In the Winter Park Corners plaza, right off of Aloma Avenue, this Toasted (like the other locations) has an interior that is simple but pleasant and bright. There are also some cute "cheesy" touches--like the Periodic Table of Cheese and lights with graters for shades....This location is also quite small with limited seating inside and a couple of small tables outside. Thankfully my wife and I were getting our food to-go as there were hardly any tables available during lunch.
After a short wait we were politely welcomed and our order taken. This is a fast-casual set-up where you order and pay, then the meal will be brought to you. There wasn’t much room to stand to wait for our food, but we were in and out in 10 minutes. We noticed several people picking up to-go orders that they placed in advance online; I'd certainly do this for future visits.
Toasted’s menu consists of various grilled cheeses, burgers, salads, and a few sides. Vegan and gluten-free items are also available.
On this first visit we wanted to try the specialties--the grilled cheeses. My wife chose the 101 (cheddar & tomato), and I picked the barbacoa melt (braised barbacoa, jack & Cotija cheeses, red onion and a cilantro chimichurri).
We also shared a truffle melt (Havarti cheese, truffle oil, arugula, and fresh ground pepper), and we shared a single order of truffle fries (regular French fries and mac 'n cheese are also available as sides).
All of the grilled cheeses were truly gourmet in flavor. Some may say it’s “just” a grilled cheese, but these were elevated to something better. To start, they are toasted perfectly with just the right amount of butter. The ingredients in all of them were of very high quality, and I appreciated that every single ingredient--as well as the various cheeses--could be individually tasted.
The 101 and truffle melt both had just the right balance of cheese and incorporated ingredients, while the barbacoa contained an ample portion of flavorful and tender meat. All sandwiches were delicious and had their own unique flavors, tasting exactly as described on the menu. If there's such a thing as a "sophisticated" grilled cheese, these would fit that description.
The truffle fries lived up to their name with the truffle flavor easily evident. Along with sprigs of rosemary they were turned into something savory, earthy, and full of flavor. A single order is plenty for two to share as we did.
While their burgers look decent, I would have hoped they too would be served on the same toasted bread as the grilled cheeses, but that doesn’t seem to be the case. With the grilled cheeses so good as the specialty here, I can’t imaging not getting them on every visit.
I have no doubt we'll be back to try more grilled cheeses-perhaps at one of the other locations that may offer a little more room. The concept is simple but really well done, and Toasted has spoiled me on all other grilled cheeses.More