Photo by AdobeStock | Cheyenne
If you like it simple and syrupy or topped to the brim with berries, cream, and the works, you’ll love these local twists on French toast.
Additional reporting by Anaya Rojas
If you spend the week longing for the weekend, and if Sunday brunch helps quell the impending Monday blues, then it’s clear you’ve gotten cozy with the soul-southing magic of French toast whether you parlez-vous français or not.
Doesn’t matter, anyway, because French toast is not really French. Legend has it a guy named Joseph French created the divine breakfast staple in 1724 and intended to call it French’s toast, but his well-known grammatical struggles got the better of him.
Get this, though: There are recipes out there that date back to the fifth century, indicating French toast may have been enjoyed during the Roman Empire. Still others think it was created by clever Medieval cooks who knew their way around a kitchen and needed to use every last morsel of food to fill hungry bellies.
No matter how you slice it, French toast remains a crave-worthy, go-to breakfast mainstay and, as we all know, breakfast is good any time of day. Westchester’s chefs (who know their way around a kitchen better than anybody) have concocted a multitude of enchanting ways to serve it — from the simple classic to simply outrageous — so make a rezy, thank us later, and, voila, breakfast is served, mesdames et messieurs!
Birdsall House
970 Main St, Peekskill; 914.930.1880
Sure, it sounds foreign, but the cinnamon French toast at this intimate craft beer gastropub is super local. The foundation of the dish is a light and fluffy Eli Zabar brioche bun and the side of bacon is Peter Luger’s thick-cut stock; the rest is from right here in the Hudson Valley, including the accompanying “two eggs up” from Feather Ridge Farm and the syrup from Crown Maple. As for the complimentary bloody, beer, or mimosa, choose wisely and your hooch will be homegrown, too.
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BLD Diner
2399 Boston Post Rd, Larchmont; 914.833.2062
Four fabulous French toast incarnations adorn the extensive menu at this diner that covers all the culinary bases, ranging from the classic to the one crafted from a croissant and covered in whip, the Nutella-drizzled banana bad boy, and the spot-on ultimate. Not for the faint of heart (or for children who get nutso with too much sugar), the latter is three egg-soaked slices stuffed with cinnamon cream cheese frosting and slivered apples, then covered with fresh strawberries and blueberries. Well, good morning to you, too!
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City Limits
200 Central Park Ave, White Plains; 914.686.9000
For the purists at the table, this is as classic as classic gets, and it’s oh-so-comforting and just downright authentic. It’s everything perfect French toast should be: ever so slightly crisp on the outside, good and gooey on the inside. Pro tip: On any given Sunday when the urge to step outside one’s comfort zone hits, this elevated diner (that serves all-day breakfast seven days a week) offers a version made from house-made raisin and currant challah.
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DD’s Diner
191 N Highland Ave, Ossining; 914.236.3779
It’s brekkie all day every day at DD’s, and the griddle offerings are virtually endless with eight varieties of French toast, each making a sweet statement of its own. For starters, most begin with thick and hearty Texas toast, from the classic plain jane to the one with the caramelized bananas and maple bourbon sauce. Then there’s the belly buster that eats like a dessert; it’s topped with cannoli cream, chocolate crumbs, and pastry chips. Bottoms up, babies!
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The Inn at Pound Ridge
258 Westchester Ave, Pound Ridge; 914.764.1400
Crisp on the outside, soft and luscious on the inside, Jean Georges’ crunchy brioche-based beauty enjoys a sprinkle of cinnamon sugar and shares the plate with caramelized apples and crisp bacon for a satisfying meal that hits all the right notes.
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Jack’s Bar & Restaurant
219 Main St, Eastchester; 914.652.7650
At this self-described Irish pub with flair, Saturday and Sunday brunch is a must, and the luscious brioche French toast is a can’t-miss. It’s served with a sweet mascarpone cream, a tart orange crumble, and a smattering of gorgeous berries (or chocolate chips, if you must). Pro tip: Make brunch bottomless; $42 for a brunchy entrée and everything you need to wash it down over the course of two full hours.
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Moderne Barn
430 Bedford Rd, Armonk; 914.730.0001
Born from a soft slab of brioche, this rich and deeply delicious baby is dotted with fresh strawberries and bananas, drizzled with Nutella, and topped with a dollop of crème fraiche.
Mount Kisco Diner
252 Main St, Mount Kisco; 914.666.5676
A whopping seven varieties of French toast grace the menu at this upscale diner that cooks up outrageous menu items (think: a slab of chocolate cake atop a milkshake) simply for sport. There’s the good ol’ classic, and the oozy doozy stuffed with house-made cannoli cream, but the big ol’ beast that takes the proverbial cake is the Fruity Pebbles-crusted sweet treat that’s topped with whipped cream and yabba dabba doo drizzle. Say when.
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The Shop Ardsley
711 Saw Mill River Rd, Ardsley; 914.591.4321
This friendly and welcoming mom-and-pop in the heart of downtown is a hip, hybrid hotspot that functions as a breakfast and lunchtime deli-style eatery by day and a full-service restaurant when the sun sets. The French toast is called “solid” by those in the know and those that know French toast. It’s simply egg-batter-dipped brioche, spritzed with powdered sugar, and decorated with berries, banana slices, and other fresh, readily available fruit.
Sonora
179 Rectory St, Port Chester; 914.933.0200
Why stop at stuff on top when you can stuff the inside? At this modern Latin restaurant, Mimi’s French toast comes stuffed with fresh strawberries and strawberry jam, plus chocolate sauce and powdered sugar on top.
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The Urban Hamlet
124 Pondfield Rd, Bronxville; 914.652.7407
Thick hunks of Texas toast elevate the classic preparation at this inviting neighborhood gastropub, as does the house-made apple compote that accompanies the slices. And, the tagalong sides of crisp bacon and mixed berries are just a no-brainer.
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Worth crossing the border for:
Country Kitchen
493 Route 6, Mahopac; 845.803.8420
This homey, hole-in-the-wall is worth the extra hike for a taste of one (or all) of their deliciously fluffy French toast dishes. Countryside Kitchen cooks up a variety of French toast plates, from their old-fashion toast sprinkled with powdered sugar to their PB&J deep fried French toast bites drizzled in a tasty peanut butter and raspberry sauce. If you’re feeling extra sweet, check out their another sweet dish, a layered tower of their holy cannoli cream, chocolate chips, and French toast!
Related: The 7 Greatest Westchester Diners You Can Eat at Right Now
