The Weekender: Indulgent French Toast
French toast is a sweet staple on any breakfast or brunch menu, and Columbus’ must-try restaurants aren’t just serving up your mom’s traditional breakfast fare. These restaurateurs are doling out over-the-top French toast plates that will leave you stuffed, satisfied, and wishing you had room for seconds.
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•Kitchen Social has cultivated a where everyone knows your name atmosphere in the center of Polaris. This 95% from-scratch kitchen has only one meager freezer primarily used to hold the abundance of grated butter essential to their house-made biscuits. Chef and co-owner Brian Harvey developed Social’s crème brulee French toast in his home kitchen, and it was a must-serve from opening. This indulgence begins with thick brioche soaked in crème anglaise, encased in a torched sugar crust, and finished with mascarpone, almond brittle, and Milligan’s syrup. The true achievement is the sugar crust that shatters just like the top of a well-executed crème brulee. Breakfast or dessert for the table, this caramelized wonder is sure to satisfy even the most insatiable customer.
Special Mention: Order the cheddar + scallion biscuits—they arrive sitting in a pool of honey butter
•Katalina’s is a labor of ingenuity from Kathleen Day, a woman who wears many hats—food stylist, entrepreneur, and world wanderer. A former vegetarian, Kathleen ensures all of her meat is ethically raised, including the delectably peppery and sticky Sweet n’ Spicy Bacon, made from thick-cut Heritage pork. Katalina’s Mexican “French” toast is created by soaking brioche in a vanilla laced egg batter, griddling until golden, and finishing with Tamarind sugar from our local North Market. Katalina’s provides Milligan’s bourbon barrel-aged syrup to drizzle on this distinctively delectable stack.
•Tommy’s Diner has been featured on every major TV network, starting in 2004 when Good Morning America borrowed the keys to the diner and transformed it overnight. Owner Tom Pappas is an Ohio legend and can’t even enter a Tennessee McDonald’s without adoring fans shouting out his name, making him a celebrity to his grandkids, and proving Tommy’s hospitality transcends Ohio. Kathy Pappas is the heart of this operation, creating mouthwatering American favorites like their Stuffed French Toast. A foundation of dense buttermilk bread is layered between vanilla and cinnamon cream cheese filling and dolloped with whipped cream and fresh berries, shingled high, and delivered to your table ready to be devoured. In case you were wondering, Tom said he is never retiring, so he will always be around to greet every customer by name with his megawatt smile.
Insider tip: Download the app Hostext to get on the waitlist and avoid the long lines
If you like this, read: The Weekender: Three places to score a smash burger
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