Avocado Toast
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Three Carrots City Market, 403-5867
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A simple schmear of buttery avocado is sprinkled with cracked pepper and brightened with lemon juice, emphasizing the fruity overtones of this satisfying City Market breakfast bite.
Crazy Toast
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Tulip Noir 1224 W. 86th St., 848-5252
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This riff on cinnamon toast elevates mom’s traditional breakfast treat with a mound of apples, walnuts, and streusel crumble atop a piece of crunchy whole wheat.
Tuscan Toast
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The Garden Table 908 E. Westfield Blvd., 737-2531
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A base of pesto is layered with arugula, goat cheese, and lamb bacon. Cherry tomatoes add color, and the optional crispy-edged fried egg gives the presentation that classic diner-style flourish.
Naughty Grl’d Cheese Tartine 2.0
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Spoke & Steele 123 S. Illinois St., 737-1616
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There are a lot of nice things about this purportedly “naughty” shareable plate at Le Meridien’s polished eatery, including the generous cut of Amelia’s city bread, the slightly spicy ’nduja sausage spread, silky Trillium triple-cream cheese, and the bright, fruity combination of Asian pears and fig marmalade.
Hungarian Farmers Cheese & Toast
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Pioneer 1110 Shelby St., 986-6761
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This dish may be on the small-plate list, but the slabs of grainy semolina bread that Pioneer’s kitchen heaps with curdy, housemade Hungarian turo cheese, arugula pesto, and bruleed onions are worthy of the field hands who inspired it.
