the.com/sides
The supporting cast that quietly steals the show from your sad main entree.
means Smaller dishes served alongside a main course, like fries, slaw, mashed potatoes, or rice.
from From the literal place they occupy on the plate: off to the side, beside the headliner. The plural noun hardened into menu shorthand by the mid-1900s, when ordering a thing on the side meant separate, not soaked in.
Holiday truthThanksgiving is a sides festival wearing a turkey costume.
Pricing trickRestaurants profit most on cheap starchy sides.
Slang twistA side also means a romantic backup person.