Toasted Gastro Brunch

TOASTED GASTRO BRUNCH
By Vegas Food Nerd

Toasted Gastro Brunch is the latest concept from the successful restaurateur Sam Ledeki best known for his popular chain Sammy’s Wood Fired Pizza. It is the second outpost of his new concept, with its sister location in Carlsbad, California. 

I was fortunate to be invited to the media preview of the restaurant, which is always exciting, but I had mixed feelings about it. I loved my local outpost of Sammy’s, and Toasted is now in its place. The familiar red logo of Sammy’s morphed seemingly overnight into a bright yellow gourmet brunch and lunch spot. There is some shaded patio seating with fun murals decorating the walls. Featured prominently at the entrance to the new restaurant is a giant statue of a rooster with his chest puffed out proudly. How many selfies will be taken with this guy? I am guessing a lot, but maybe not as many with the black and white spotted cow just behind the host counter. The interior is decorated like a stylized hipster version of farm living. It’s open with a modern feel, wood-paneled walls, white floral accents, silver decorations, and bar seating with bright red chairs.

The restaurant features a full bar with a fun and inventive cocktail menu. To start, we tried a few of their selections, The Lavender Lady, and their green Bloody Mary. Champagne cocktails have been making a comeback, which is a very happy thing. The Lavender Lady mixes champagne, gin, lime juice, and lavender cordial, creating a lightly sweet, pleasant, and tasty cocktail. The green bloody was slightly spicy but came with enough accouterments to stuff you before your meal even begins a roasted jalapeno, jumbo Cajun shrimp, olives, and a thick slice of bacon all in one cocktail. 

We started the food portion of our preview per our server’s suggestion with their lobster toast, a thick toasted chewy bread topped with mashed avocado, corn, 

bacon, and red drop peppers. It was a nice dish. Then we went on to try a couple of other breakfast items. I ordered the shrimp and grits, which comes with a bed of cheesy grits, diced Spanish chorizo, with sautéed spinach, and topped off with two sunny side up eggs and four spicy shrimp in each corner of the bowl. It was creamy comfort food with a stick to your ribs feel. My friend ordered their steak and eggs; unfortunately, they had run out of steak, so they substituted gourmet sausages and thick slices of bacon. It wasn’t what my friend had hoped for, so he was slightly disappointed with his meal selection.

At this point, we were getting pretty stuffed, then just as we were about to wrap up our nosh session our server appeared and asked if we wanted to get something sweet to sample to round out our meal, and our stomachs. Yeah, we said yes. He then brought us the restaurant’s signature dish, the coconut pistachio kanafee. It was a toasted brioche bun with a ricotta and jack cheese filling topped with shredded phyllo, orange blossom syrup, and toasted pistachios. This was by far our favorite bite of the meal. It was a sweet, crunchy dessert that was unique. It was like if baklava and cannoli’s had a toasted love child. 

Overall I enjoyed this new concept, but the hipster vibe didn’t appeal to my friend. It’s a high-end breakfast experience that might turn off the locals who flock to the egg place down the street. But, if you are looking to treat a friend, to celebrate, or need lots of vegan options, you will enjoy this new Gastro-Brunch experience. And to those like myself that mourn the loss of their local Sammy’s rest assured, there are still other locations around the valley to get their wood-fired creations. Now, go eat something.