In Praise of Toast

What makes a good breakfast? Is it a shot glass full of delicious fresh-squeezed orange juice? Is it that bowl of grits that has enough butter to drown a small child? While it IS about the butter, it’s not about the grits. Commercial toasters are the saviors of the breakfast restaurant by offering loaf upon loaf of perfectly toasted bread.

Slather that with softened butter or even flavored butter, and there’s something magic in the air. We like making little sandwiches using the toast, putting some eggs and the meat du jour (corned beef hash, anyone?) onto the crusty bread and pretending that we’re sophisticated.

For those who are really sophisticated, there’s artisanal toast. You can spend up to $5 for a couple slices of bread which have been perfectly cooked to order. You can have assorted toppings with your bread, including flowers, greens, slight bits of cheese, eggs, and more.

You can also go simple, with cinnamon toast and caramelized apple butter sugar. It’s just a little bit of heaven on a piece of toast. We’re looking forward to the take on the half grilled cheese sandwich – a bit of cheese toast. It’s the commercial toasters which get the magic started.