CRÄB CAKE
SISTER ACT BY WILL RIDDELL San Diego sisters and daughters of Iraqi immigrants—Daphne Khairo, Diane Zoura, and Darlene Zoura— couldn't find the sauces to match their varying dietary needs: Darlene is lactose intolerant. Diane doesn’t do gluten. Daphne’s daughters are allergic to eggs. That’s why Sistry Foods—the company they started in response—specializes in products that are vegan, gluten-free, and keto-friendly. Their dressings (chili chipotle, ranch, jalapeño cilantro) have a base of almond milk and avocado oil and pair with everything from tacos to chicken tenders, and they range from cooling to packing a little punch. You know what they say—the sauce is the (girl) boss.
RANCHOS COCINA (VG + VE) North Park’s Ranchos Cocina has been family-owned and -operated since 1994, so I figured they’d know a thing or two about making a killer agua fresca. What I wasn’t expecting was for the silky, rice-based bev to hit my table in a king-sized glass chalice. Sure, their 50-plus-item menu packed with tacos, tamales, and tortas galore keeps me coming back, but it’s the horchata (which left a constellation of warming spices across my beard) that really does the trick. ranchoscocinanorthpark.com THE PLOT Here, “zero-waste” isn’t some trendy food marketing moniker, but the tangible efforts of co-founders Jessica and Davin Waite. They help combat the United States’ vexing food waste issue by operating an entirely vegan kitchen in Oceanside (a Carlsbad location is opening soon), composting, recycling, making plant milk in-house, and convincing farmers to deliver produce without first wrapping it in plastic. theplotrestaurant.com
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SAN DIEGO MAGAZINE
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