Son of a Toast North Park: A Standout in San Diego
Imagine that you are walking down University Avenue, one of the two main drags in the North Park neighborhood of San Diego. As you walk down the street, you can feel a distinct SoCal vibe; laid back and relaxed, with a healthy dose of hip and a tiny bit of grit. In the midst of craft breweries, vintage clothing shops, and boutiques that line this vibrant section of North Park, your eyes are drawn to the words, SON OF A TOAST. At first glance, you may be tempted to think that this is your typical café and you would be wrong. Dead wrong.
Son of a Toast, nestled in the midst of this thriving North Park neighborhood of San Diego doesn’t just serve toast. Chef and Co-Owner, Michael Bailey takes the concept of toast and flips it on its head to create a menu of items that taste as amazing as they look.
Michael took over Son of a Toast in November 2019, after a 20-year stint as the proprietor of Bellasarios in Del Mar, CA. For Michael, expanding the menu at his new restaurant, including an espresso bar, toasty sandwiches, breakfast muffins, salads, homemade soups, açai bowls and cold brew mixology was only part of his vision. The other was to enhance his guests’ experience through the artful presentation of each item.
We were invited to see this beautifully crafted California cuisine for ourselves. Two things immediately stood out for us in our visit to Son of a Toast; their menu is expansive, and the interior is meticulously clean and trendy. With so many items to choose from, we made an executive decision to try it all. At least, try as many different food varieties as our bodies would allow.
What We Ordered At son of a toast
We ordered three of their signature toasts: the Bourdain, the Berry White and the Burrata. With this we enjoyed a creamy Matchatini, an example of cold brew mixology at its best.
The Bourdain pays homage to the legend, Anthony Bourdain, whose love of seafood inspired this well-rounded delicacy. This is one of the areas where Chef Michael shines. He masterfully combines salmon fume, crème fraiche, lemon zest, capers, julienne of onion and microgreens, set with a homemade spicy aioli to tie it all together. This was no doubt one of our favorites.
The Berry White is a sweet toast, that is a balance of fresh avocado, strawberries, goat cheese curds, microgreens, and a balsamic glaze. While delicious as a stand-alone, the fresh orange marmalade smear that comes on the side enhances the overall flavor.
The Burrata has a generous portion of, well, Burrata and is carefully combined with mashed avocado, sliced egg, tomato and a balsamic glaze. We opted to add prosciutto because why wouldn’t we?!?
The Bourdain
The Berry White
The Burrata
We also ordered a breakfast muffin and a Toasty Turkey sandwich. The breakfast muffin is simple, savory, delicious and loaded with our favorite morning items – bacon, egg and cheese. The Toasty Turkey sandwich was made with a generous portion of hand sliced turkey, melted provolone, tangy house dressing and pepperoncinis. The crunch and mild spiciness of the pepperoncinis were a welcomed surprise and playful addition to a traditional sandwich.
North Park’s development and population growth over the last decade has been in part due to its walkability. Residents and visitors to the neighborhood know that a fresh cup of coffee, unique craft beer and sans-serif print notebooks are only a walk away.
Michael, focused on the first and sourced a specialty roast from Eleva, a farmer direct and sustainably sourced craft roast. And, it’s not surprising that Michael chose Eleva as his coffee supplier. Their commitment to purchasing beans for a fair price, and offering training and community support to their suppliers, is another example of Michael’s passion to delivering not only the best experience for his guests, but also one that supports what is right. We could taste that dedication in the latte we ordered to go with the breakfast muffin.
We finished our experience with a Strawberry Field Cold Brew Smoothie, an intricate mixture of banana, strawberry, milk and whipped cream with a cold brew coffee base. Surprisingly, the smoothie was a perfect “pick me” up after our indulgence in food that could have fed four or five grown adults.
For us, it was more than just the food. It was an experience, one created by an artist and his medium, the everyday items you and I see at the grocery store and fantasize that we could create something great for our friends and family to enjoy.
In this case, it’s Michael’s passion and definitely worth walking or driving to Son of a Toast to experience.
Contact Information
Son of a Toast is located 15 minutes from downtown San Diego, and within walking distance in North Park. Their address is 3066 University Ave, San Diego, CA.
Follow them on Instagram at @sonofatoastca.com.
Click the link to view their full menu and current hours: https://www.sonofatoastca.com/