CLEVELAND, Ohio -- Toast typically plays a supporting role at brunch. But at Toast, 1365 W. 65th St., the venerable breakfast side takes center stage just like the restaurant's name suggests it should.
The Gordon Square hot spot revived its weekend brunch over the summer. Every Saturday and Sunday from 11 a.m.-3:30 p.m., diners can feast on chef Joe Horvath's offerings of small plates, breakfast staples and, yes, toast made from fresh, locally sourced ingredients.
The restaurant's extensive wine, beer and cocktail list is also available at brunch, making it the ideal place to, yes, toast the start of the weekend.
Cleveland's best weekend brunches and breakfasts: Toast
By Joey Morona, cleveland.com
October 8, 2016
At nighttime, Toast in Gordon Square name may be a reference to the restaurant's wine and cocktail offerings. But at brunch, Toast is all about, well, the toast.
The building
Located on W. 65th just north of Detroit Ave. diagonally across the street from the Capitol Theatre, Toast is housed in the former Biley's Bakery, a building that goes back to 1913. Inside, the space is rustic and cozy. The patio has a "Sunday Funday" vibe.
The menu
Toast's brunch menu is divided into three categories: small plates & sides, toasts and staples. Under the small plates & sides column, in addition to traditional items like oatmeal, bacon, sausage and breakfast potatoes, diners can opt for the restaurant's unique offerings such as its Apple Fritters ($3), made with Ohio maple and dusted with powdered sugar, or the Breakfast Empanada ($10) with chorizo, eggs, cheddar, onion, red pepper, corn, spicy yogurt, cilantro and pickled red onion.
Locally sourced meats and cheeses
Toast also offers charcuterie and cheese boards, the contents of which change depending on what's fresh and available from its partnering farmers, butchers and cheesemakers. The names of the restaurant's suppliers are listed right on the menu so you know exactly where the food is sourced. The chef also harvests ingredients from the urban garden across the street.
"I came for the toast"
"Toast: it's not just for butter and jelly anymore" is what I said as I looked up and down the menu. Toast serves seven elevated versions of its namesake dish. A one-inch thick, eight-inch long slab of sourdough-like Farmers' Bread -- perfectly crispy on the outside and chewy on the inside -- serves as the foundation for each.
Ready to order
Fearing I would leave hungry, I opted for two toasts. The Smoked Fish Toast ($9) featured Alaskan smoked salmon on my visit, though, again, it's subject to change based on what's fresh. The restaurant's delicious take on bagel and lox is piled high with arugula, cucumber, nicoise olives, red onion and pickled mustard.
"I'd also like..."
When the server arrived with my second toast, the $7 Mushroom, I immediately realized that perhaps two toasts plus half of my dining partner's side of potatoes was too much food. Still, somebody had to eat that those earthy, silky Killbuck Valley Mushrooms on top of rich, creamy ricotta on toast and, on this day, that person was me. My only gripe? The sauteed greens were difficult to cut, making this less of a knife-and-fork endeavor and more of a pick-it-up and just-shove-it-in-your-mouth affair.
In search of breakfast
My brunch companion ordered the BLT ($8), featuring thick, locally sourced bacon, greens, tomato and aioli on toast. She added a expertly fried sunny side up egg on top and a side of crispy, perfectly seasoned breakfast fries for some semblance of a traditional breakfast. Diners who fancy one can opt for the Toast Skillet ($15), with two fried eggs, bacon, sausage, potatoes and, you got it, toast.
Cocktail, please!
Toast's brunch cocktails include the requisite Mimosa and Bloody Mary (with homemade mix!), but there's creative concoctions such as the Short Stack ($12) made with Four Roses Yellow Bourbon, Ohio Maple syrup and aromatic bitters or Head Spin ($11) with Mata Hari absinthe, Dolin Blanc, watermelon and fresh herbs.
Cheers to the weekend
I played it safe, opting for a Bellini ($10). Refreshing and fruity, it's made with cava and seasonal fruit shrub-- plum, in my case.
The art
Toast features local artists on its walls. Through Oct. 14, Cleveland artist's Laura Dumm's pattern cat head paintings can be viewed and purchased at the restaurant.
The neighborhood
Toast is located in Gordon Square. The area is the setting for LeBron James' reality series "Cleveland Hustles" on CNBC. Three of the businesses featured on the show: leather goods purveyor Fount, artisan soda bar Old City Libations and rooftop yoga studio GroundSwell Collective recently opened within walking distance of Toast.
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