Toast & Co.

2 Stars

On a Huntington Village side street known only to locals and GPS devices, Toast & Co., a modern-day hash house, is packing in those of us who don’t mind packing on pounds sometimes. In Pomodoro’s former space, the same owners opened this luncheonette late last year, slinging heaping piles of retro cool along with gourmet comfort food. Joining the local breakfast club of Munday’s, a real old-fashioned soda fountain, and Questzalcoatl, a Mexican eatery offering exotic south-of-the-border-style breakfasts, Toast & Co. makes this town the middle of the griddle for the most exciting breakfasts around. Mornings and afternoons, weekdays and weekends, they’re doing a brisk business, filling the whole place. Starting Feb. 6, dinner will be served. Old photos of funkier roadside dives are counterpoint to pale green/lively orange walls. That orange paint and a bright neon sign announces you’ve found the place.

You can create your omelet or order an open-faced Wild Mushroom Frittata ($9) with chives and a dish of crème fraiche to spark it. All eggs dishes come with terrific crisp, chunky home fries. Another good breakfast is Stuffed French Toast ($7.50), made with thick-sliced white bread and spread with fresh blueberry cream cheese. But the Eggs Benedict ($9.50), while good, is a bit stingy, especially with the Hollandaise sauce.

That hash, though, is a winner. Short Rib Hash ($5) with shredded meat and white and sweet potato chunks, was unique.

Trying not to get drowsed-out one afternoon, I investigated the Wilted Spinach Salad ($9) (one of 11 salads), because it’s warm and the menu says it comes in a skillet. There was no skillet, but there was a baby spinach bowl with crunchy croutons, caramelized red onions and mushrooms. The lunch was tasty but certainly not a meal. I made quick work of it. For the same money, you can get more ample salads, including the Eggplant Tower or Poached Salmon Salad. So, I summoned the waitress for a hearty bowl of Pasta Fagioli ($5), the soup du jour.

I returned several days later for the terrific Brown Derby Cobb Salad ($10), loaded with vegetables, bacon bits and turkey chunks. The BLT ($7.50), stacked with thick slab bacon, is excellent, as is Three Tier Grilled Cheese ($9), made with Coca Cola Glazed Ham and plenty of Vermont cheddar.

The best sandwich, though, was the Fresh Salmon Salad ($11). They wisely use the term salad loosely, not wanting to mask the fresh fish taste with too many capers.

The crispiest fries imaginable come with all sandwiches. If you choose something else, make sure you get fries. Big lunch entrees like Meatloaf, Roasted Turkey with sweet potatoes, Mac ‘n’ Cheese and Chicken Pot Pies seem likely candidates for the dinner menu. I liked the Single Beer Shepherd’s Pie ($11) with its layered cheddar-mashed potatoes over big chunks of beef (instead of ground), shredded mushrooms and carrots. Wash it down with a sophisticated Pellegrino or espresso, flavored green or black teas, smoothies, egg creams and malteds, fresh O.J. or a glass of scotch for the road.