Weekends in San Diego are a time to slow down and enjoy breakfast. No rushing about for school or work, and easing into the morning with a cup of coffee and a stack of good pancakes is easily one of the pleasures of life. I don't venture to North County a lot, but when Toast Gastrobrunch invited me to check out their breakfast and brunch offerings, I couldn't say no to this extensive menu of proteins and sweets.
The decor is farmhouse chic, with a cute cow to greet you at the door. The menu is extensive, with a long list of -- you guessed it -- toasts. All bread is sourced locally from Bread & Cie.
The menu also includes cocktails, wine, and beer, so if you truly want a leisurely brunch, craft Bloody Marys and bellinis are sure to fit the ticket.
Toast is open at 7:00 AM on weekends, so a breakfast option is also available. I am an early riser and arrived far too early to contemplate a cocktail, so we went with a latte and cappuccino from the coffee bar.
One of my favorite things about the coffee drinks is the reasonable size. I'm actually pretty over the whole supersize coffee thing, and prefer a well made, smaller size. These coffee drinks reminded me in both size and quality of the coffees that I had in Italy.
I absolutely must have protein with a sumptuous breakfast (we can't live on carbs alone!), and with all of the choices on the menu, the decision was not easy. Benedicts, steak & eggs, shrimp & grits, Toast has a dish for every palate. Several appealed to me, but in the end, a delicious smoked brisket hash with sunny side up eggs and chipotle sauce was the winner.
The eggs were cooked perfectly, oozing their wonderful golden yolks into roasted potatoes and chunks of the marvelous beef. The chipotle sauce really tied everything together, with nothing left over after being attacked by two hungry adults.
Brunch is just not brunch without something sweet to round out the meal. I love fancy pancakes, and fall has me craving brown sugar and cinnamon flavors. The coffee cake pancakes combine these two flavors with a brown sugar and cinnamon streusel atop three fluffy cakes, with buttered and toasted walnuts to bring in just a bit of savory contrast. I love trying new pancakes, but I would order these again when I come back. 
Yes, Toast Gastrobrunch is kid-friendly! There is an entire menu devoted to children's palates and portion size, and the atmosphere is decidedly family friendly.
Even though I rarely go up to Carlsbad, you can bet that I'll return for some delicious brunch at Toast!
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