Dining Out: Fancy Toast

Memphis chefs add sweet and savory toppings to a California favorite.

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For much of the 1980s, I lived in a Venice Beach bungalow where the branches of an avocado tree spread over the driveway fence. The tree was so prolific that I fed avocados to my dog Spike, or, I shudder to think, simply let them rot away.

Along with backyard avocado trees — and they are everywhere — California farmers grow about 55,000 acres of avocados annually, a partial explanation for the ubiquitous marriage on West Coast menus of avocado, toppings, and toast. But the story of fancy toast and its celebratory rise speaks to the convergence of other food trends, as well: nutrient-rich superfoods, house-made artisanal bread, pickled veggies, seasonal jams, and coffee cafés featuring all-day breakfast.

Although blooming a bit later, a similar toasty embrace is under way in Memphis. So, former Memphis Flyer food editor Susan Ellis and I laid some ground rules for our story (no flatbread, crostini, bruschetta, or French toast, although we love them all) and then spent a week or so eating toast. While avocado, both sliced and mashed, ruled, we also discovered more adventuresome toast toppings like lemon hummus, white beans and pistou, and soft-fried eggs tinged with Tajin.

Curiously, instead of the thick-cut bread favored in California (think toast cake with ricotta and jam), a number of chefs in Memphis favor thinner-cut bread, which means folding the toast like a pizza slice to make the toppings behave. Either way, we discovered plenty of toast options to accommodate sweet or savory cravings for snacks or any meal of the day. — Pamela Denney

White Bean Toast on Focaccia @ French Truck Coffee

Beans for breakfast? French Truck Coffee will make a believer out of you. This toast features white beans that are ever so slightly smokey with a hint of rosemary, parmesan, and pistou with diced tomatoes and cucumbers on the side for that extra flourish — all on top of focaccia that is baked in-house. This toast is a protein punch that will have you ready to kick the day’s ass, rich and oh-so satisfying and heartier than your average toast. It makes a great light lunch or afternoon snack, as well. — Susan Ellis

Inside Crosstown Concourse | 901-878-3383 ($6)

Avocado Toast with Basil and Arugula @ Capriccio Grill

We all know that calories don’t count on vacation. We say pile on the buttermilk pancakes and Belgian waffles, and go ahead and order that extra bacon while you’re at it. But we also know that such indulgences can be unsustainable. May we suggest turning to the “Healthy Fare” section of the breakfast menu at Capriccio Grill? It features an acai bowl and smoked salmon, and yes, avocado toast. This toast is practically a salad. It is piled high with peppery arugula that has been spiked with sweet basil over tomato slices. The avocado is next and sits atop a great nutty toast and the whole thing is drizzled in balsamic vinegar. Excellent! — Susan Ellis

Inside The Peabody | 901-529-4000 ($15)

Avocado Toast on Brioche Bread @ Inspire Community Café

With its chalkboard menu of smoothies, grain bowls, and breakfast all day, Inspire Café mimics its West Coast forebears in the best of ways. Of all the toast I tried in Memphis, Inspire’s version most duplicates what I find in LA. In other words, it’s more about the bread than the fixings. A thick slice of toasted brioche bread — made locally by La Baguette — starts the party. Avocado spread topped by a soft fried egg, avocado slices, and sea salt come next. On the first bite, you will notice the tangy taste of Tajin, a magical powdered seasoning of chili, lime, and salt popular in Mexican cooking. My only regret: I should have ordered two. — Pamela Denney

510 Tillman St. | 901-509-8640 ($5.50)

Best Cinnamon Toast in the South @ Otherlands Coffee Bar

A glass jar of cinnamon and sugar was commonplace for people of a certain age, nestled on the table next to the salt and pepper. Generously shaken on white bread toast spread with soft butter, the cinnamon mixture perked up hurried breakfasts and after-dinner snacks. It was an ultimate comfort food. At Otherlands, the cinnamon toast is equally pristine and perfect: two slices of sourdough, slathered with whipped butter, sliced diagonally, and served on a simple white plate. Its secret topping is Turbinado, combined in equal parts with cinnamon and regular sugar. Explains cook Zack Sunda: “The large crystals in the brown sugar add a crispiness to the toast that you aren’t going to get from white sugar alone.” — Pamela Denney

641 S. Cooper St. | 901-278-4994 ($3.75)

El Guapo on Sourdough Toast @ Tamp & Tap

Let’s say it loud so the folks in the back will hear: The bread in the avocado toast is the most important element. You can’t go too thin or the whole thing will collapse on you. Too thick and you’ll lose the essence of the avocado. Tamp & Tap knows this with its sourdough country loaf. The El Guapo comes with avocado mashed with herbs and a little olive oil. It’s enhanced with black beans, corn, and shallot then topped with feta cheese and drizzled in Sriracha. This toast is hitting on all cylinders: You’ve got the rich fattiness with the avocado, the touch of sweet with the corn, the tartness with the feta, and the heat with the Sriracha. Perfection! — Susan Ellis

122 Gayoso Ave. | 901-207-1053 ($9)

Chicken Liver Toast @ Andrew Michael Italian Kitchen

A riot will likely ensue if Andrew Michael ever pulls the chicken liver toast off the menu, and here’s why: The legendary sourdough from LA’s La Brea Bakery is “aggressively buttered” then toasted on the griddle, explains general manager Evan Potts. A spread of paté comes next, not too much or too little. It’s rich and creamy from chicken livers quickly seared and blended with herbs, white wine, and, yep, more butter. (No wonder I love this toast!) A gentle spread of satsuma marmalade adds clementine-like sweetness, followed by apple slices compressed with lemon juice, and on top, a flutter of sorrel microgreens. The toast is beautifully composed, Potts explains. “It has so many different textures and layers that no one ingredient overwhelms another.” — Pamela Denney

712 W. Brookhaven Circle | 901-347-3569 ($11)

Avocado and Egg Toast on Ciabatta @ Sunrise Memphis

Baker Lacie McCammon makes ciabatta for Sunrise every day, and the bread’s lovely crust and thick cut is enhanced with a little butter and a quick sear on the flattop. The toast’s avocado is mashed to order with salt and pepper, explains Chef Ryan Trimm: “We like the avocado to be spreadable, so there’s some avocado with every bite.” Each order comes with two slices and can be topped with an egg. Try eggs over easy because the marriage of yolk and avocado is a beautiful thing. The super-hungry should stay alert for a regular Sunrise special: a grilled Swiss cheese sandwich topped with avocado prepared the same way, black beans, and pico de gallo. Double-decker toast! — Pamela Denney

670 Jefferson Ave. | 901-552-3168 ($8)

Greece Lightning and Zippin Pippin @ City Silo Table & Pantry

One of the first restaurants in Memphis to feature California-style toast, City Silo offers four kinds on toasted white bread locally made with no egg. (Listen up, vegans.) And while one option includes thick slices of avocado, chunky and fresh, why not try something new? “Greece Lightning” stars lemon garlic hummus — house-made, of course — with a supporting cast of tomatoes, cucumbers, Kalamata olives, and a handful of cilantro leaves tossed on top. For dessert, there’s “Zippin Pippin,” a reinvented lunchbox favorite made with almond butter and honey and garnished with slices of colorful summertime fruit. — Pamela Denney

5101 Sanderlin Ave. | 901-729-7687 ($4)