N.S. news: French Toast Fest returns
Inside Portlander Jamaican Restaurant in Amherst, N.S., owner Donna Gogan is cooking up something that is not typically on her menu.
“I don’t shy away from different cuisine and I’ve had French toast before,” she said. “My idea when I usually try a different cuisine is how can I put a little Jamaican twist to it to have an island flavour and so I really jump to the opportunity to try something new.”
This week, her customers can try her take on the classic French toast.
“When they come here I get a nice sourdough bread, sliced, and then I add my own spices to the cream and eggs and then the normal, putting it on the griddle, both sides nice and brown and beautiful,” she said.
“I also add my own little Jamaican twist to it which is a make a coconut custard. It’s coconut milk cooked down, simmered, with nutmeg and different spices that you’d find in Jamaica.”
Portlander Jamaican Restaurant is participating in the French Toast Fest in Amherst, N.S. (Source: Alana Pickrell/CTV News Atlantic)
It’s a similar story at other restaurants in town this week as well.
Eleven local eateries are putting their own sweet spin on the dish for the sixth annual French Toast Fest.
Those participating include:
- Astract Coffee
- Art of Eating Deli and Catering
- Bliss Crystal Café
- Breakfast at Brittney’s
- Portlander Jamaican Restaurant
- Mystic Sea Brewing
- The Elm Tree
- The Devil’s Halo Cheesecakes
- The Old Warehouse Café and Lounge
- Lil’ Em’s
- Johny’s Java
Each spot is offering a slightly different version of the classic breakfast.
“We do the raisin bread, the raisin bread French toast, and it’s got a scope of vanilla ice cream and it’s got caramel sauce on top and then the icing sugar and everybody seems to like it,” said Kim Bennett, a sever at Breakfast at Brittney’s.
“It’s more of a dessert, I think,” she laughed.
Breakfast at Brittney’s is participating in the French Toast Fest in Amherst, N.S. (Source: Alana Pickrell/CTV News Atlantic)
She says there are multiple benefits to participating in the festival, including supporting local maple syrup camps and drawing in more customers.
“You see a lot of new faces when you have specials like this on,” she said. “I’ve only been here for two years, but last year was really, really good. I remember we did a lot of French toast last year because we went through a 20-litre of ice cream in like three days, so it was really popular last year.”
At the Art of Eating Deli, Becky Agnew is happy to have an entire week dedicated to one of her favourite breakfast foods.
“I prefer French toast to pancakes and waffles definitely,” she said.
She says it’s something that the town looks forward to every year.
“We are offering an egg in the basket and a French toast sausage roll,” she said. “We wanted something sweet and savoury that everyone could enjoy.”
The hope is that the festival offers more than just a good meal. Mayor David Kogon says it aims to highlight what the area has to offer.
“We have Maritime Pride Eggs, we have Wonder brand breads production in our industrial park, we’re surrounded by maple syrup so it was the logical thing and we try to bring some fun to the community at a time of year when not a lot is going,” he said.
New this year, the town is hosting a French toast community dinner on Friday night to make sure the festival is accessible to everyone.
Kogan says both Maritime Pride Eggs and Wonder Bread donated supplies for the community dinner and to three local schools so they could have a complimentary French toast lunch.
Additionally, the town applied for a grant through the province to buy local maple syrup, which was then distributed to the restaurants, schools and for the community dinner.
“We all know with inflationary pressures, people are becoming food insecure, this is a chance to at least give them a good meal, free, as part of this festival,” he said. “Everybody wins when you put on community events.”
From a spin on the classic dish to French toast muffins to cheese cake topped with French toast crunch and maple syrup, French toast lovers are encouraged to post their plates on social media with the hashtag #FRENCHTOASTFEST for a chance to win some Amherst swag.
The festival runs from March 18 to 24.
