Where to Find the Best Doughnuts in Southern California
And what to Order from this Delectable Establishment
It is not often that social media leads to a wondrous discovery, yet, in some cases social media can pave a path to delectable places that tantalize the senses. When I was scrolling through Instagram one fateful February day in 2020, I stumbled upon the most wonderful discovery; I saw a photo of a doughnut that looked nothing short of exquisite. I clicked on the link to the doughnut shop’s Instagram page and immediately fell in love with what lay before my very eyes; a doughnut that harkened back to a trip I had as a child. When I was in Middle School, I took a trip with my parents to Montana where I fell in love with huckleberries. A huckleberry looks very similar to a blueberry but has a lovely violet hue to it with a more complex flavor profile that is slightly more tart than a blueberry but finishes with a sweeter node. Since that time, I have been unable to find very many places that carry products with huckleberries; but that changed as I scrolled down this Instagram page and saw A HUCKLEBERRY DOUGHNUT. I immediately followed this doughnut shop and resolved that I would soon visit this wonderous place, known as Sidecar Doughnuts.
I planned to visit Sidecar in late March of 2020 when I had slightly more free time, though that plan fell through due to the fact there was a slight pandemic to contend with. The months passed excruciatingly slow as I waited to taste the immaculate doughnuts that graced my Instagram feed. In August of 2020, my best friend decided that she wanted to go out and do something together; therefore she suggested a day so epic, so wondrous that it seemed too good to be true, she said that we were going to Sidecar Doughnuts.
The date was August 28 of 2020, the morning was overcast, yet the light radiated forth from the clouds, lighting our noble quest for doughnuts. Unfortunately, the huckleberry doughnut that drew me to this establishment in the first place, was out of season (it was 2020 after all, something had to go wrong). Although the huckleberry doughnut was nowhere to be found, they had the other doughnut we had come for, THE EGGS BENEDICT DOUGHNUT! We were ecstatic to get to the beach and have our breakfast with our iced Vietnamese coffee that Sidecar had. We parked with a clear view of the beach and grabbed our Eggs Benedict Doughnuts. As per usual, we had a toast with our coffees, took a sip, and gazed down at our doughnuts. We bit into these mysterious doughnuts and what awaited was a culinary masterpiece that filled our hearts with joy. A great and new breakfast treat, a strong coffee, a view of the beach, and great company; the recipe for an incredible start to any day. That day ended up being a fantastic trip that filled us with such joy after a difficult year; it was truly a day that I will never forget.
In the following article, I will share with you descriptions of the various doughnuts that Sidecar offers as well as some of the coffee items I have tried. I have only included the current regular menu items as of July 2021 since their seasonal flavors are not guaranteed to return the following year.
Locations
Sidecar has a number of locations: at the time of writing in September of 2021, these store fronts are located in:
Costa Mesa, CA
Santa Monica, CA
Del Mar, CA
Torrance, CA
Los Angeles, CA
For exact locations and hours, consult sidecar’s website, https://sidecardoughnuts.com/locations/
The Basil Eggs Benedict Doughnut
I cannot recommend this doughnut enough, it is truly nothing short of exquisite. This doughnut not only captures the essence of an eggs Benedict, it is an eggs Benedict. Instead of the traditional open face plating on top of an English muffin, Sidecar has enclosed the Benedict components inside of a Milanese style doughnut. A single basil leaf is the only garnish present, and the only garnish needed; for it is the interior that is truly spectacular. Inside is a poached egg, country ham, and a basil hollandaise sauce.
It is spectacular that the egg is perfectly poached inside while the exterior of the doughnut is perfectly golden brown. It is obviously somewhat messy due to the runny yolk, but it is worth the danger to try a unique item that is anything but a gimmick. This is a delicious and innovative way to have a classic breakfast in a way that is both exciting and delicious.
Saigon Cinnamon Crumb Doughnut
On the surface, this may seem like a relatively straightforward doughnut, but it is nothing short of incredible. This doughnut is perhaps the best doughnut to have with a cup of coffee or a latte due to a flavor profile that is very complimentary to the flavor nodes found in coffee beans. I have tried this doughnut with caramel lattes, caramel macchiatos, and honey cinnamon lattes; and I found that it worked wonderfully with each of these options.
Apple Fritter (only available on Friday’s)
The Apple fritter featured large pieces of granny smith apples throughout that made for a wonderful textural contrast to the fritter itself and therefore lead to a varied eating experience that was slightly different with each bite. This delightful doughnut is only available on Fridays for “Fritter Friday.”
Maple Bacon
It is a maple doughnut with bacon on top, need I say more about how wonderful this combination is?
Although a maple bacon doughnut is in no way revolutionary, Sidecar still presents a strong and flavorful doughnut that is by far the best iteration of this classic flavor that I have had. Their maple glaze is not overpowering and they are quite generous with the amount of bacon that they include on the doughnut. The doughnut itself is airy, delicious, and a perfect vessel by which to serve the maple glaze and bacon on top of. The bacon is the perfect textural contrast to the soft and airy doughnut, ensuring that each bite is nothing short of exquisite.
Butter and Salt
Now the name alone probably does not incur much interest in the donut, nor does its drab appearance. I certainly was not interested in this doughnut, but upon seeing the fan favorite designation, I decided I would give it a semblance of a chance to impress me. Once I took my first bite, I knew that this donut was improperly named, it should have been called “The Little Doughnut that COULD.” It was nothing short of incredible, the sheer simplicity of the doughnut elevated it beyond the realm of comprehension as it forced me to appreciate the beauty of the doughnut itself. The butter and salt made it a luxurious doughnut that coated my tongue with a thin layer of butter and lead to the doughnut having a velvet like consistency that was nothing short of addicting.
I recommended this doughnut to a friend who merely stated, “ Butter and salt taught me things. Like how a donut should taste.” Butter and salt is so simplistic; it is the joy of doughnuts in its purest, most unadulterated form.
Vanilla Bean Glazed Doughnut
The classic glazed doughnut is a tried and true classic that holds a special place in the hearts of so many people. Yet, it is rare to find an iteration of this doughnut that elevates it to new heights, Sidecar masterfully accomplishes this task with the vanilla bean glazed doughnut which brings complexity to this classic flavor. The vanilla bean is not overpowering but highlights the flavor of the doughnut itself while bringing a great deal of layers to the doughnut that are usually missing in a standard glazed doughnut. Although this is not my favorite item on the menu, it will certainly be one of, if not the best glazed doughnut you have had.
Cinnamon Roll (only available on Wednesdays)
Originally, this doughnut was seasonal and available only during December, but due to its incredible popularity, it was added to the main menu albeit with a caveat, it is only available on Wednesdays. My Father is a connoisseur of cinnamon rolls, if he sees a cinnamon roll somewhere he has to have it. These are his all time favorite cinnamon rolls, he made at least four trips to Sidecar during Christmas time to secure these lovely treats. These doughnuts show that cinnamon rolls were always supposed to be a doughnut, they feature a crisp, delicious exterior with a soft, airy interior with swirls of cinnamon sugar goodness within. It is topped with a maple glaze which is sticky, slightly sweet, with complex maple nodes that add layers of flavor to the doughnut. The final aspect is maple candied pecans which add a wonderful textural contrast that creates a very satisfying doughnut with varied textures and flavors.
Dulce de leche Churro
This doughnut perfectly encapsulates everything that makes a churro great; it has a sugar coating to the exterior which makes it messy, yet intoxicating. The texture is crisp on the outside with a soft airy interior that invites you to take bite after bite until there is simply nothing left. The dulce de leche was a beautiful addition that added an additional layer of flavor that elevated the doughnut to new heights. With that being said, the dulce de leche was quite sparse and therefore did not make the impact that it could have if it was perhaps filled with the dulce de leche.
Lemon Poppyseed
This is certainly the doughnut that transports you to an entirely new place. When I took my first bite of this magnificent doughnut, I was instantly transported to the beach, with a doughnut in one hand and an iced latte in the other. I could nearly hear the waves crashing, feel the sun beating down on me; all through the flavor profile of this doughnut. It is truly the doughnut of summer, a doughnut bursting with citrus and a bright flavor profile which is perfect for an early morning on the way to the beach. Due to the high amount of citric acid, your mouth simply salivates with each bite as you crave another taste of this magnificent doughnut. It is a raised yeast doughnut that has that delicious, addicting yeast quality that presents just a tad bit of bitterness and a great deal of complexity that contrasts the lemon beautifully, thereby creating a symphony of flavors that sings beautiful melodies across your palette.
Huckleberry
Finally, the doughnut that drew me to Sidecar in the first place, the huckleberry doughnut. Never before has such a wondrous doughnut eluded me for so long. This doughnut is everything I was hoping it would be and more. Everything about this doughnut is built around fortifying and highlighting the huckleberry flavor. The doughnut itself is a cake doughnut filled with fresh huckleberries scattered throughout. The glaze is a huckleberry glaze which highlights the wondrous color of the huckleberries and ensures that each bite has an element of huckleberry to it. The doughnut has hints of vanilla which serves to enhance the natural flavor of the huckleberry which is complex, slightly tart, with a slight sweetness. Each bite is simply a joyful experience that never ceases to make me smile.
New Flavors
New flavors of doughnuts are added on a monthly or bi-monthly basis and are referred to as seasonal flavors. Additionally, as of July 1, 2021 there are three additional everyday flavors that have been added to the menu. The first of these new offerings is a malasada style doughnut that will only be served on Mondays. The malasada style doughnut is the same type of doughnut as the basil eggs Benedict doughnut, but instead of being filled with an egg, it is filled with a variety of fillings that will change monthly. The other two offerings are the dulce de leche churro and lemon poppyseed doughnuts which were described above.
Drinks
Iced Vietnamese Coffee
My best friend and I fell in love with Vietnamese coffee at a local coffee shop of ours. Naturally, we had to try Sidecar’s iteration of this beloved beverage; an iteration that includes four shots of espresso, sweetened condensed milk, and whole milk. The espresso is certainly the star of this beverage, yet the slight sweetness from the condensed milk helps to add just a hint of sweetness to the beverage and undercuts some of the harsh nature of espresso. The whole milk added enough fat to the drink in order to make it feel velvety smooth as you drink it. It is remarkably different form the Vietnamese iced coffee that my best friend and I first tried, but this iteration is one that we consume again and again.
Iced Caramel Latte
A caramel latte is my go to drink when I am unsure of what to get. Needless to say, I have tried many different caramel lattes over the years, which is why I was taken aback when I tried Sidecaer’s iced caramel latte. I expected it to be good, what I did not expect was for this to become my FAVORITE caramel latte. The espresso was at the forefront of this drink’s flavor profile, followed by one of the most complex caramels I have ever tasted. The caramel syrup used in this drink had a butterscotch like quality that created a very complex caramel flavor that developed on your palette. Paired with the butter and salt doughnut, this was simply a spectacular experience of complementary flavors that simply left me smiling.
Final Thoughts
Sidecar Doughnuts is an innovative doughnut shop that challenges the conceptions of what a doughnut can be and pushes the boundaries of unique flavor profiles in meaningful ways. Through a beautiful presentation with a beautiful flavor profile to match, these doughnuts are truly an experience that you will not want to miss. Their commitment to fresh doughnuts with premium ingredients sets them apart from their competition and makers Sidecar Doughnuts a can’t miss location for anyone visiting Southern California. For locals who may not know about this shop, you need to get there as quickly as possible and experience the magic that is Sidecar Doughnuts.
Disclaimer: Many of these photos were taken hours or days after the doughnuts were originally bought. I recommend eating these doughnuts as quickly as possible; they are made in small batches throughout the day and are best enjoyed in the parking lot of Sidecar. By no means should there be a single doughnut left twenty-four hours after these doughnuts are purchased.
