Toast Birmingham

The hype is true: Toast serves great food and wine “with humor in a fun, casual environment.” There’s a lounge called the Blue Room that’s full of candles and sports a stark white deer’s head over the fireplace. The menu is a mix of such firm favorites as burgers and mac & cheese (with Gruyere, of course) and less-common options, such as duck pie and venison sausage. The menu is mostly American, with a few ringers such as carnitas and forbidden rice, originally Chinese. Top of the line are a pair of over-the-top burgers. “The Joint” is Piedmontese beef stuffed with blue cheese and topped with basil aioli, tomato jam and skinny crisp onions. It’s pungent and mellow at the same time. “Burger Madame” comprises smoked Gouda, romesco (a Catalan sauce) and a fried egg, served on toast. Not for the faint of heart, or those watching their hearts, but categorically worth it. And Toast shines in the bakery department. Pastries baked daily are displayed in the lobby and can be taken home. A warm apple Betty was so scrumptious that I broke reviewers’ rules and had it again on my second visit (they’d run out of rum-butter cake with rum pecans and fresh berries). The candied nuts are pecans this time, and the brown-sugared apples are drowning in melting homemade cinnamon ice cream. It’s all served in a bowl-size crockery teacup that makes you think of Alice in Wonderland, or of childhood dessert dreams come true. Open 7-2 a.m. Monday-Friday, 8-2 a.m. Saturday, and 8-4 p.m. Sunday.