Toast: Overcooked and Overrated

To say that riding the metro (subway) in L.A. is "interesting" would be quite the understatement. I've seen near-brawls, traveling bands (which I love, by the way) and everything in between. Although I admit, I'm a little jaded by my overexposure to transit oddities, I couldn't help but eavesdrop today on an early-morning scuttle between two men waging conversational war in a battle of McDonald's vs. Subway. Each overly-zealous male was taking turns shouting what he liked best about his favorite fast-food establishments. Verbalized preferences for each side began with a match of fried vs. baked, but then quickly and predominantly focused on good customer service and taste. How could what originally began as an idiotic conversation turn out to be a logical reminder of what every restaurant patron should be entitled to when eating out?

Image via laist.com

As I slipped out of the train station and hustled into my office building, I couldn't help feeling a little shamed. This weekend I had fallen prey to dining at Toast, a trendy breakfast spot in LA, and was utterly disappointed in my experience. I had heard the restaurant was overrated, but I guess I had to get burned before conforming to this opinion.

I arrived at Toast around 2 p.m. on a Saturday afternoon thinking I would beat the brunch rush, but still had to wait 45 minutes for a table. During this time period, there were multiple cars that drove by and screamed comments expressing what seemed to be the general consensus of "Toast Sucks." It wasn't until I sat down and had my first brush with the waitress that I realized how close to truthful those comments were; after waiting an additional 30 minutes to order, unsuccessfully asking for coffee four separate times, and observing the blatant disdain our server had toward us, I was less than happy.

The food on the other hand wasn't completely a disappointment - but it wasn't a subject of great excitement either. The breakfast burrito contents (scrambled eggs, turkey bacon, sharp cheddar and black beans) were delicious, but the haphazard manner that the burrito was thrown together in was distracting from the overall enjoyment of my meal. The rosemary potatoes on the side were average as well; they would have been better had they not been slightly overcooked.

After mulling over my experience at Toast, I can only help but wonder: how did Toast become so popular? Maybe it was the eatery's appearance on "The Hills." Or maybe it was the restaurant's close proximity to 90210. Either way, I don't want to have to be Sandra Bullock to get the sub-par service I've gotten used to receiving, and now, actually appreciate.

Easy as Quiche

As much as I love the idea of hopping out of bed bright and early to cook a gourmet breakfast for my still-dozing boyfriend, the realist in me knows that my love affair with the snooze button will trump even the greatest of ambitions on a Saturday morning. Hence, my affinity for the quiche. It's the perfect breakfast entree for those of us who simply wish to wake and bake. (No, not that kind of wake of bake.) What I'm referring to is the ability to prepare a quiche the night before you wish to serve it, leaving only the (optional) warming and slicing of the dish for the morning.

Best yet, a quiche is fairly simple to create, but seems a little more thoughtful than picking up a bag of bagels or box of donuts for your breakfast guests. Think of making this egg-sensation as an exercise in layering. Once you have all the ingredients ready to go, it's really as simple as that.

Step 1: Place cheese on bottom of pie crust.


Step two: Add (cooked) sausage, onions, cranberries and sliced apple mixture to the pile.



Step three: Pour eggs and half-and-half combination on top to fill remainder of pie.

Step four: Bake and enjoy!

If you're looking for a healthier version of this quiche, I'd recommend using turkey sausage in place of Italian sausage, and a little less cheese than what the recipe calls for. The difference in taste is virtually imperceptible.