345 West Main Street
Five Points, Durham, NC
Website
Sandwiches ranged from $1.50 for Crostini to $6 for Panini
Walking through downtown Durham on the way to Toast is a testament to the fine remodeling job that has been done since we moved to Durham three years ago. It is slowly revitalizing itself as a center for the community and I hope that more new businesses will soon see fit to call the Five Points area home.
But enough with my tangent, Toast labels itself as a sandwich shop in the Italian tradition. They offer four types of sandwiches: panini, tramezzini, brushetta, and crostini, and also salads, soups, and olive plates. Indoor and outdoor seating is available. The infectiously peppy woman at the register matched the vibrant blue of the walls. I have little doubt that the place usually has a line during the weekday lunch rush. It is a bit smoky from all the bread grilling, but that's not too much of a problem when you consider that you will soon be eating a toasty grilled treat yourself.
I chose a couple of different crostini to sample. The first, topped with peperonata and romano, was as delicious as it was spicy. The mozzarella, tomato, and pesto choice was a little too rich but still tasty. The goat cheese, honey, and pepper crostini would have benefited from more pepper but the seasoning seemed to float right off the cheese. My husband's spicy tuna panini was very bland---we failed to taste the fennel and lemon included in its description.
We also had a crostasta for dessert with fresh strawberries, blueberries, and whipped cream. It was delightful even though I don't usually like blueberries. The balance between the ingredients and the hard crust was perfect in this tart-like treat.
We may not have fully enjoyed all of our selections but the ones that we did were definitely enough to get me back to Toast again. Besides, I haven't tried a tramezzini yet!
3 stars
