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| Toast ~ casual ***** 817 W. Peachtree Street, Suite E-125 Atlanta, GA 404-815-9243 www.toastrestaurant.com Menu ***** Unlike much of its competition, Toast offers extremely high caliber food at every-day prices. Starters range from creative homemade pastas with savory sauces and fillings, to the chef’s daily selection of breads and spreads, to seafood specialties like the citrus crab cake – my new summer favorite. Sandwiches and salads are just as tempting as the entrees, from the signature toasty (bread dough baked around a changing combination of meats and cheeses) to the salmon sandwich with arugula pesto. Entrees include pasta and meatballs with roasted red pepper, pine nut, tomato, onion and capers; seared jumbo sea scallops with tomato tortellini and truffled tomato broth; and potato and chive gnocchi with baby artichokes, feta cheese and arugula pesto. Food Quality ***** Taking its lead from Atlanta’s successful fine dining restaurants, Toast offers a menu of spectacularly fresh, house-made everything (from soups and sauces to breads, pastas and desserts). Chef Drew Van Leuvan takes standards like crab cakes, Caesar salad and salmon to new heights with a creative, light-hearted approach. The taste, however, remains seriously homemade. Drew bakes five different breads a day and his chocolate truffles have lured joggers into the restaurant mid-run. Food Presentation **** Chef Drew Van Leuvan is a sensible artist when it comes to garnish. His utilitarian approach invites you to eat, not just admire, his work. I loved the green avocado slice perched atop my crab cake, which was surrounded by a contrasting pool of light red tomato gazpacho. The Caesar salad arrives with a whole anchovy slice balanced on challah bread toast points leaning t-pee style atop whole romaine lettuce. Atmosphere ***** Tucked amidst the smooth new sidewalks and brick facades of nearby condominiums and the Biltmore’s converted office space, Toast is the perfect compliment to midtown’s blossoming residential destination on the corner of Cypress and Sixth Streets. The calming patio area invokes a dinner-among-friends feel. I can’t remember ever surveying a restaurant’s outdoor seating and hearing the words “neat and clean” resonate so loudly in my head. Inside the casual, loft-style comfort zone, the mood is decidedly upbeat with features like a giant green chalkboard adorning one wall and bright orange paint on another, brushed metal counter tops with matching barstools, exposed brick and a bar built from cement blocks. Cleanliness ***** There is no place for dirt to hide in this immaculate yet incredibly comfortable space. Service ***** Managing partner, Derron Deraney has assembled an all-star staff including assistant manager, Daniel Blank, who was lured over from Spice by the privilege of working with chef Drew Van Leuvan. All take tremendous pride in providing excellent service. Menu Recommendations: My new summer favorite is Toast’s citrus crab cake – the perfect antidote for a hotlanta evening. Surrounded by tomato gazpacho, the cake’s seared edges encase soft chunks of crab and a luscious slab of avocado is perched on top. I hear the salmon salad is very good but I could not resist the salmon sandwich with arugula pesto. Served on a fresh, crusty baguette that is simultaneously softened by the pesto, a thick piece of salmon shares space with ripe plum tomatoes and parmesan cheese – all conspiring to deliver the best tasting salmon sandwich I have ever experienced. The entrées at Toast all appear to be masterpieces of freshness and simplicity although, so far, I have been even more tempted by the evening’s specials. Both the Nantucket bass striper, brought in fresh that day, and the roasted chicken breast served with a thick zucchini broth, are proof enough to me that you can trust anything on Drew’s menu to be divine. Overall Rating: ***** Toast is easily my new favorite midtown eatery. It has everything this fussy foodie looks for in a restaurant, including an in-town location with complimentary valet parking, superior food, surprisingly reasonable prices, and a relaxing atmosphere. Whether it’s the warm breeze on the patio or the fresh food on your plate, all elements encourage complete comfort. ~ review by Christine Woodhouse |
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| above: Cured salmon; Potato leek soup; Chef Drew Van Leuvan. | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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