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Seeing Red • Choose your spirit (tequila, vodka or gin) for your bloody mary, just be sure to order the Red Monster—a house bloody mix with lime, horseradish, shrimp, roasted jalapeño, Tajin on the rim and a stuffed olive.
All Hands on Deck • As a second location prepares to open in Las Vegas, Chef Alfie is still at the “office” seven days a week—as he says, “I’m not afraid to get in the kitchen and throw down with the team.”
“[Toast] was a blank canvas to really make mine, and there is just something so inviting about the farm life.” —Chef Alfred “Alfie” Szeprethy
Classic Combinations • The menu is designed to be super nostalgic, reintroducing the classics to millennials with a bit of a twist. Chef Alfie explains, “I’m a brunchy kind of guy; I like my options, and I love my breakfast at all hours of the day.” Starting from Scratch • Chef Alfie has been Sammy’s Woodfired Pizza’s Corporate Chef for the last seven years and was given a blank canvas for design when it came time to curate what is now Toast Gastrobrunch.
textures. The saccharine acidity from the syrup and the earthy, sweet crunch of the pistachio crumbles is sure to dazzle the taste buds of its indulgers. Finally, the density of the stacks of phyllo, still surprisingly light on the fork, plays against the continually softening brioche—the crescendo of this stunning symphony. Upon entering this brunch utopia, you’ll notice the space is walled with rustic wood paneling and accented with barn-red stools and wicker chairs accompanying the surrounding tables— all supporting Chef Alfie’s vision of a farm environment: full of family and good food. Naturally, why wouldn’t there be a 4-foot-tall cow grazing in the middle of the restaurant? Don’t worry, she’s fenced in.
When your mission is to brunch, brunch you will… and maybe loosen your belt. If you’re heading to Toast Gastrobrunch, it’s going to be an event. Toast’s menu is filled with standouts like smoked brisket hash, coffee cake cakes and (you guessed it) an assortment of incredible topped toasts. The bar menu is stacked with flaming coffees, bubbles and bloody marys to assist as you fork through your dish. And when it comes time for the big show, the house specialty, the coconut pistachio kanafee is, well, coco-nuts.
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The coconut pistachio kanafee is a visual masterpiece that tastes as good as it looks. On presentation, it resembles a lilypad floating in a dark lagoon, boasting with forthcoming flavors of unworldly proportions. The black ceramic plate glistens with an orange blossom syrup as it soaks into the toasted brioche foundation. Perfectly positioned on top of the brioche are sheets upon sheets of phyllo dough (same as used in the famous sweet baklava), covered in a snowfall’s proportion of shredded coconut. And just when you think the tower of flavor may have reached its peak, a healthy crumbling of pistachio tops off this gorgeous house specialty, adding vibrant color and texture. The pastry is a classic and was not intended to reign supreme atop Toast’s menu. “It earned the title of house speciality,” says Partner and Executive Chef Alfred “Alfie” Szeprethy. The intricacy continues through the layers of phyllo as the ricotta’s creamy, soft texture proves to be the perfect bonding agent and catalyst for the pyramid of flavors. The orange blossom syrup enhances the dish with just the right amount of acidity, complementing the coconut pistachio kanafee’s tower of contrasting and savory
Toast’s unique dining atmosphere captures the “soul of the farm” through its charming furnishings and artful ambiance. “It was a blank canvas to really make mine,” Chef Alfie explains, “And there is just something so inviting about the farm life.” Beyond milk pails and egg cartons on the shelves, the walls include a few playfully painted avocados in a bit of a dispute, with one saying “I said you’re the good kind of fat,” a piece of toast confessing “You’re my butter half,” and, as any brunch joint should state, “You say tomato, I say bloody mary.” Needless to say, everything about Toast is comfortable, quaint and (most importantly) delicious. According to Chef Alfie, Toast Gastrobrunch is the culmination of “working extremely hard to bring something to Carlsbad that was missing—a delicious and unique breakfast experience.” It’s an environment for friends, family and recovery from the prior night’s proceedings, where the door is always open and the food takes you on a magical journey away from the complicated bits of life. You can’t go wrong with any choice from the menu, but only one bite of the coconut pistachio kanafee will prove why the house specialty is just that—special.