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Salmon crostini at Formento's
Salmon crostini at Formento's
Ashley Hutchinson

20 Fancy Toasts to Try at Chicago Restaurants

Because toasted bread is the best thing since sliced bread

bySarah Freeman
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Salmon crostini at Formento's
|Ashley Hutchinson
bySarah Freeman
1comment/new

Try as you might to avoid it, but toast is showing up everywhere. Not that sad piece of burnt bread you had with breakfast, these are lovingly sliced artisan loaves adorned with ripe avocado, smoked salmon, rare cheeses, or seasonal spreads. Fancy toast is most certainly having a moment on menus around Chicago and here are 20 places to find themost stunning specimens.

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A10

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The tartine at Matthias Merge's Hyde Park restaurant puts on its spring finest with whipped mascarpone, fava beans, fiddleheads, English peas, caramelized whey, and micro herbs.

1462 E 53rd St, Chicago, IL 60615
(773) 288-1010
(773) 288-1010
Matthias Merges

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Baker Miller

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Freshly baked bread is a given at this bakery as is plenty of toast options. Visit the toast bar or let the experts prepare it for you. Currently, the avocado toast comes with strawberries, pickled jicama, cilantro, and chili flakes.

4610 N Western Ave, Chicago, IL 60625
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Bar Marta

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Dark corner bars are made for boozy cocktails and orders of chicken liver toast. One of the most beloved items on the menu sets itself apart thanks to a sprinkling of crispy chicken skin and chilies.

2700 W Chicago Ave, Chicago, IL 60622
(773) 697-4489
(773) 697-4489
Facebook

Beatrix

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At either Beatrix location, start the day with raspberry ricotta toast. The sweet and salty combo starts with housemade orange-blossom and honey ricotta spread that is topped with fresh raspberries mashed with agave and mint atop multi-grain bread.

519 N Clark St, Chicago, IL 60654
(312) 284-1377
(312) 284-1377
Lettuce Entertain You

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Bunny The Micro Bakery

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Perhaps the fanciest toast in town can be found at this intimate bakery. Try either the seaweed sourdough topped with marinated salmon poke, or the quickly-famous foie gras toast with jam on brioche.

2928 N Broadway St, Chicago, IL 60657
Nick Murway

Café Integral

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For a taste of South Beach in Chicago, look no further than the hip cafe inside the Freehand Hotel. Here Nicaraguan coffee is served alongside avocado, smoked whitefish, or jamon and queso toast.

19 E Ohio St, Chicago, IL 60611
Freehand Chicago

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Dove's Luncheonette

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Spring takes the shape of a new toast dish at this throwback cheffy Southern diner. Multi-grained bread gets smeared with avocado and topped with warm country ham, red onion, and kumquat.

1545 N Damen Ave, Chicago, IL 60622
(773) 645-4060
(773) 645-4060
Sandy Noto

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Formento's

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Stop in for Sunday brunch and get treated to house-smoked salmon with scallion cream cheese and egg on a slice of locally made, seeded baguette.

925 W Randolph St, Chicago, IL 60607
(312) 690-7295
(312) 690-7295
Ashley Hutchinson

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GreenRiver

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The whitefish tartine that debuted on the opening menu has since become one of the bar’s most popular dishes. It’s a stunner with shaved celery, radish and egg on crusty toast.

259 E Erie St Fl 18, Chicago, IL 60611
(312) 337-0101
(312) 337-0101
Galdones Photography

Also featured in:

Intro Chicago

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One of the standouts on current chef-in-residence Jessica Largey's menu is her take on composed toast, which features abalone, shiitake mushrooms, brown butter, and shiso.

2300 N. Lincoln Park West, Chicago, IL 60614
(773) 868-0002
(773) 868-0002
Erika Kubik

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Johnny's Grill

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Go sweet or savory at Johnny's. Chef Sarah Jordan offers a cured salmon toast with pickled shallot, whipped crème fraiche, and radish as well as Nutella toast with sea salt and bananas on brioche.

2545 N Kedzie Blvd, Chicago, IL 60647
(773) 278-2215
(773) 278-2215
Johnny's Grill

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MAD Social

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Toast or art? How about both? A base of sourdough bread is covered in house-cured salmon, charred scallion cream cheese, avocado, and poached egg.

1140 W Madison St, Chicago, IL 60607
(312) 243-2097
(312) 243-2097
Mad Social

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Monteverde

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Before diving into plates of housemade pasta, warm up your stomach with more carbs, in the form of toast slathered in prosciutto butter and topped with radishes, dill, and lemon.

1020 West Madison Street, Chicago, IL 60607
(312) 888-3041
(312) 888-3041
Galdones Photography

Also featured in:

Mott Street

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A new brunch menu means another excuse to load up housemade ricotta, cherry preserves, basil, and mint on thick-sliced brioche.

1401 N Ashland Ave, Chicago, IL 60622
(773) 687-9977
(773) 687-9977
Monica Kass

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Nico Osteria

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Making a strong case for the team savory toast is the version at Nico, also known as Brussels sprout bruschetta. Stracciatella cheese is the perfect base for roasted sprouts, lemon honey, and hazelnuts.

1015 N Rush St, Chicago, IL 60611
(312) 994-7100
(312) 994-7100
Nico Osteria

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Pastoral Artisan Cheese, Bread and Wine

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Of course you are putting soft Chèvre cheese on your toast with a few slices of avocado and hazelnuts at this Andersonville cheese shop. If you must opt for the non-dairy route, there are also honey and nut butter versions.

5212 N克拉克聖,芝加哥,60640年
Pastoral

Publican Quality Meats

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Located next to Publican Quality Bread — supplier of some of the most superior loaves to restaurant around the city — stop into Publican Quality Meats for a prepared slice of semolina with avocado, scrambled egg, mojo rojo, and pepitas.

825 W Fulton Market, Chicago, IL 60607
(312) 496-0012
(312) 496-0012
John Philip

Also featured in:

The Bristol

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End your day the chef Sean Pharr way with an egg and coppa tartine on the dinner menu. It is served with pickled shallot, pearl onions, and jalapeńos.

2152 N Damen Ave, Chicago, IL 60647
(773) 862-5555
(773) 862-5555
The Bristol

Also featured in:

The Kitchen

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Toast as fancy as this deserves and equally eloquent name. The Northern Lights Smoked Salmon Toast is a hearty serving of scrambled eggs, sprouts, and creme fraiche on sliced bread.

316 N Clark St, Chicago, IL 60654
(312) 836-1300
(312) 836-1300
Meghan Leigh Photography

Also featured in:

The Winchester

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A new chef means two new toasts at this lunch and dinner destination. The avocado toast gets a facelift with spiced hazelnut, red chili, and mint. While a cherry toast is topped with with Greek yogurt, almonds, and black pepper.

1001 N Winchester Ave, Chicago, IL 60622
(773) 698-8703
(773) 698-8703
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A10

1462 E 53rd St, Chicago, IL 60615

The tartine at Matthias Merge's Hyde Park restaurant puts on its spring finest with whipped mascarpone, fava beans, fiddleheads, English peas, caramelized whey, and micro herbs.

1462 E 53rd St, Chicago, IL 60615
(773) 288-1010
(773) 288-1010
Matthias Merges

Baker Miller

4610 N Western Ave, Chicago, IL 60625

Freshly baked bread is a given at this bakery as is plenty of toast options. Visit the toast bar or let the experts prepare it for you. Currently, the avocado toast comes with strawberries, pickled jicama, cilantro, and chili flakes.

4610 N Western Ave, Chicago, IL 60625
Facebook

Bar Marta

2700 W Chicago Ave, Chicago, IL 60622

Dark corner bars are made for boozy cocktails and orders of chicken liver toast. One of the most beloved items on the menu sets itself apart thanks to a sprinkling of crispy chicken skin and chilies.

2700 W Chicago Ave, Chicago, IL 60622
(773) 697-4489
(773) 697-4489
Facebook

Beatrix

519 N Clark St, Chicago, IL 60654

At either Beatrix location, start the day with raspberry ricotta toast. The sweet and salty combo starts with housemade orange-blossom and honey ricotta spread that is topped with fresh raspberries mashed with agave and mint atop multi-grain bread.

519 N Clark St, Chicago, IL 60654
(312) 284-1377
(312) 284-1377
Lettuce Entertain You

Bunny The Micro Bakery

2928 N Broadway St, Chicago, IL 60657

Perhaps the fanciest toast in town can be found at this intimate bakery. Try either the seaweed sourdough topped with marinated salmon poke, or the quickly-famous foie gras toast with jam on brioche.

2928 N Broadway St, Chicago, IL 60657
Nick Murway

Café Integral

19 E Ohio St, Chicago, IL 60611

For a taste of South Beach in Chicago, look no further than the hip cafe inside the Freehand Hotel. Here Nicaraguan coffee is served alongside avocado, smoked whitefish, or jamon and queso toast.

19 E Ohio St, Chicago, IL 60611
Freehand Chicago

Dove's Luncheonette

1545 N Damen Ave, Chicago, IL 60622

Spring takes the shape of a new toast dish at this throwback cheffy Southern diner. Multi-grained bread gets smeared with avocado and topped with warm country ham, red onion, and kumquat.

1545 N Damen Ave, Chicago, IL 60622
(773) 645-4060
(773) 645-4060
Sandy Noto

Formento's

925 W Randolph St, Chicago, IL 60607

Stop in for Sunday brunch and get treated to house-smoked salmon with scallion cream cheese and egg on a slice of locally made, seeded baguette.

925 W Randolph St, Chicago, IL 60607
(312) 690-7295
(312) 690-7295
Ashley Hutchinson

GreenRiver

259 E Erie St Fl 18, Chicago, IL 60611

The whitefish tartine that debuted on the opening menu has since become one of the bar’s most popular dishes. It’s a stunner with shaved celery, radish and egg on crusty toast.

259 E Erie St Fl 18, Chicago, IL 60611
(312) 337-0101
(312) 337-0101
Galdones Photography

Intro Chicago

2300 N. Lincoln Park West, Chicago, IL 60614

One of the standouts on current chef-in-residence Jessica Largey's menu is her take on composed toast, which features abalone, shiitake mushrooms, brown butter, and shiso.

2300 N. Lincoln Park West, Chicago, IL 60614
(773) 868-0002
(773) 868-0002
Erika Kubik

Johnny's Grill

2545 N Kedzie Blvd, Chicago, IL 60647

Go sweet or savory at Johnny's. Chef Sarah Jordan offers a cured salmon toast with pickled shallot, whipped crème fraiche, and radish as well as Nutella toast with sea salt and bananas on brioche.

2545 N Kedzie Blvd, Chicago, IL 60647
(773) 278-2215
(773) 278-2215
Johnny's Grill

MAD Social

1140 W Madison St, Chicago, IL 60607

Toast or art? How about both? A base of sourdough bread is covered in house-cured salmon, charred scallion cream cheese, avocado, and poached egg.

1140 W Madison St, Chicago, IL 60607
(312) 243-2097
(312) 243-2097
Mad Social

Monteverde

1020 West Madison Street, Chicago, IL 60607

Before diving into plates of housemade pasta, warm up your stomach with more carbs, in the form of toast slathered in prosciutto butter and topped with radishes, dill, and lemon.

1020 West Madison Street, Chicago, IL 60607
(312) 888-3041
(312) 888-3041
Galdones Photography

Mott Street

1401 N Ashland Ave, Chicago, IL 60622

A new brunch menu means another excuse to load up housemade ricotta, cherry preserves, basil, and mint on thick-sliced brioche.

1401 N Ashland Ave, Chicago, IL 60622
(773) 687-9977
(773) 687-9977
Monica Kass

Nico Osteria

1015 N Rush St, Chicago, IL 60611

Making a strong case for the team savory toast is the version at Nico, also known as Brussels sprout bruschetta. Stracciatella cheese is the perfect base for roasted sprouts, lemon honey, and hazelnuts.

1015 N Rush St, Chicago, IL 60611
(312) 994-7100
(312) 994-7100
Nico Osteria

Related Maps

Pastoral Artisan Cheese, Bread and Wine

5212 N克拉克聖,芝加哥,60640年

Of course you are putting soft Chèvre cheese on your toast with a few slices of avocado and hazelnuts at this Andersonville cheese shop. If you must opt for the non-dairy route, there are also honey and nut butter versions.

5212 N克拉克聖,芝加哥,60640年
Pastoral

Publican Quality Meats

825 W Fulton Market, Chicago, IL 60607

Located next to Publican Quality Bread — supplier of some of the most superior loaves to restaurant around the city — stop into Publican Quality Meats for a prepared slice of semolina with avocado, scrambled egg, mojo rojo, and pepitas.

825 W Fulton Market, Chicago, IL 60607
(312) 496-0012
(312) 496-0012
John Philip

The Bristol

2152 N Damen Ave, Chicago, IL 60647

End your day the chef Sean Pharr way with an egg and coppa tartine on the dinner menu. It is served with pickled shallot, pearl onions, and jalapeńos.

2152 N Damen Ave, Chicago, IL 60647
(773) 862-5555
(773) 862-5555
The Bristol

The Kitchen

316 N Clark St, Chicago, IL 60654

Toast as fancy as this deserves and equally eloquent name. The Northern Lights Smoked Salmon Toast is a hearty serving of scrambled eggs, sprouts, and creme fraiche on sliced bread.

316 N Clark St, Chicago, IL 60654
(312) 836-1300
(312) 836-1300
Meghan Leigh Photography

The Winchester

1001 N Winchester Ave, Chicago, IL 60622

A new chef means two new toasts at this lunch and dinner destination. The avocado toast gets a facelift with spiced hazelnut, red chili, and mint. While a cherry toast is topped with with Greek yogurt, almonds, and black pepper.

1001 N Winchester Ave, Chicago, IL 60622
(773) 698-8703
(773) 698-8703
Facebook

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