Toastique of the town
Gourmet toast and juice bar in Bethlehem tops list of new, incoming restaurants
Sure, you can have avocado toast nearly everywhere these days.
But at a new south Bethlehem restaurant, you have it with next-level freshness, along with other sweet and savory “toasts,” smoothies, acai bowls and more.
Toastique, a gourmet toast and juice bar, just opened at 21 E. Third St. It’s the first location of the national chain in Pennsylvania.
“You can come here and feel good about what you’re eating,” owner Jessica Morrissey said.
The toast trend has been going on for a while of course. It’s a slab of bread that serves as a vessel for a host of tasty toppings, including popular avocado.
But at Toastique, the toasts really are on a whole other level. Everything at Toastique is freshly made and locally sourced as much as possible.
Here are three you’ll want to try:
Avocado Smash: This is the obvious starting point but Toastique’s is exceptional. It’s smashed avocado with prominent slices of watermelon radish, marinated tomatoes, chili oil and micorgreens on multigrain toast. The toast, which had sturdy but fluffy texture, held all the toppings in place. Each ingredient brought something interesting to the toast and it really is an exceptional example of a ubiquitous dish. How much: $14
PB Crunch: If you want a sweeter option, the PB Crunch is great choice.
The peanut butter and jam are both housemade, topped with honey roasted peanuts, bananas, strawberries and blueberries with honey drizzle and mint on walnut raisin toast. How much: $12
Tomato burrata: This toast features herbed ricotta, pesto, tomatoes, burrata (an Italian cow’s milk cheese), olive oil and balsamic glaze on rustico toast. How much: $13.
If you love a good smoothie, Toastique has great options, including Blue Mystique, which Morrissey said has been a runaway best seller. First of all, it’s blue, which is always fun. Ingredients are pineapple, banana, mango, blue spirulina and almond milk. How much: $11.
Toastique also has fresh squeezed juices such as the Detoxify, which has coconut water, lemon, activated charcoal and agave.
For fans of “bowls,” it has those too, including the Mango Tango, which features a blend of mango, pineapple, lime, coconut water and agave topped with pineapple, strawberry, coconut, dried mango, granola, honey and a lime wedge. How much: $13.
Info: toastique.com
That’s not the only delicious news out of Bethlehem. It seems like every
week this column includes news about a restaurant coming to the Christmas City.
LU Taqueria just opened in the Main Street Commons complex in downtown Bethlehem. They have taken over the site left vacant by Marlo’s Pizza. LU Taqueria held a soft opening March 11 after starting as a food trailer that operated next
next to Saucon Valley Auto Spa in Lower Saucon Township. It earned rave reviews for its fresh, from-scratch Mexican cuisine featuring specialties such as soft corn tacos with your choice of cauliflower, chicken, carne asada (steak), carnitas (pork) or al pastor (pork and pineapple), and gringas, which are crispier versions of quesadillas.
Lu Taqueria is at 559 Main
St., Suite 3, Bethlehem. Check the restaurant’s Facebook page for up-to-date information on hours and more: facebook.com/ lutaqueria and instagram.com/ lutaqueria.
And as I reported in last week’s column, the Flying Pig Tavern is close to opening at 313 Center St., at the site of the former Tocci’s Tailgaters Pub & Grill. The restaurant will have an outdoor patio and fully renovated bar with a variety of beer on tap. The menu features classic tavern dishes such as French onion soup and brunch items. Info: facebook.com/flyingpigtvernpa