it’s a Buffalo Wild Wings).

Santouka – After Five Times I’ve Decided Santouka Is OK

Now having an official Top Ten Ramen list, courtesy of JGold, I had the chance to revisit my first check on this list, Santouka. Strangely, this happened in Irvine, CA, in a hidden corner of the old Heritage Plaza near where Bullwinkle’s used to be (now it’s a Buffalo Wild Wings).