Toast in Denver

Situated on the edge of old town Littleton, Toast is a cozy spot for brunch that's ... well, cute. The decor on this wall features toast shaped pieces of art, some original, others reinterpreting classic paintings like The Schoolmaster (Magritte) and The Birth of Venus (Botticelli). Some have described it as upscale which I think is overstating it. It has it's own voice that speaks breakfast comfort food with an accent of southwestern savory fare. On two visits we've sampled the breakfast and lunch items. The pace is a little slow and you can expect a 20-30 minute wait on weekend mornings. We planned ahead, got our names on the list and strolled around the quaint little old town area - a good place to kill time is the Savory Spice Shop.

The front room reminds me of the now defunct (and sorely missed) Denver location for the Walnut Cafe (formerly at Colfax and Logan). The back room is unexciting aside from the art on the wall, and the passage between the wings sort of stinks like you're downtown next to an alley. Despite this, the food is very good and the staff we've dealt with have been great. This is not cuisine, but this is food with attention to detail. The eggs benedict with crispy prosciutto was spot on with a near perfect hollandaise. The savory Sante Fe French Toast was delicious, employing some of the best Mexican / Southwestern chorizo I've ever had. The green chili is better than average, and the burgers have that crisp edge you only get from a well seasoned griddle. The pancakes are excellent, very light and fluffy with a hint of sweetness. The french toast is very good, with cinnamon and nutmeg notes in good balance. Give it a go, Toast is a good little local spot worth a short trip. Last note, park on Main street if you can and walk half a block, the larger parking lot is pretty ridiculous to navigate (single lane between houses to access, very limited room to turn around).