I'm a doughnut maven. I've scoured the city for great doughnuts. Over the last few years, there have been a lot of new additions to the doughnut scene. I haven't hit them all, but I've been disappointed with a lot of them which seem to expend a lot of effort on creative toppings while neglecting the actual doughnut. It's all well and good to cover your doughnut with bacon and Snickers bars, but I want to taste a high quality doughnut underneath.
Recently, after it was recommended to me by my friend Tim Read (of the late, great Scotch & Ice Cream blog), I made it over to Sidecar Doughnuts in Santa Monica. Let me be clear, these are the best doughnuts I have ever had. I do not make such a pronouncement lightly. Sidecar uses all kinds of toppings (including bacon), but they keep their eye on the prize, the actual doughnut. The doughnuts are made throughout the day, come out fresh and are topped while you watch. The glazes are more subtle and less sweet than a lot of places, allowing the doughnut underneath to shine rather than covering it up. Because of the constant production and the popularity of the place, all the doughnuts I purchased were still warm.
The Sidecar piece de resistance is the butter & salt doughnut. It's a cake doughnut with an amazingly moist and buttery texture and just a light glaze and sprinkling of salt. It's like a more refined version of Primo's buttermilk bar. This is a doughnut that is all about the actual cake, and it is pretty much a perfect specimen.
I also loved the choc-a-lot, an airy, raised chocolate doughnut topped with chocolate glaze and cacao nibs. The other doughnuts I tried, raspberry, blueberry cheesecake and salty caramel, were all very good but the butter & salt and the chocolate were the ones that stuck in my mind. In fact, pretty much as soon as I finished my last doughnut I was thinking about going back. It's that good.
Go there now!
Sidecar Doughnuts
631 Wilshire Blvd.
Santa Monica, CA 90401
(310) 587-0022
(There is also a location in Costa Mesa)
Tim Read still exists?
ReplyDeleteThere are actually lots of people who exist even though they don't have blogs.
ReplyDeleteThat's quite an endorsement. I will certainly be going to Sidecar the next time I'm in LA.
ReplyDeleteI'm enjoying the resurgence of food reviews. Would love to see some San Francisco food reviews as well if you ever make your way up here!
Thanks kpiz. There will be more food reviews. Sadly, I rarely make it to San Francisco, but you never know.
ReplyDeleteIf you're ever in New York City, you should try Doughnut Plant. They make some fantastic doughnuts.
ReplyDeleteMantisking, I hit Doughnut Plant a few years ago. Very good stuff.
ReplyDeleteA friend turned me on to this place probably 9 months ago and it's been a regular detour when I'm in Santa Monica.
ReplyDeleteThe chocolate raised is the richest chocolate donut I've ever had, and I just haven't had anything that matches the butter & salt anywhere. The only downside, if there is one, is how absurdly dense and filling these are. Best way to tackle Sidecar is get one of everything, cut into quarters, and split with friends.
it's great and completely upended my donut preferences. The exciting part is waiting to see who will try to top this. It also makes up for how incredibly far DK Donuts has fallen in the last decade.
I'm glad to have turned you on to Sidecar, Sku.
@MAO I do indeed. But I wasn't exactly contributing much to anything after mid-2013 anyway.