Eat This: Avocado Salad at Southwest Diner

Don’t get us wrong: We love cheese-laden Tex-Mex, but the avocado salad is our current favorite on Southwest Diner’s menu. Wedges of avocado are coated in breadcrumbs, fried until golden and crisp, then placed on a bed of romaine lettuce with pico de gallo and queso fresco. Creamy sambal dressing delivers garlic and basal heat, while the hot-cold-crunchy-creamy textural balance keeps your taste buds guessing from bite to bite.

Meera Nagarajan is art director at Sauce Magazine.