Dining & Nightlife | Food Reviews

A warm and artsy place in a warm and artsy waterfront town. Port Jefferson’s Toast Coffeehouse is a bohemian hangout extraordinaire with people traveling high and low to drop by for a bite. Contributing to the unique aura is the (buyable) artwork on the walls that changes monthly in conjunction with artist consortium FRESH Art Long Island (paintings of jazz greats covered the walls in a recent visit). The comfy brown walls and quirky lighting complete the relaxed vibe. Casual dress rules here, with the nimble waitstaff sporting jeans (or shorts) and t-shirts. Toast’s coffee selections are the first indication this is not a typical, unremarkable greasy spoon. Graham cracker or Swiss mocha almond coffees blend innovative flavor profiles with solid java goodness. The vessels for these one-of-a-kind coffees are a vast array of differently shaped and sized coffee mugs. No two are alike, just like in your own kitchen cabinet. And yes, Toast does serve toast. It is a fresh, homemade and darn tasty multi-grained prince du pain.

The cleverly named omelets have a dizzying array of meats, veggies and cheeses in combination, and appropriately enough for a harbor-side eatery, the “Down Port” contains lump crab. But the star of the show is the newest and most popular menu addition—the BLT avocado omelet, with a perfectly-cooked, creamy center and bold flavor. The sweet potato waffles are absurdly good as well, but the grand poobah breakfast item is the utterly-decadent, shareable, must-try graham cracker crusted French toast stuffed with peanut butter and bananas, and covered with caramel sauce along with optional cinnamon and pecans. Simply put: Heaven on a plate and worth the price of the trip—one that might end with a canvas in one hand and a doggie bag in the other.

242 East Main St., Port Jefferson Breakfast served 8am-3pm daily (631) 331-6860, toastcoffeehouse.com