In the world of confectioneries, you can always expect the unexpected. This is very well the case with the previously rebuked, and now much applauded artisanal toast. Months after it was introduced by Giulietta Carrelli of Trouble Coffee and Coconut Club fame, artisanal toast finally dug into the finicky breads and desserts market and has surprisingly climbed its way to fame.
Made of thin(ish) slices of bread, swathed with the best tasting spreads that border on creativity, artisanal toast had customers snickering about its high price. Many were curious and wanted to know why this typical breakfast fare was priced as high as 11 US Dollars (USD) per serving. And so as they say, curiosity killed the cat, or in this situation, the toast hit the doubters like a punch in the face, because once they tasted it, they were hooked.
Today, this lowly toast has replaced cupcakes and other sweet confections in popularity in most coffee shops across the United States. In Detroit, the popular Avalon Bakery has opened a toast bar that serves tasty toast during the early morning hours. The toast menu is a delicious marriage of Avalon’s famous Farnsworth Farm and Corktown Cinnamon Raisin breads, and cream butter spread or Slow Jam cinnamon sugar, honey, and sea salt. Over in Minneapolis, the superstar in the newly opened coffee shop Urban Bean will be none other than the toast with trendy DIY toppings. The owner has decided to assemble a line-up of the city’s best-tasting breads and turn them into artisanal toasts.
Back at the coffee lover’s haven, the San Francisco Bay Area, the artisanal toast would have been completed nudged off the customer’s memory if not for the determination of a lady named Josey Baker, the baker at The Mill on Divisadero Street. She and the owners of The Mill held on to their faith for the toast and are now reaping great returns for their perseverance. On weekends, The Mill easily sells 300-400 pieces of toast per day, at 4 USD a piece.
With the way this toast has hit the top, it seems it will stay there for a long time…or at least until the next craze comes along.
Heather is a writer, photographer and explorer of the world with bylines in Archaeology Magazine, Porthole Cruise Magazine, Taste & Travel, amongst others. She is addicted to pen, paper, hotels, organisation and hippos. In addition to Travel Gluttons, you can find her over at Cloggie Central. 
