4.5: Food, service and price: awesome, which is really what matters. Atmosphere, location and baked…read moregoods: OK. These days it's hard to find a cafe that isn't overpriced and better than just average. But Toasted Oat hits the high points of quality of cook on the food, even if the ingredients may not all be top notch. They have breakfast sandwiches, bowls and scrambles, as well as regular sandwiches, salads and burritos. We enjoyed the regular breakfast sandwich with spinach and cheese (subbed the meat but wish the spinach had been cooked in - $7) and the breakfast scramble which included 2 eggs, 3 veggies, cheese, protein all mixed/cut up together, as well as hash brown (didn't exactly look homemade?) and toast ($11). Everything was served in to-go containers so the looks weren't the best but makes sense given the place and that most people probably don't dine in. You order at the counter and they bring you your food. Everything takes time to come out so you know it's done to order. They also have some coffee and tea. They had a few coffee cake items in a glass display but didn't look homemade either. It feels like a cafe should have more selection of pastries but again bother me. Service was friendly and patient. The actual location isn't that great visually either. There is one longer table and a few smaller ones, but it's not a big place and not decorated to impress (fine by me!) It is located in a small nondescript plaza with an Indian market. Small parking lot. Wish this small business well!

Toasted OAT Cafe in Canton has been here a long time. I'm not sure why I haven't stopped here…read morebefore. My brunch buddy and I had to make a last minute change of plans, so we landed at Toasted OAT today for breakfast. There are a few tables in a roped off section of the parking lot to eat outside. Inside, there's a long table in the middle, 3 smaller tables on the left, and a bar at the window. We had no problem getting a seat, but it seems like it's more of a take-and-go place than a destination to eat. There are a lot of customizations you can make to your food order, which is more easily done in their online ordering system--but there's a $1.95 service fee to use it. My friend and I made our decisions based off of that system but ordered at the counter. While there are a lot of breakfast and lunch options, there aren't many beverages. Coffee, hot chocolate, and tea are the mainstays for warm beverages, and all cold beverages other than cold brew coffee are prepackaged bottles in a cooler and run just short of $4. Every order, whether it's take-out or eat-in, is served in disposable packaging with disposable utensils. I ordered the Reuben bowl without eggs and a side waffle with syrup. Kind of love that I could get a side waffle. It took a while for the food to come out. It felt longer than it should have been for how few people were there, but I didn't time it. My waffle was cold. The tator tots in the Reuben bowl, however, were cooked perfectly, as were my friend's hash browns. Everything tasted great. If you're looking for the picturesque weekend brunch experience, this isn't it. But if you want a quick bite that's well made with quality ingredients and no-fuss beverages, you'll be very happy here. Even more so if you want to take it on the go.

This place is a breath of fresh air for the CT brunch scene, vibrant Asian-fusion flavors and a…read morestunning, plant-filled aesthetic. It's THE spot for those craving pillowy Japanese Soufflé Pancakes aka Hottokeki or a savory Korean Egg Drop sandwich, paired with expertly crafted strawberry field matcha. My favorite however was the katsu chicken over rice.. incredible flavors, the breading on the chicken was crisp. I'd come back just for that and probably try the Hong Kong toast next time. Service was great, a must-visit for foodies and social media fans .

This place hits all the marks! Absolutely perfect decor, parking available behind the restaurant or…read moreon the street, super friendly service, good drinks, and great food. Started with a lychee mocktail that was just the right amount of sweet, hubs had a hot tea (authentic cast iron tea pots). We got two orders of the Japanese soufflé pancakes that are only available on weekends - ube and strawberry. And we split an egg tomato cheddar arugula sandwich with lotus chips side. They did a great job by splitting the sandwich and chips for us without asking and gave us extra plates for the pancakes so we could sample each others. This is an hour drive for us but it was 100 worth it.

I was very sad to see the Lilly Pad Cafe's social media post today announcing their closure…read more The two women who owned the cafe were incredibly sweet and friendly, and we really enjoyed our interactions with them. It's sad to see them go

I was so confused on where to find the cafe at first because there aren't any signs outside. I am…read moreso glad I ran into someone who pointed me to the right direction. The entrance is at building 30 and it's literally the first door past the first level door. They have specials and a few other basics on their menu. They also have infused lemonade and tea available at all times. Seemingly, it does a whole lot better than coffee at the premises since offices in the building usually have their own. I came on a day that grocery was running behind so they didn't have any of their specials available. I tried their raspberry iced tea that was served in a small cup, cool and without ice. I'm not all too sure if that is a standard. It isn't all too sweet and can taste the raspberry and green tea. The breakfast panini is served on a sourdough bread with 2 eggs, your choice of cheese with onions & peppers and can add sausage, bacon or back bacon. It is buttery and beautifully toasted. I opted for Swiss cheese and I absolutely love stretch! It's to die for! Besides their menu, they also offer refrigerated bottled drinks and chips.

My first experience with BouNom was a summer Sunday back in 2020. I had seen it nominated for best…read morebakery in Connecticut magazine and my family and I decided to take a ride out there to try it. That experience was absolutely life-changing. Not only were the pastries absolutely extraordinary, but I experienced what may have been the most hospitable customer service ever. While my family enjoyed our pastries and cherry lemonade in the exquisitely decorated cafe, the owner came over and sat down with us to chat. She then proceeded to give us a variety of other pastries to try (on the house) and even introduced us to some of her staff before we left. I could not get over that experience and I proceeded to tell everyone I knew that they absolutely had to try BouNom. Since that day, BouNom has become synonymous in my family with special occasions. What do I want for Mother's Day? A trip to BouNom. My daughter's choice for birthday breakfast? BouNom. The fact that it is a bit of a hike for us is no deterrent whatsoever. If we know we are even remotely headed to that area, a suggestion of BouNom is always made and enthusiastically agreed upon. My personal recommendation would be the Cherry Vanilla Cream Cheese croissant. The portion so big that it takes me two days to finish. My daughter would say pain au chocolat or the chocolate chip banana muffin. My husband loves anything with fruit and often bounces around the different specials that are offered. We usually place an order online the night before and, while ordering a coffee during pickup, we might find a few more treats to put in our box. How lucky we are to have this treasure in our corner of Connecticut!

I have not had one bad thing from here. I save my cheat days for her scones and butterscotch…read morelattes. I love coming in here, as everyone is so helpful and kind. The owner is so generous and loving and you can tell that this is a genuine passion of hers. Whether you preorder, go in and sit or take away you will have a great experience. I recently learned that if you put in a pre-order and the shop closes early, you can still pick your pre-order up at the candy store ( BouNom Emporium) across the way. She's really thought of everything!

First time here and I would definitely go again! I just stopped in for a coffee, but it was just a…read morereally good iced coffee. While I didn't order food this time, the sandwich options looked great, and they also have a fridge stocked with grab-and-go food items plus desserts you can take home. The inside is super cute and cozy, such a nice spot to pop into or hang out for a bit. Overall, great first impression. I'll absolutely be back and will definitely try the food next time

Just left the Little Oak Cafe. We will not be returning. Service staff was condescending and the…read morefood was terrible. Waffles with fruit- frozen waffles with rotten fruit. Roast beef panini on molded bread. When we pointed the food issues out to the staff we were told we could call the manager. No apology. If I could leave less a star I would.

I have to say it was a great meal. Started off with their bread and honey butter super yummy. Then…read morewhipped ricotta and Brussels sprouts very good! Then a filet with garlic mashed potatoes and I swapped out rabe for asparagus and added a side of honey carrots. We also got the short ribs it was huge very tender carrots with mashed potatoes. We were too full for dessert unfortunately.

Great ambiance. Food was good-can recommend the Brussels sprouts, haddock and salmon. (We did…read morenotice the food to be a tad salty.) We also enjoyed the fun cocktails. Go early because we arrived at 8 and at 9 most efforts were on cleanup and prep for the next day vs service/attention on those still dining. Staff did not alert us to nightly special so be sure to read the sign on the wall as you come in so you know!

I was really excited when I heard this bakery was opening in Avon, so I finally made a stop in on a…read moreSunday morning (a few weeks ago) right after they opened. The space is cute and the staff was friendly, but the selection was a bit slim. Definitely not as many options as I was hoping for that early in the day. I grabbed a few items to try and they were good, just not mind blowing. I left wishing there were more choices, especially since I came in so excited to check them out. I'm still looking forward to giving them another shot, and I might visit the Cromwell location to see how it compares.

From Chan Bakeshop has a location in Cromwell and I've been meaning to take a drive there. When I…read moreheard that they opened in Avon, I was ecstatic. The type of bakery is very similar to Bounom, a French inspired bakeshop. I follow them on social media and see what they make, it all looks and sounds so delicious. It's in a little plaza right on route 44. I went on a Friday around 1:30 and they had a limited selection which is understandable. The person helping me out recommended I go earlier. They still had mango cake slices, Korean BBQ; hot dog; pizza milk bread, and cookies. Milk bread is made with water instead of milk. I decided to purchase the Korean BBQ milk bread for $10; wow it was tasty, the bread was fluffy. That alone deserved 5 stars. There were a couple of tables to sit at. I can't wait to go back earlier in the day and try more times out!

This place is obscure and a little bit hard to find unless you have navigation!…read more But once you find the front door and walk through, you are greeted warmly with many smiles from the workers, and the smell of fresh baked goods I came specifically for the sourdough bread and there it was sitting in the showcase ready to rock! I purchased a sliced loaf As I was looking through the showcase, I saw these blueberry scones that looked beautiful, and the love was showing through. They were talking to me. I said to the friendly server "I'll take three!" This place is a must try and a hidden gem for all to visit at least once! Here, take my money! I will be back!

Place is great I have been to both the Avon and the West Hartford locations…read more Loved the chocolate chip cookies, sour dough bread and the baguettes. Think people are hating this place because they are comparing the food to Stop & Shop. The taste is pretty different. Sour Dough from NY, Vermont that was "baked today" but feels half frozen is $7 at Whole Foods ... so complaining about $10 for a local one is kind of wild. Yesterday I had a baguette from the West Hartford location. Ate it on the way home. It was so good. Finally tried a sandwich. I had their Turkey Sandwich today. Shit was life changing. Haven't had an experience like that since having a steak at J Gilberts for the first time. It is like wow this is what real food taste like and what our parents & grand parents would eat before everything was mass produced. Everything was local and delicious. Price wise it was $2 more than a regular sized Jersey Mikes Turkey Bacon sandwich. The coffee and the other baked goods I thought were just ok but their bread, cookies and sandwiches are incredible.

Tried Bruno's Café The cookie butter latte was amazing!…read morePerfect sweetness. Everyone was grabbing their fresh sourdough + they're known for their toast & sandwiches

Visiting Bruno's was on my list since a while. I finally did and it is my new fav local spot…read more I tried Scarecrow latte, Brown butter latte, and Autumn palmer from their winter special menu. They were all great and I look forward to trying their seasonal drinks since they always come up with interesting ones. Their cream cheeses are super fresh and yum. In food we've tried Plain Jane and Garden Goddess panini so far and we liked it. The staff is patient and friendly. And love the cozy vibe they have going. Be sure to wait during rush hours. Bruno's cafe has many fans ;)

New England Pasta sells fresh cut pasta, ready to re-heat entrees, sides, soups, salads, etc. I was…read morein the area and picked up a few things to make at home over a few days. My favorite purchases were the fresh cut egg linguine and the Ritz-based stuffed cod. The fresh linguine cooks in a minute and the texture just hits different in the best possible way. The cod was nice and firm and the Ritz stuffing was crazy delicious. I also liked the Chicken Francaise. You can't really compare it to restaurant quality Francaise because it's specifically made to be re-heated and eaten later. With this in mind, I though that the small chicken pieces and lemon sauce were very solid. My other purchases included clam chowder and Tuna Mac Salad with peas. The Tuna Mac was pretty good. It wouldn't be in regular rotation for me, but I'd get it once in a while. The clam chowder was my least favorite, but I respect that New England Pasta seemed to go for something different. The texture was good and it had plenty of clams and potato. But it tasted like it had a little blue cheese flavor. I can't say for sure that they used blue cheese, but the chowder definitely had something different that gave it this vibe. For me, this flavor was a bit too assertive. I don't live near New England Pasta, but if I did, I would visit once in a while. Four Stars

This is the go to place for freshly made pasta. I don't need a lot of pasta but when I do it is…read moreremarkable the difference between the dry pasta you buy in the supermarket and buying fresh pasta. The peppercorn angel hair is fantastic. You will also find a variety of prepared foods and among my favorites is there a grilled giant shrimp that go very well with the pasta! They also offer an assortment of baked goods and among those that I've tried include some really spectacular oatmeal cookies.