I’m a food blogger, I love doughnuts, and I live really close to Sidecar Doughnuts & Coffee.  So why haven’t I been here yet?  Well, maybe it’s one of those things that you put off because you just know you’ll adore it and once you start, you won’t be able to stop.

Now, not to say that I haven’t tried to visit before, but with the early closing hours on Sunday through Thursday, I have missed it by just a bit.  I did peek into the window with my nose pressed up against the glass and tried to imagine what it would be like one day in the near feature…

Luckily, I had just visited Pie-Not for lunch, so I was mere steps away from my destiny!

Now having tried the doughnuts and done my best to be ultra patient, I know exactly what all the fuss is about.  We’ll get to all the lovely varieties of doughnuts I tried in just a moment, but first I wanted to point out the lovely pictures of the shop itself.

Do you notice the eye for detail in the decor, the atmosphere, and the music (which you can’t hear but notice the record player and album choice above)?  Well, that same meticulousness and care is brought to Sidecar’s doughnuts!  Their freshness is maintained by making sure to time stamp every batch and making sure they aren’t sold past the allotted time.

The flavors and ingredients are impeccable.  Sure, everyone has his or her favorite variety, but each one is wonderful in its own right.  Each person I talked to had a different flavor, but agreed that they hadn’t had a single dud in the bunch.  That’s customer satisfaction right there!

The hard part is possibly not choosing which doughnut you want to go with, but how many you want to try that day.  Really, they’re all calling out to me behind the shiny display case…

But for those of you that are commitment-phobic and refuse to pick a favorite, every month they have a new bevy of flavors to try.  Yes, I’ll take one of each.  No, really.  One of each!

Speaking of, do you actually want to see these doughnuts?  Let’s get to it!

One of the customer favorites!  The huckleberry glaze is the star of the show, but the cake is just as wonderful!

If I had to choose a last meal, a few of these would be in the mix.  No, really.  It’s a butter and salt donut, people!

The texture of the cinnamon crumble is to die for!  The only thing better than crunching through the crumbly exterior glaze, was tasting the moist, spiced cake underneath.  Cake doughnuts have a tendency to become dry and stale, but these defy convention.  One of my favorites!

Since I cannot eat bacon, I took it from good authority that this was an amazing doughnut.  I actually brought it around to someone who was adamant that bacon had no place on a doughnut… and she totally changed her mind!  By the way, I had a bite of the raised doughnut and maple syrup glaze without the bacon… and it was amazing just on its own!

The twist doughnut is so beautiful and seemingly simple.  Yes, vanilla has become synonymous with boring, but this is no ordinary flavor.  You can see the vanilla beans in the glaze, which is perfectly light on the fluffy doughnut.

My favorite doughnut of all time is an old-fashioned!  The perfect little shape is beautiful, and the crunchy glaze covers a wonderfully moist, and chewy cake.  This version is a buttermilk nutmeg doughnut with the most amazing vanilla glaze.  Can this be a regular daily doughnut, please?

How lovely is this doughnut!!!  The colors are gorgeous, and the garden ingredients make for a delicious treat.  Not just a piece of art, I would order this again!

Raised bar doughnuts are not always the heroes… but they get the special treatment here!  The sweet maple syrup glaze is fantastic!

The malasada is a traditional Portuguese doughnut rolled in sugar, and sometimes made with a filling.  This one had strawberry jam, which is always a lovely colorful surprise.  Scroll down to see a better pic.  🙂

I’m always a sucker for s’mores.  ALWAYS.  Toasty marshmallows are unbeatable, unless they’re paired with chocolate!

Easily one of the more beautiful doughnuts in the bunch!  I love fig and goat cheese paired together.  In fact, remember my recipe from Vintage Zest for Fig & Honeyed Goat Cheese Tartlettes?  Twinsies!  We used different nuts, but I am dying over the candied walnuts they used here.  Delish!

Admittedly, I am not a fan of marzipan.  I find it overly sweet, but this?  Perfect accompaniment to a slightly tart plum compote.  Seriously, I must have food trust issues.  Thanks Sidecar for helping me get over them.  😉

After my trip to fōnuts a couple months ago, I was scared away by the prospect of ever having another dry, crumbly vegan doughnut again.  I apologize Sidecar for thinking you would do me wrong.  There was a slight slight difference in texture, but I honestly forgot for just a moment that I was eating the vegan variety.  Hey vegans!  You can rejoice, because you have a pretty spot-on breakfast option right here.  🙂

This was even more of a fun comparison because I had the “regular” huckleberry flavor to compare it to.  There was once again just the slightest of variations, but I would order it again no problem!  And honestly, if I didn’t have them side by side to compare, I would not be missing a thing.

So after all has been said and done, I will be returning with just about every sweet-toothed friend I have… heck, just about everyone I know!  Besides, I think I’ll be itching to try the new concoctions every month.

Basically, I’m alerting all you readers that you’ll be seeing quite a few more boxes like these every month or so.  You have been warned!

Sidecar Doughnuts & Coffee
270 E 17th St #18
Costa Mesa, CA 92627
www.sidecardoughnuts.com
(949) 887-2910