The Friendly Toast

A short while ago I stumbled down to The Friendly Toast, located in North Andover, MA. Accompanying me on this dining trip of leisure were my associates, Emily Nichols, Madison Lamarre, and Nicholas "Nicky Yayo" Dolan.

Emily, Madison, Nicky Yayo and myself ready to teach this breakfast some manners. You can tell 6 years have passed because Nick now has a mustache. 

Outside view of the Friendly Toast

A couple weeks ago at a casual soiree, I overheard my associates Nicky Yayo and Madison whispering to one another about this place called "The Friendly Toast." My other associate, Emily, inquired what they were being so secretive about, but I already knew the answer before they could open their mouths. "The Friendly Toast is a scratch kitchen and bar known for their creative menu, one-of-a-kind drinks, and nostalgia on shuffle-mode. A new school chain-diner with an emphasis on adult beverages." I interjected. Silence from shock had befallen the room. After six (6) years of not eating breakfast, I threw down the gauntlet in front of thousands of people. The Breakfast Blog is back for another serving. Fear not. The prod.. the progidal.... my son returns.

For those of you keeping score at home, this is the first gif EVER used on The Breakfast Blog. You're crazy if you didn't think I was coming off a 6 year break throwing heat high and inside. 

                                      

If you're like me, you knew for certain that gif's (like the one above) were created in 1987 and definitely not in the span of years between 2017-2023. Only an absolute moron would ever think something like that. 

Nicky Yayo and Emily getting jazzed up for all-day brunch and bar. No one likes drinking more than these two when they get the ball rolling.

The world is changed. I feel it in the water. I feel it in the earth. I smell it in the air. Since my last blog post I have grown wise and humble beyond my years. This hiatus allotted me time to ponder about time as it passed me by. If time were to be a flat circle, What is now, always has been, and always will be, along with every other moment in time. One could call this a re-re-return to the blog, however in my eyes this was always going to happen, happened already, and is happening right now. If this is the case, what am I actually returning from? If you're curious about this concept of time you can study it further  in the books, "Story of Your Life" and "True Detective: Season 1"

Matthew McConaughey (Not everything is going to be a gif now, I don't care what year it is)

Anyways, after the soiree I set out on my quest to find out how Friendly this Toast really was.

ATMOSPHERE

Upon entering The Friendly Toast, it was clear they weren't fucking around with the random-nostalgia theme. Normally, I'm a bit adverse to this. To me, it usually comes off as lazy. Not every diner needs a theme, and for some reason throwing a bunch of old shit on the wall and pawning it off as décor is a pandemic affecting diners  across America. However, I must admit I didn't mind the scenery inside the Friendly Toast. The random mannequins, statues, and board games splattered across the kelly green walls really got you in the mood to eat a lot of food and drink a lot of drinks.

Another pleasant addition to the layout was the ample room in the waiting area, which is something that is often overlooked at busy diners. There's nothing worse than being cramped in a small space with strangers, while hungry. A relaxed dining experience can quickly turn into a true test of one's patience. Luckily, Emily, Nick, Madison, and myself went on a day that was not too busy, so I didn't have to put the waiting area to the test. Fair warning, this diner is across the street from Merrimack College (One of my many alma maters. Go Warriors.). Being a convenient location for young people to start day drinking could spell big wait times if you're not careful. It isn't something I experienced, but definitely something to be cognizant of when making plans to visit.

Overall the atmosphere gets a pass from me.

Counter/Bar Seating 

Madison unable to contain her excitement from all of the zany wall decorations, along with Nick who decided he wanted to match the inside of the diner. Also featured: The back of Emily's head.

Mannequin waiting to greet you at the door along with The Hulk's dismembered head hanging from the ceiling as a stark reminder of what could have happened had Thanos been successful in his endeavors.

Inside view of the diner. Guy in red living the High Life

Nick and Madison working hard to solve the maze

Nick showing off his creativity

             

SERVICE

Like I mentioned earlier my visit to the friendly toast seemed like a fairly quiet day for them, so the service wasn't under any real stress at any point. That being said, that's not their fault, and I've sometimes received some of the worst service experiences on slow days. The waiter/waitress almost gets put into a lull and kind of forgets you're there. it happens, but not at the friendly toast.

Our waitress was absolutely wonderful. Unfortunately I forgot to write down her name, but I'm fairly certain her name was either Stephanie or Trish. Either way she was on the ball. She made great drink and food recommendations, and checked in on us enough while not being overbearing. She even noticed we had ordered a few adult beverages and suggested a local concerts that she was thinking about attending when her shift was over if we wanted to keep the party rocking. I've never really watched the show, "Friends" but she reminded me of Phoebe even though I don't really know her character, or Stephanie/Trish for that matter. Just something that I picked up on. Either way, Stephanie/Trish put on a masterclass and made it look effortless. Service gets a 9.8/10.

Stephanie/Trish, Emily, and Myself. My last blog I made a promise to not miss out on the pic with our server. A Lannister always repays his debts.

Phoebe from "Friends"

BREAKFAST AND A MOVIE

This is a new section I'm going to try and incorporate in each blog going forward. I like movies a lot so I thought I'd give a quick review of a movie I watched around the time of my breakfast trip. The movie I'm going with for this blog is, Avatar: The Way of Water. In this sequel to the original Avatar, Jake Sully lives with his newfound family formed on the extrasolar moon Pandora. Once a familiar threat returns to finish what was previously started, Jake must work with Neytiri and the army of the Na'vi race to protect their home. The movie is a must see in theaters. If you're unable to do that it will greatly take away from this movie. Without the amazing visual effects it comes down to a basic plot that is a futuristic parallel to European explorers finding and seizing land in the Americas from Native populations. One thing I am glad they improved upon was the nature in which they connected with the mountain banshees( the flying spirit animals). In the first movie it came off as a little too forceful for my liking with how they connected tails, but in this sequel it seemed like a much more sensual experience for both the Na'vi and Ilu (water spirit animals). I get they wanted to make the process similar it to breaking a horse but the forced ponytail connection was still a little weird in the first one. Either way, I enjoyed Avatar: The Way of Water and thought it was pretty good, however I don't know if I would have enjoyed it as much watching at home. I would say this movie requires a 3D, 4K Theater to get the full effect.

Jake Sully taming his Ilu in Avatar: The Way of Water

FOOD

Now the moment you've all been waiting for, the food.

To start, we ordered drinks. A much different fold from my previous blogs is that I am now able to legally order alcoholic beverages anywhere I so please. I also believe the best drink option if you're going to be having a "boozy brunch" is a Bloody Mary. A classic drink that will get you're day started with a kick, that can be paired with almost any meal. I understand some people may not enjoy them, and that's fine. Do I disagree? Whole heartedly. Do I believe people who don't like Bloody Mary's often look for the easy route in life? Also yes. However, everyone is entitled to their own opinion and I can respect that. Just don't come up to me after reading this and tell me how you disagree and think they're gross. I'll save you the time and tell you right here. I don't fucking care. 

I ordered a Bloody Mary flight, and it was absolutely delightful. Each sip took my tastebuds on a wild ride through a spicy and invigorating excursion. Four Bloody Mary's. One classic, and three with The Friendly Toast putting a spin on it. My favorite was a toss up between the classic and the spicy version they had to offer called the Hot Maria. The other versions, the Maple Bacon Bloody and the Pickle Bloody, were both delicious as well, however the Classic and Spicy had exactly what I was looking for. My only knock on the flight was I would like bigger portions. Only two sips of each drink left me wanting more, however I understand that is the spirit of getting a flight. Emily went with a regular sized Pickle Bloody, and described it as savory, sour from the pickle, and smokey from the pepper.

Nick also got a flight but his were spiked coffee drinks, which he also thoroughly enjoyed and would recommend to anyone.

It was also interesting to watch different strategies of how people attack their flight (probably could've worded that better). Nick went through and tried each drink before ranking them, and saving the best to finish last. I on the other hand choose at random and do not taste a new one until I have finished the one I am currently drinking.

Madison ordered a Diet Coke and was happy with it.

 

Emily enjoying her Pickle Bloody

The Bloody Mary and Spiked Coffee Flights

Madison and her Diet Coke

After polishing off my bloody mary flight I felt like I could run through a brick wall, and wanted a meal that would carry that same energy through the remainder of my visit, and maybe even the rest of the day. After much deliberation I went with the chicken and waffles. A classic dish that I regrettably have not had much experience with in the past, but a great breakfast may be waiting for you one step out of your comfort zone. With that in mind, I dove right in and was immediately rewarded for my breakfast boldness. The chicken was a great consistency. Crispy but not burnt on the outside, and not too dry on the inside, dipped in some sort of honey chipotle sauce. Fluffy waffles with corn and red onions offered an interesting yet tasteful mix that kept me coming back for more. This paired with another bloody mary flight kept my taste buds guessing the entire meal, in the best way possible.

Chicken & Waffles (The second flight I adopted Nick's style of trying each one before finishing)

Emily opted for the Friendly Toast Benny, or in other words, Eggs Benedict. She considers herself an Eggs Benedict connoisseur and orders one whenever she gets breakfast. Normally I like to promote trying something new, however if you have a go to and enjoy it, who am I to stop you from getting after it. Eggs Benedict is also a great benchmark meal when judging a diner's competency. Emily's initial thoughts were the ham was a bit fatty (I personally think the fat on ham and steak offers the most taste and disagree with this part of her take), and the English muffins were a bit on the raw side, however the eggs themselves were cooked perfectly. She also noted the home fries were okay, and not seasoned as much as they could have been. Emily's first trip with the Breakfast Blog was successful. Sometimes its easy to get carried away with the excitement of going to get breakfast and letting it cloud your judgement, but she made sure to give an honest review, while still giving The Friendly Toast their flowers.

Emily showcasing her Friendly Toast Benny

Nick went with the Monster Breakfast, which was comprised of two pieces of French toast, to pieces of bacon, two eggs, and home fries. Nick loved his meal through and through. "The french toast was amazing and interchangeable with pancakes, but I was in a French toast mood that day. Both are fire." He went on to describe the eggs as, "on par with anywhere else you would get eggs" and raved about the unique bacon. "It's a happy medium for everyone. Those who like crispy bacon won't be disappointed, but it is thick enough to give you the feel of a Canadian bacon hybrid." Nicky Yayo's ability to take an otherwise normal breakfast meal and be able to break it down in such detail is why he's a recurring guest and trusted associate here on the Breakfast Blog.

Nick giving the Monster Breakfast a thumbs up, and the right half of Madison's body

Madison went the untraditional route and ordered the Churro Bites. This consisted of Crispy fried doughnut pieces tossed in cinnamon & sugar, topped with creamy cheesecake glaze & chocolate drizzle, served with strawberry habanero jam. I wasn't able to reach Madison for comment do to time constraints, but I'm fairly confident she enjoyed them. She was also generous enough to share with the table. To me, it was the perfect desert to finish off your meal. Sweet and filling. Very rarely is there more than one course for breakfast, but when the opportunity presents itself, it can be something special.

Madison excited to show off her Churro Bites and Diet Coke

All in all, I had a great experience at The friendly Toast. They exceeded all of my expectations as a chain diner. The food was above average, the service was great, and the atmosphere was pretty good to. If you're looking for a traditional breakfast diner experience, I would say you may be better off looking else where as this place givers off a different type of energy with the alcoholic drinks in play. The bill was a little pricey but a boozy brunch will always sneak up on you price wise if you're doing it right.

The Friendly Toast: Great Chain Diner & Brunch Spot