Toast on Nantasket Beach

Saturday morning calls for a special breakfast. A celebration that you survived another work week and that two days off has begun!

We headed down to Hull to cash in a Groupon I bought a while back- time for some Toast!


Toast is tucked away on Nantasket Avenue right on the beach.


Look for the blue Ocean Place sign and take a left. There's parking across the street in a municipal lot, too.

Though you might encounter a bit of a wait, there's plenty of knick-knacks to see.


A bookshelf of cookbooks in the bathroom!

Soap shaped like buttered toast!

The owner, Audrey, did the hair and makeup for this photoshoot!

We probably waited about 15-20 minutes to be seated- we scored prime spots at the counter. I love sitting at the counter- all the hustle and bustle is right there and it feels just like an old fashioned diner full of locals and families. The waitstaff was friendly and attentive. Our coffee cups were kept full and warm.

We started with an order of grilled banana bread. It was served with a side of salty butter and it was divine. Soft sweet cake was encased in a crisp, warm exterior. Pretty sure we were lucky enough to get the last batch- so delicious.

There's only a chef and a sous chef in the back so it does take some time to get your food, but the main event is worth the wait.

Oh my stars, these were tasty. Sugared pecans and fresh blueberries topped three hearty, multigrain pancakes. Served with real maple syrup, these were the perfect breakfast treat. I got a side of fluffy scrambled eggs for a bit of protein.


The husband ordered the Cape Cod home fries. Shredded and diced potatoes were grilled to perfection with peppers, onions, and sausage. A sprinkling of cheese on top and a side of over easy eggs rounded out the plate.


As you can see, we both left very full and very happy. Our total meal was only $28- a definite bargain for the quality we received. The rest of the menu looked as good as the food we ordered, so we'll definitely be going back for more weekend eats.

Three cheers for Toast!

Not so sloppy joes

I should start with a bit of an update. There's been a lot less crying around the Cupcakes household than I thought there would be.

Reason being...we didn't end up moving. Our house didn't sell and ultimately we're pretty happy about that. The other place was a steal and a great location, but it would have been more expensive and WAY less convenient.

We officially closed the book on this grand adventure on Friday and I've been celebrating by pulling all my crap out and making the house look I live in it again! Books stacked everywhere- check. Piles of mail- check. Dirty dishes in sink- check. Socks on the floor- check.

Ah- sweet relief. Keep this joint "company ready" 24/7 really blew.

And I just bought a new vacuum- a Hoover Sprint Quick Vac. Why I didn't buy this when I needed to keep the house super clean I don't know. Probably the same reason I let all the flowers we bought to "pretty" up the place die. My heart wasn't in it.

Now that I'm done tidying like June Cleaver, I have more time to blog. Hooray!

Enter- not so sloppy joes.

They're not so sloppy because I served them open faced. Feel free to get your hands dirty by putting those pieces o' toast together. Those beans will ooze all over you.

Exhibit A- sloppy.

Not So Sloppy Joes- vegetarian style

1 tbsp olive oil
2 green bell peppers, diced
1 yellow onion, diced
2 cloves garlic, finely minced
1 tsp chili powder
1/2 tsp cumin
28 oz. can of baked beans
1/2 tsp Dijon mustard
2 squirts ketchup- roughly 2 tbsp
salt and pepper to taste
2 slices of bread per person, toasted
Cheddar cheese, for topping

Heat up the olive oil over medium heat in a medium saucepan. Add the bell pepper and onion and saute until just starting to brown- 5-8 minutes. Add 1/2 tsp of salt to get those juice flowing. Add the garlic and stir well. Don't let the garlic burn. I'm serious, don't!

Add the chili powder and cumin to the pepper and onion mixture. Stir to combine. Dump in the baked beans and stir to combine and get all the good brown bits off the bottom. Add the mustard- stir extra well. You don't want to get a big bite of that- it will clear your sinuses. Squirt in the ketchup. Bring to a bubble and let cook about 2 minutes. Then reduce heat to low. Salt and pepper to taste. I probably added about 1/2-3/4 tsp salt and 1/2 tsp freshly ground pepper.

Toast your bread. Arrange on a plate. Scoop on the sloppy joe and top with cheddar.


This whole meal came together in about 20 minutes- not too shabby for cafeteria food. As to whether these really taste like their Manwich counterparts, it's hard to say, although I think they're a close cousin. The husband never ate sloppy joes as a child and thus has only had my vegetarian renditions.

You be the judge!