Toast

2/16/14:

Stars: 4.8 out of 5.0

Pros: Pro-Active Twitter Presence, Accommodating Staff, Fun Menu, Fresh & Flavorful Food, Dessert

Cons: 

     Now that all us food bloggers had met, we decided we needed to get together more often and review new places. An email chain got started one night and we all decided to descend upon Toast for a Sunday night dinner. It's a place I had yet to visit for food, but it was on my list. Once it was agreed, the massive tweet conversation began. The excitement was palatable and it tasted awesome.

     Toast (Toast) is located in The Village shopping plaza on the corner of Patterson and Three Chopt. It isn't hard to find as it's big, simple sign sticks out. The front isn't gaudy or pretentious, blending in well with the rest of the storefronts. It's a surprisingly big place, being much deeper than outside appearance leads you to think. It's not very bright inside, but lighting is sufficient for dining.

     I will be the first one to tell you that I am almost 30 years old and I forget that making reservations is a real thing. Don't ask me why, because I truly don't know. It just never occurs to me that with large groups, restaurants would love a heads up. I'm not that important (yet) that places will just accommodate me whenever I see fit. Thankfully, there are others out here who have embraced being a grown-up. Due to their vigilance on social media, Toast picked up on our (probably excessive) chatter. They reached out to us to see if we had reservations. When I told them no, they took care of us right away. They set us up with a table and a person to talk to when we got there. I appreciate that they look out for their customers like that.

     We all arrived a few minutes apart from each other, but we were able to wait at the bar. We got some drinks while the group assembled. As soon as we all arrived (plus our newest member Bethany) the manager seated us at a big table perfect for 6 people. She left menus and promised our server would be right with us. As we sat chatting over came Mira. She was truly an exemplary server. She was friendly, attentive and helpful. As you all know, I'm big on service. Mira was the picture of a perfect server. I hope that Toast holds on to her as long as they can.

     The menu at Toast is pretty impressive. It's not a big menu, which is always a positive. The type is big enough to read without squinting. All the choices looked great. Toast is an American gastropub so most dishes would be easily recognized by the average Joe. The specials that rotate all looked fantastic. The standard menu items were all intriguing which made deciding hard to do. Thankfully, appetizers were bought to give us some time. Someone ordered the polenta corn dogs and someone else ordered the bacon cheddar fritters. Between placing the order and getting it we all focused on figuring out our order.

     The polenta corn dogs were excellent. I think the polenta brought a little sweetness to the batter. The hot dogs themselves were cooked well. I could have easily eaten a few of these and called it a meal. The bacon cheddar fritters were an awesome combination of flavors. They were salty and sharp from the cheese & bacon. They were served with both a chive aioli and maple syrup. The aioli certainly added to the flavors, but the syrup is what knocked these out of the park. That sweetness really helped these flavors muddle together in an artistic way. You could hand me a dozen of these fritters and some maple syrup everyday for a month & I would celebrate the taste like it was my first time each time.

     Time came for us to order and I was ready. I went with the Cuban Reuben (with veggies) for a few reasons. First, I love Cuban sandwiches with what could be considered a deep passion. So much pork, mustard and pickles! Second, I have been trying to appreciate Reuben's more. I like all the ingredients separate so I'm sure I'll like them together. Finally, that is a fun name to say. Because it rhymes. And I've the mind of a 6 year old. I make no apologies. Moving on, the others ordered a wide selection off the menu, but I can't remember exactly what, See the photos below if you want to take a stab at it.

     When the food arrived I was impressed by the fact that it was all the right temperature. That is hard to do when cooking for a large party. Some things cook faster than others and timing it all out is a skill. Glad to see the kitchen at Toast has that skill. All the food looked wonderful. My sandwich was a monster stack. I liked the presentation, all the sandwich pieces stuck on a skewer. It was accompanied by a big bright side of veggies. It was a visually appealing plate, which is a good start. The sandwich was a combination of amazing on my palate. Here's what is on the sandwich: pulled pork, VA ham, pickles, Swiss, corned beef, smoked mustard, grilled cabbage and 1000 Island dressing. A lot going on, but all blends so well. I was very very impressed. And the sandwich was so big that I, of all people, had some to bring home. Now THAT is a sandwich.

     After we had all stuffed our face, Mira informed us that we had dessert coming. Dessert? Well, if you insist... Next thing we know a slice of cranberry cheesecake, chocolate peanut butter cake and an order of doughnuts with honey mascarpone appeared at the table with 6 forks. I will start with the doughnuts. These warm little pillows of dough were topped with cinnamon and sugar. They were sweet and delicious. The mascarpone was creamy and added a touch of honey flavor to the dough. I want an order fresh made for me every Sunday for breakfast. The cheesecake was just how I like it. It was dense and silky. The cranberry wasn't overpowering, instead lending a hint of tartness to it all. It was all New York style and that's the only way to be. The winner for me was the chocolate peanut butter cake. This is made fresh in the back and it shows. The cake was moist like a good cake should be. It was rich and delicious. The peanut butter frosting was absolutely killer good. I'm a peanut butter freak and this could curb my cravings for a week. It was phenomenal. I will be requesting one for my birthday in June.

     Toast totally stood up and smacked this meal straight out of the park. They did everything just right and have solidified themselves as a go-to restaurant for me. Add in the amazing company I was graced with and this Sunday night meal was all aces. If you already have great dinner company and need a great restaurant, make your way to Toast.