Hey, kids: guess what time is it? It's time to restart that Long March known as 100 Favorite Dishes (INSERT YEAR). YEAH!!!
Hey, don't ding us for listicles: Weekly DataLab studies show ustedes love this gimmick, launched in honor of our coming Best Of issue. Besides, it is rather fun to do this for us Forkers–an opportunity to highlight dishes from restaurants we'll never fully review, or secrets from old standbys. Anyhoo, let the march begin…
One of the more highly anticipated openings in 2013 was along the ever popular 17th Street. Partners Brooke Des Prez, Sumter and Chi-Lin Pendergrast and the bevy of bakers over at Sidecar Doughnuts teased us with a test kitchen late last year. Their all-you-can-cram-in-your-piehole servings of malasadas, breakfast sammiches and maple bacon delights brought folks in droves– ourselves included.
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While some naysayers are opposed to shelling out more than a buck for morning pastries, Sidecar touted a preservative-free, freshness factor that's second to none. Serving until they sell out each day, it's no surprise they do. With a weekly rotation of flavors, we struggled with choosing just one.
Doughnut disciples may try to convince you it's all about the fruit flavors, like the foraged huckleberries flown in from Oregon, or their luscious peach and lemon varieties. Yet our cravings are much simpler. French artisan chocolate, accented with a hint of sea salt, was all the convincing we needed. We inhale ours so quickly, a suitable photograph is an afterthought. Their saccharine notes satisfied our sweet tooth, but the mineral addition quelled our salty desires. Younger patrons might not comprehend our simple pleasure, but they will soon enough. And the best part? Absolutely no guilt about treating ourselves to another.
The list:
80. Loco Moco Dog at Dogzilla
81. Fruit Tart at Le Croissant Dore
82. Daing Na Bangus (Marinated Milkfish) Silog Breakfast at Chowking
83. Strawberry Basil Lemonade at Mick's Karma Bar
84. Lemongrass Chicken Salad at Greenleaf Gourmet Chopshop
85. Tofu Soup at Tasty Thai
86. Take-Out Dim Sum at Capital B.B.Q. and Dim Sum Express
87. Hodo Gwaja at Cocohodo
88. Popcorn Chicken Salad at Guppy House
89. Fried Okra at Memphis Soul Cafe & Bar
90. Salted Egg With Bitter Melon & Scrambled Egg at Tasty Noodle House
91. Boysenberry Lemonade from Bautista Creek Local Produce at SOCO Farmers' Market
92. Scallop Carpaccio with Curry Oil and Yuzu Vinaigrette from Cafe Hiro
93. White Board Specials at Taco Adobe
94. Coney Dog at LinX
95. Halal Pizzas from San Giovanni Pizzas
96. Clayuda at El Fortín
97. Lunch Buffet at Dosa Express
98. The Meats at Darya in Orange
99. Panocha at Taquería Zamora
100. Bean-and-Cheese Burrito from Del Taco
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A contributing writer for OC Weekly, Anne Marie freelances for multiple online and print publications, and guest judges for culinary competitions. A Bay Area transplant, she graduated with a degree in Hospitality Management from Cal Poly Pomona. Find her on Instagram as brekkiefan.