Artisan toast continues to present huge opportunity for operators. Theyāre extremely popular with dining consumers today, thanks to a number of factors, including familiarity, shareability and Instagram-worthiness.
Chefs have maximized their popularity, using toast as a springboard for creative flavor combinations. Through our external research, where we taste more than 1,000 dishes in trending restaurants across the country, we spotted six themes huddled under the toast umbrellaāall offering opportunity for menu differentiation. And while menuing artisan toast answers consumer demand, it also works well operationally. Itās one of those menu items that you can assemble from inventory items. It also performs nicely across daypartsāfrom breakfast and brunch to bar snacks, lunch and dinner.
1) Sweet Toasts
A natural fit at breakfast and brunch, as well as on all-day menus, the combination of sweet and savory works beautifully on modern menus. Fruit jams, chocolate spreads, rich breadsāall help build intriguing flavor combinations.
Menu Examples
- Sourdough Toast with fall fruit jam, sour cream and savoryāFairfax, New York
- Whole Wheat Brioche Toast with halva spread and apricot jamāKismet, Los Angeles
- Milk Toast with caramelized chocolate, cashews, pistachios, coconut and chocolate-hazelnut spreadāCity Mouse, Chicago
2) Meat-centric Toasts
One of the wonderful things about toastsāand what keeps it on trendāis its versatility. Chefs are using toast as a carrier for both deli- and charcuterie-inspired meats. Underpinning those bigger flavors are umami-rich accompaniments like miso butter or sweet counterpoints like jam.
Menu Examples
- Whipped Ham Toast with with thinly sliced green onionāOtway, New York
- Toad in the Hole with koji-miso butter, poached eggs and beef tartareāKitsune, Chicago
- Rillettes with stonefruit jam on sourdoughāPublican Anker, Chicago
3. Seafood Toasts
The seafood category is red hot on menus right now, so it makes sense that chefs are developing items that combine seafood with toast. The seacuterie trend, where seafood is cured like charcuterie, fits in perfectly with the toast platform.
Menu Examples
- Gravlax with challah chips, crĆØme fraĆ®che and a caper relish āFairfax, New York City
- Smoked Trout Toast with green harissa, crĆØme fraĆ®che green harissa and shaved radishāDouble Take, Los Angeles
- Smoked Trout Toast with watermelon radish and pickled Fresno chilesāElla Elli, Chicago
- Smoked Whitefish Toast with whipped cream cheese, marinated cucumber, dill, house batardāDouble Take, Los Angeles
4. Veg-Forward Toasts
We continue to cover the exciting veg-centric opportunity because it really does represent a significant shift in consumer demand that will inform menus for a long time to come. With toasts, chefs are creating beautiful presentations that lead with flavor-forward veg-centric ingredients.
Menu Examples
- Mushroom Toast with marinated wild mushrooms, smoked country ham, poached egg, country toastāTemple Court, New York City
- Eggplant Relish & Goat Cheese ToastāWolfdown, Los Angeles
- Creamy Mushroom Toast with crĆØme fraĆ®che and thymeāElla Elli, Chicago
- Cranberry Bean Hummus with dried fig, parsley, sumac, preserved lemon, grilled sourdoughāLittle Beet Table, Chicago
- Broccoli Toast with labneh, pumpkin seeds, pomegranateāKismet, Los Angeles
5. Knife-and-fork Toasts
These are generally more robust presentations that require utensils. They impress with size, along with a heartier combination of ingredients. They can still be shareable, but finger food, they are not. Truth be told, these were some of our favorites. In fact, The Overpriced Tomato toast at Daisies in Chicago was our favorite bite from last yearās research tour.
Menu Examples
- Toast #1 with heirloom tomatoes, feta cheese mousse, soft herbs, toasted seeds, jalapeƱo vinaigretteāSplit-Rail, Chicago
- The Overpriced Tomato with toasted sourdough with balsamic, torn basil, drawn bone marrowāDaisies, Chicago
- Wild Mushroom and Fontina Gratin on grilled country breadāMotel Morris, New York City
- Eggs on Eggs with soft-scrambled eggs, bone marrow, crĆØme fraĆ®che, radishes, smoked trout roe, Mississippi sturgeonāHeritage, Chicago
6. Avocado Toast 2.0
Avocado toast is the granddaddy in the toast trend. Itās the most common version on menus, leading with its wholesome vibe and its ability to easily move between dayparts. Now, weāre seeing chefs making avocado toast more elaborate, adding more textures and flavors into the builds.
Menu Examples
- Avocado Toast with watermelon radish, toasted seeds, Espelette pepperāSauvage, New York City
- Mediterranean with sourdough bread, olive tapenade, cherry tomatoes, feta and pistachio dukkahāAvocaderia, New York City
- Avocado Toast with sunflower seeds, radish, Hungarian pepper and a soft boiled eggāCity Mouse, Chicago
- Avocado Toast Two Ways with sourdough, sour cream, cherry tomatoes, feta, six-minute egg, starring both avocado mash and sliced avocadoāLittle Toasted, Chicago
- Charred Avocado Toast with wheat grass, pickled onions, heirloom cherry tomatoes, chili oil, eggāSunday In Brooklyn, New York City
Hungry for More?
Contact your Sales Representative or visit gfs.com/ideas and click āCulinary and Recipesā to find culinary inspiration for your menu and your mind.