Brunch At Friendly Toast

Breakfast Quesadilla at The Friendly Toast, Cambridge.

Brunch.  Where to go?  What to get?  How long is the wait?  We get asked these questions all the time.  Well, one of the places we often revisit is The Friendly Toast.  The main reason for that is the plethora of menu items, some of which will always be new, the always great service and the consistency of the quality.

The Tiki Flight.

We love the flight drink specials, allowing friends to share a sip of each of the exotic drinks.  I can guarantee that you will love each taste of these Tiki drinks and want to go for the full thing the next time you visit.

The Monte Christo Sandwich.

This time around we tried the Monte Christo Sandwich, basically thick slabs of French toast filled with ham, eggs and cheese.  Sweet and savory, this is a classic southern dish which they have adapted well by adding in an excellent condiment:  Strawberry Jalapeno Jam.

The Barbacoa Benny.

The Eggs Benedict menu is rife with several options including this Barbacoa Benny pictured above.  A fresh biscuit is layered with braised beef, two perfectly runny poached eggs, hollandaise and barbecue sauces and then topped with crispy onion straws.  Some might call this the perfect hangover meal.  We call it rich and satisfying.

The colorful Margherita Flight at Friendly Toast.

While there we also sampled the Chicken And Waffles.  Sweet potatoes, bacon and fried thighs are all included and quite the standout plate.

Strawberry Waffles.

The Strawberry Waffles ( a special limited time only item on the menu) is divine inspiration.  It's not only fresh strawberries, waffles, whipped cream, ice cream but also, are you ready, strawberry cheesecake!  We have no question that it will be making it on to the permanent menu soon.

The Friendly Toast

1 Kendall Square

Cambridge, MA  02139

Telephone:  617.621.1200

Socials:

@thebostonfoodie

@theboysoftbf

@_thefriendlytoast

@_friendlytoast

We were invited to this restaurant as members of the press/media with no promise of any editorial consideration.  We call 'em and we see 'em.

It's National Waffle Day On Saturday

It's National Waffle Day on Saturday, August 24, 2019.  What are you going to do about that?  We'd suggest that you head to Friendly Toast, our current favorite brunch spot, for these cheesecake-filled, vanilla ice cream dolloped, fresh strawberry piled, whipped cream crowned and confectioners sugar dusted masterpiece.

Although it's just on the specials menu for now we are told that it's in serious contention to be added to the regular menu.  It's a perfect excuse, with perfect weather predicted, for a brunch date.  So don't miss out, on the menu or the chance to ask her or him out.

Friendly Toast
One Kendall Square
Cambridge, MA  02139
Telephone:  617.621.1200
And many other locations

Socials:  @thebostonfoodie
                 @theboysoftbf
                 @_thefriendlytoast

We were invited to taste this waffle masterpiece as members of the press/media with no promise of any editorial consideration.

Happy National Rum Day

Happy National Rum Day!  How lucky are we that it occurs on a Friday.  So, this weekend we'll be heading over to The Friendly Toast to enjoy this Tiki Flight which features all sorts of festive rum happiness.

The Tiki Flight is offered all summer long and features FOUR specialty tiki cocktails:  The Shandy’s Painkiller (Flor de Cana silver rum, Rumhaven coconut water rum, crème de coconut, pineapple, OJ), the Singapore Zing (New Amsterdam gin, cherry & orange liqueurs, passionfruit puree, pineapple, grenadine, bitters, fresh lime) as well as an original Mai Tai (Silver & dark rums, amaretto, pineapple, OJ, fresh lime) and the beautiful Mermaid’s Tail (Rumhaven coconut, water rum, spiced rum, blue curacao, pineapple, fresh lime).

Come and join us on the patio.  The alfresco dining season will be over before you know it and, as always, when you go tell them that The Boston Foodie sent you.

Socials:

@thebostonfoodie

@_thefriendlytoast

Friendly Toast Brunch

Pumpkin Pancakes at The Friendly Toast.

 

Part of the holiday season for us always includes at least one brunch out with friends or maybe as a stop between shopping excursions and/or city walks.  When in Cambridge we'd suggest The Friendly Toast, although they do have multiple locations now.

 



A Flight Of Mimosas.  Cute, clever and delicious.

 

The menu at The Friendly may seem overwhelming at first.  Everything is tempting.  After deliberating over which Mimosa to try (there are several options from Apricot Brandy to Elderflower) our server suggested we just try the flight and sample them all.  We'd suggest you do the same.

 



Breakfast Eggrolls.

A newer menu item, as are the Pumpkin Pancakes, we just knew we HAD to try these.  It's just such a great idea to put some typical breakfast foods in or on a roll and then make it not typical.  These egg rolls are stuffed with, well, eggs, scrambled, of course, corned beef hash, Swiss cheese and then the unusual kimchi slaw.  And it all works beautifully.

 





Salmon Ramen

 

Ramen for breakfast is not a bad thing.  Neither is salmon.  Ever.  So we went with that.  A steamy bowl of fresh ramen noodles in red curry broth, with Gochujang glazed Coho salmon, an over easy egg, kimchi slaw, scallions & mango-habanero sauce.  Not your Grandma's breakfast food but a luxurious one.

 



 

Avos To Apples at The Friendly Toast

 

Another unusual mix the Avos To Apples:  A slice of Anadama toast (an old New England bread recipe made with corn and molasses and totally satisfying) loaded with avocado, roasted caramelized apples, blue cheese crumbles, spicy pecans & a hint of cinnamon. Served with root vegetable hash & a sunny egg. And, again, satisfying, terrific breakfast fare or hangover cure, take your pick.

 



Of course you'll most likely be spending more than one day out shopping and strolling in  and around the city this holiday season and The Friendly offers so much on the menu you could visit every weekend without coming anywhere near exhausting the menu possibilities.  It's just the perfect way to brunch at any time of year.

The Friendly Toast
1 Kendall Square B3101
Cambridge, MA 02139
Telephone:  617.621.1200

Socials:
@_TheFriendlyToast (ig)
@_FriendlyToast
@TheBostonFoodie
#FriendlyToast
#TheBostonFoodie

 

We were invited to this brunch as members of the media with no promise of any editorial consideration.

The Friendly Toast

Cold, rainy weekend days in New England are just made for long, lingering brunches.  One of the most frequently asked questions we receive is:  Where to brunch?  We spent last Saturday revisiting The Friendly Toast after a long hiatus and found it to be every bit as good as we initially found.

We may not have been able to sit outside to dine alfresco but it has not lost it's charm with the funky décor, the extensive menu, the eclectic crowd and the great service. 

We began with a White Sangria, fruity and refreshing and served with a bright look on a dreary day.

Some Like It Tot:  Tater tots covered with a melted cheddar cheese, bacon, red onion, scallion and sriracha glaze.  One would fully expected the tots to be a bit soggy under all that but, surprisingly, they were not.  This clearly passed our crispy test and was a great appetizer to start with.

 

We are always working to give you the best food pics possible.  Lots of light helps and we were lucky enough to get a window seat.

 

Kiss My Grits:  homemade biscuit topped with fried chicken tenders, over easy eggs and cheddar grits, finished with a sriracha honey glaze and served with home fries.  Pretty much what one would expect a filling brunch breakfast to be.  Excellent home fries.

The Georgia Reuben:  Smoked turkey, tangy honey coleslaw, melted swiss cheese and thousand-island dressing on Anadama bread.  This was our top fave, one of the best sandwiches we've had in quite awhile.  The Anadama bread, first off, is a big contributing factor.  It shows deep New England roots in the corn and molasses ingredients.  Really good when toasted, it was the perfect foundation to a really great sandwich.  The cole slaw, also good.

The menu at The Friendly Toast is daunting.  There are just so many choices and they all sound very tempting.  One would think that it's just too much.  How can they execute so many choices and do it well?  Yet, they seem to do it consistently and the line waiting to get in is a testimony.  So, there is a simple solution.  Just keep going back.  And buy a loaf of that Anadama Bread to take home when you do.  They sell fresh loaves of their specialty breads at five bucks per loaf.

The Friendly Toast
One Kendall Square
Cambridge, MA 
Telephone:  617.621.1200
Other locations include Back Bay, Burlington and the original in Portsmouth, NH

Socials:
@TheBostonFoodie
@The_Friendly_Toast
@Friendly_Toast