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Although the English rank it among their greatest culinary achievements—according to the Oxford Companion to Food—we uncouth Americans have yet to fully appreciate the wonder that is toast. Enter this new bakery-cum-general-store, an annex to Blue Ribbon Bakery restaurant and a showcase for its extensive line of artisanal brick-oven-baked loaves. The all-toast menu lists a hodgepodge of intricately conceived toast toppings, from the simple (raw Mexican honey and butter) to the more substantial (housemade pork rillettes and cornichons). Our favorite—hard-cooked egg with hot peppers and a squiggle of homemade mayo on densely crumbed, golden-toasted Pullman—makes for a deceptively hearty snack that you can nibble at a leisurely pace outside on the wooden bench. All the gourmet provisions, from anchovies to cave-aged Gruyère, are for sale, should you be inspired to toast your own at home. — Rob Patronite and Robin Raisfeld

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