It happens like clockwork every weekend. What begins as an innocent scroll through Instagram results in feelings of #FOMO as you browse photo after photo of the pancake platters, fruit salads, and fluffy omelets that build the brunch spreads of your dreams. In all of them, one dish shines as the pinnacle of brunching goals.
Avocado toast.
What began as a millennial trend is turning into a breakfast classic. One taste and you’ll understand the appeal. Creamy avocado is better than butter on top of warm, perfectly crunchy toast. Add in a handful of extra fixings and a freshly baked loaf of bread and you have a mouthwatering morning meal that will keep you going until lunch. Luckily for Hudson Valley residents, local restaurants have risen to the avocado toasting challenge. Grab a slice and join the breakfast revolution.
Bread Alone / Stephanie Fisher-Meyer
Bread Alone Bakery
3962 Route 28, Boiceville
2121 Ulster Avenue, Lake Katrine
45 East Market Street, Rhinebeck
22 Mill Hill Road, Woodstock
Bread Alone is all about — you guessed it — bread. So you can expect the slice of organic pain au levain that acts as the base of avocado toast to be nothing short of perfection. The hearty slice is topped with cherry tomatoes, basil vinaigrette, red pepper flakes, sea salt, and sprouts. The result is a garden fresh bite with a hint of spice. P.S. It just so happens to be vegan.
Phoenicia Diner / Courtney Malsatzki
Phoenicia Diner
5681 Route 28, Phoenicia
If Phoenicia Diner’s Instagram feed is any indication, their avocado toast is the epitome of #brunchgoals. It starts with toasted levain bread and gets stacked high with avocado mash, a perfectly hardboiled egg, and pickled mustard seeds. Take advantage of the optional add-on of locally smoked trout or lox and prepare to enter breakfast nirvana.
Beacon Bread’s avocado toast / Photo provided by Kamel Jamal, Beacon Bread
Beacon Bread Company
193 Main St, Beacon
Trust Beacon Bread Company to serve an unpretentious toast that is packed with flavor. Unsurprisingly, top-of-the-line loaves are the secret ingredient here. All toast orders come on the shop’s signature harvest grain bread, which is made fresh daily. The wholesome nuttiness packed in each slice pairs beautifully with the smooth, buttery texture of the avocado on top.
Ms. Fairfax / Sterling Knight
Ms. Fairfax
105 Liberty St, Newburgh
As a mainstay on Newburgh’s thriving Liberty Street, Ms. Fairfax produces an avocado toast that is a cut above the rest. The chic eatery starts out with a hearty slice of toasted rye, which then gets layered with organic avocado and two eggs prepared any style. Not only are the eggs pasture-raised, but they are also free of hormones and GMOs. For a final touch, a light touch of house-made herb aioli dresses up the toast, while a zippy mesclun salad adds an extra crunch on the side. P.S. If you love pickled goodies, you’ll be all over the house-prepared pickled onion that hides inside the salad.
The Egg’s Nest / Eric Medsker
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The Egg’s Nest
1300 State Route 213, High Falls
Farm fresh food is the name of the game at The Egg’s Nest in High Falls. Instead of going over the top with its toast, the restaurant keeps it simple with a slab of Bread Alone’s Organic Nine Mixed Grain bread, poached Feather Ridge Farm eggs, avocado spread, raw onions, tomato, and arugula. If you’re in the mood for a little something extra, top it off with a slice of smoked salmon. “Yum” is an understatement.
Did we miss a top toast? Let us know in the comments or by email at edit@hvmag.com.
