Decisions about what to air during sweeps season say a lot about what the media thinks of the state of our nation. So when Good Morning America asked viewers to nominate their favorite street vendors as part of its national “Best Food Cart Challenge,” just in time for November sweeps, it was clear that, at least in the eyes of the media, America is food-cart crazy.

● Absinthe (Hayes Valley) - While they’re only available at brunch, Absinthe’s deviled eggs are anything but traditional breakfast fare. Looking deceptively familiar with a dollop of egg yolk swirled into perfectly hard boiled whites, Top Chef alumna Jamie Lauren belies expectations by topping the potluck favorite with salty smoked trout, and as if that weren’t enough, a sprinkling of another kind of egg -- osetra caviar.
● The Alembic (The Haight) - Known for its cocktails, Alembic divides its drink menu into “old school” classics and “new school” elixirs like the Strawberry Alarm Clock, which marries strawberry puree with whiskey, vermouth, and a dash of Tabasco. Libations like these require bold but not overpowering bar bites to accentuate the flavors of the fresh ingredients, and an order of pickled quail eggs fits the bill. These gorgeous pink orbs of briny lusciousness are smooth and rich, with the perfect amount of salty punch to whet your palate for another drink.

● Mission Beach Café (Mission) - A favorite among hip neighborhood lushes for post-booze-fest brunches. Pretty young things, some still clad in their PJs, searching for comfort in decadent biscuits and gravy, Prather Ranch beef brisket hash, and of course pomegranate grapefruit Mimosas.
● Home (The Castro) - Bloody Mary preferences say a lot about a person. Do you take yours spicy or mild? With celery or olives?? Home’s Build Your Own Bloody Mary bar, which includes all of the standard accoutrement plus wasabi and a whole bevy of hot sauces, allows you to express your individuality while downing oversized omelets and crunchy cornflake French toast.
● Zazie (Cole Valley) - To compensate for the indelicacies of last night’s festivities, atmosphere of subtle French refinement can help you regain your sense of dignity. Shade your sensitive eyes under an umbrella in this small Cole Valley bistro’s back garden and sip on a cranberry or mango juice mimosa, forgetting last night ever happened.

Media coverage of New York’s food cart mania -- particularly the surge of upscale food carts and trucks -- has been building for months. This week's “Under $25” column in the New York Times is the fourth cart-related piece in the NYT just in the past month. We haven’t even reached the apex of the street food season, climaxing in the fifth annual Vendy Awards, which Mario Batali has called “the Oscars of food for the real New York.” But that doesn't mean the old-school hot dog & shwarma guys are excited about their glitzy new Twitter-fied competition.

The only downside of gourmet food cart explosion is that it's sometimes hard to find your favorites. Fortunately, more and more roving carts are picking up on Twitter as a way to broadcast their whereabouts. Here's a rundown of the ten best in San Francisco, complete with Twitter feeds and a hints on their typical turf.

● Crème Brûlée Cart (Dolores Park) - Clad in crisp chef’s whites -- hat and all -- the Crème Brûlée Man dishes up disposable ramekins of warm love with a perfect caramelized crackling top. With almost 6,500 Twitter followers, Chef Curtis sets the bar high, serving flavors like White Russian, vanilla bean, and the newly added "smores brûlée."
● Left Coast Smoke (Sundays at 500 Club, 500 Guerrero @17th Street; Thursdays at Knockout for Bingo Night, 3223 Mission Street @ Valencia) - Down home pulled pork barbecue sandwiches make this cart a lush’s favorite at its rotation of regular bar stints. With mountains of meat piled high on toasted soft white buns and your choice of spicy tomato-based sauce or Carolina-style mustard sauce, these bad boys sell out fast, so be ready to run when the Twitter tweets. Note that due to the intensity of the aroma from Left Coast’s smoker, neighborhood complaints have made the cart’s schedule less than regular.