As it officially becomes fall, local Southern California restaurants have started transitioning their menus to include more autumn flavors. But because this is Southern California, naturally we need some sweet treats options to help us cool down during (another) heat wave. Here are some of the stand out meals, desserts and snacks that our team tried this month.
If you’re looking for more cuisine options to check out, see the best things we ate in Southern California in August.
Avocado toast from the Breakfast Shack in Redlands. (Fielding Buck, Press-Enterprise/SCNG)
Avocado toast – Breakfast Shack
Brunch at the Breakfast Shack, 615 W State St, Redlands, reminded me why avocado toast became so popular a few years ago. About $8.99.
– Fielding Buck, Restaurant Reporter
Dan Dan Noodles from LA Kung Fu Noodle in Claremont, CA. (Emily St. Martin, SCNG)
Dan Dan Noodles – LA Kung Fu Noodle
Nestled in an unassuming strip mall in Claremont is LA Kung Fu Noodle, a hole-in-the-wall Chinese eatery that specializes in noodle dishes and dim sum. While the spicy pork and shrimp dumplings are certainly a reason to keep going back, it’s the Dan Dan Noodles that keep me up at night. For $10.99, patrons get a large serving with smaller bowls so the table can share (if you’re feeling generous). The noodles are so long they appear never-ending; the broth is spicy and has that numbing quality that lingers on your lips, courtesy of the Szechuan peppers; and of course, there’s that tahini (sesame paste) flavor that coats your tongue like butter. All of this combined easily makes this dish the best meal I ate in September.
– Emily St. Martin, Digital Features Editor
Dole Soft Serve – Brian’s Shave Ice and Boba
With heatwave after heatwave happening in Southern California, I have been craving a refreshing sweet treat. In those moments I wish I could just drop everything, get in my car and visit the “Happiest Place on Earth” to enjoy a Dole Whip in front of Cinderella’s castle. While LA traffic makes this a little harder to achieve most days, Brian’s Shave Ice and Boba does offer a pretty close alternative to the iconic Disneyland dessert. Brian’s Dole Soft Serve on its own starts at $5.50, and can also be purchased as the base of a shaved ice. Also, I let out a shriek of excitement when I discovered the spoon changes colors.
– Carolyn Burt, Audience Engagement Producer
Paradise Dynasty x Heritage Barbecue collab (Brock Keeling, OC Register/SCNG)
Paradise Dynasty x Heritage Barbecue collab
The limited-series collaboration between the two noted eateries, happening throughout October, blew me away, with the smoked pulled pork XLB standing out as my favorite bite in September.
– Brock Keeling, Restaurant Reporter
Related: Paradise Dynasty collaborates with Heritage Barbecue for limited-edition menu
Roasted cabbage at Darkroom (Brock Keeling, OC Register/SCNG)
Roasted Cabbage – Darkroom
I love when a dish gives me a new perspective on a seemingly boring staple. Zach Scherer’s spin on roasted cabbage at Darkroom, OC’s most ambitious new restaurant this year, did just that. Phenomenal.
– Brock Keeling, Restaurant Reporter
Related: Darkroom, Orange County’s most ambitious restaurant this year, opens in Santa Ana
Yellow curry from Lúa Eatery. (Brock Keeling, OC Register/SCNG)
Yellow Curry – Lúa Eatery
Still thinking about the yellow curry with tofu, potato, and taro at this new Vietnamese spot in Dana Point.
– Brock Keeling, Restaurant Reporter
Double-Double from In-N-Out Burger. (Brock Keeling, OC Register/SCNG)
Double-Double – In-N-Out Burger
Iconic. Beloved. Overrated. Undefeated. Controversial. Whatever discourse surrounds SoCal’s most talked about fast-food joint, the Double-Double (with grilled onions, please) never missed the mark. Now if only they could do something about the lackluster fries.
– Brock Keeling, Restaurant Reporter
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