No. 73. Kale and Mushroom Flatbread at 320 Main


Flatbreads became trendy at some point after gastropubs embedded themselves in the culinary zeitgeist. A old-school pub can proudly serve a cheeseburger and pizza, but a gastropub must raise the stakes with a grass-fed porterhouse burger and flatbread.

Still, many high-concept gastropubs make a sodden, sorry excuse for flatbread crust because they think using pricier ingredients compensates for poor pizza-making technique. That's not the case at 320 Main, the craft-cocktail bar and restaurant in Seal Beach. Here, the ingredients showcase a grilled crust that's perfectly baked.

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The crust forms the vital foundation, but you can't hope to call your pizza a flatbread unless you have seriously flavorful, high-quality ingredients. Spanish Manchego and tangy parmesan cheese add flavor to the gooey mozzarella. Kale and mushroom lend their flavors and absorb the fat from the three-cheese blend and the truffle oil in the background.

320 Main has the option to add a fried egg for $2 to just about anything on their menu, and you'll want to take that option for your flatbread. The perfectly cooked sunny-side up egg with a runny yolk commingles with the rest of the flavorful ingredients, and they make the richest, most flavorful sauce that you'll sop up with your flatbread.

It's not pizza-by-the-slice that you fold in half and eat Tony Manero-style as you strut down the street. Once you flood all this gooey goodness on your plate, your flatbread is a crisp, perfectly-grilled crust that's a vehicle to absorb all the juices. Yeah, you'll probably use a fork and knife so you don't get egg yolk all over your fingers. But even if you do – other flatbread customers will nod knowingly as you both bond over your finger-lickin' bad manners.

The list so far:

74. Congee at King Lobster Palace
75. Fish and Chips at Slapfish
76. Fries at Playground

77. Carne en Su Jugo at La Cocina de Mi Abuelita
78. S'mores at Ti Amo Biscotti & More
79. Broken Rice at Dat Thanh
80. Bulgogi and Potato Pizza at Chicken & Pizza Love Letter
81. Braised Bacon at Break of Dawn
82. Cake Donut at Cream Pan
83. Bistec de Pollo at Mercado El Rey
84. The Rhino at Rancho a Go Go
85. Cabernet Brownies at Blackmarket Bakery
86. Cookie Monster at Lola Ice Cream and Deli
87. Polenta Board at CUCINA Enoteca
88. Falafel Taco at Taco Asylum
89. Wagon-Wheel Bread at THE RANCH Restaurant
90. Toothpick Tacos at Mexico Supermarket
91. Hoppin' John at Memphis at the Santora
92. Free Beans and Chips at Taqueria Zamora
93. Pig in a Blanket Waffle with Gringo Bandito at Cafe Calacas
94. “Pork Hash” at Huong Giang
95. Sweet Chili Chicken Quesadilla At Kogi
96. Licuados at Mil Jugos
97. Hawaiian Ahi Poke at California Fish Grill
98. Takoyaki at Takoyaki Tanota
99. Fiesta Noodles at Jollibee
100. Chilaquiles Verdes Con Huevos Estrellados at La Tablita California

Click here to view our 100 Favorite Dishes of 2010!
Click here to view our 100 Favorite Dishes of 2011!

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