In a world of doughnuts piled with tall mounds of whipped cream, chunks of candy bars, stuffed with exotic creams, it’s a simple cake doughnut that slays me everytime. The Huckleberry doughnut from Sidecar Doughnuts in Costa Mesa, is not only the best doughnut at Sidecar Doughnuts, but it’s the best doughnut in Orange County.

Let’s get one thing straight. There are a lot of good doughnut shops in Orange County. I emphasize the word good. But there is only one great doughnut shop in Orange County and that’s Sidecar. Their cake doughnuts are slightly crunchy on the outside and a perfectly warm, moist on the inside. What makes the Huckleberry so good is the unexpectedness of it all. You don’t expect a man dying of tuberculosis to walk out of the shadows and declare “I’m your Huckleberry” nor do you expect a bright purple doughnut to be so… natural. The topping is lick worthy, studded with bits of Oregon Huckleberry, the inside is all subtle flavors, the Huckleberries are in there, but not too much, the crunchy exterior mixes with the soft interior and the frosting and then it all mixes with just a little regret that you’re not just a little more hungry, so you can eat two.

But if you had to die, there are worse ways to go than holding a perfect purple doughnut up to the sky and hearing those famous words.

I’m your Huckleberry.