BRIQUE FRENCH TOASTERY
I don’t know if this is known about me, but I absolutely adore brunch! Ever since I first moved to LA as a teen-ager, and learned about this repast, (I guess it wasn’t big in Brooklyn back in the day,) I’ve thought it’s the most fun and/or romantic meal ever. Romantic even when with pals and not a love interest—its just such a beautiful experience.
But Mr. X is not a fan of spending time in eateries; he’d rather just have a delicious meal at home. But I don’t want to spend the time making it for us.
The interior of Brique French Toastery. Photo by jolsoncreative.
So, I just found a wonderful solution for us—the incredible French Toast from Brique French Toastery! (I love that entire moniker, too!) You can either pick it up at their location in L.A.’s Century City Mall, if you’re in the area, or have it delivered via Goldbelly anywhere in the country! (Canada, too.)
I’ve discovered over the years that when a place makes just one item, it’s usually outstanding. And this situation lives up to that rule—Brique French Toastery’s one item is delicious!!! It’s a 4” thick piece of brioche French Toast that comes with their signature Peanut Butter Coconut Maple Syrup, Vanilla Bean Whipped Cream, and Toasted Coconut Chips.
I was curious, so I had a Family Pack, (you didn’t think I was going to share my piece, did you?,) delivered to our house, and tried them out with Mr. X and a couple of pals, Jinny and Brad. Here’s what we thought:
Brique is the most apt name ever! That’s exactly what each piece looks like—a big brick. In a beautiful way.
And it’s really absolutely delish. One briquet is just the right size for one person, without feeling overly stuffed nor hungry again for several hours; it’s just right!
Mr. X gushed, “What a good breakfast!” He especially enjoyed the Peanut Butter Coconut Maple Syrup, saying it’s “delightfully different.”
The box. Photo by Karen Salkin.
Artistic Jinny pointed-out the “perfect packaging.” The box is a bluish-lavender, with a gold and cellophane window on top, and the three side ingredients are in small, round, recyclable containers. I noticed that it all looks pretty close to the official pix on their site, and on the delivery one’s, as well, which in all of our experience is a rarity.
It was hard to decipher Brad’s immediate reaction through all the “mmmm”s that were emanating from him as he took his first few bites. But when he was done he said, “The combination of ingredients is genius. It all goes together so beautifully.”
And we all agreed that this dish is “special.”
And the full packaging. Photo by Karen Salkin.
The only suggestion I have is that, if you’re a major cream-lover, as I am, make sure to have some extra whipped cream on hand, (although the store-bought variety will not be even close to as good as the tasty substance that comes with the order.)
You can get the French Toast at their shop and eat it right on-site at an outside table in the mall, to taste it as fresh as possible. But it’s super-easy to heat-up at home. There are four ways to do that, and we tried three of them on our four slices. (I use “slices” loosely because I don’t want to keep using “brick.”) We microwaved one, put one in the toaster oven, and warmed-up two in the conventional oven. And the results were pretty equal. [Note: The fourth method is to put it in an air fryer, but none of us have one.]
One of the ones we put together at home. It looks even better than the one on the delivery site, (at the top of this page,) doesn’t it? Photo by Karen Salkin.
We all agreed that the ones in the ovens were a bit better than the microwaved one because they were crisper. But lucky thing we kept an eye on the one in the toaster oven because, due to the toast’s big stature, it started to get a tad too dark on the top side, even though it was on its side, and not standing straight up. But it was really ready by then, in just three minutes, as opposed to the recommended five-to-seven. And that method did produce the most mouthwatering aroma!
The one caveat for the oven modes, though, is that when you take the toast out and put the toppings on it, the cream melts somewhat quickly. So we suggest you be aware of that. (And when you heat the syrup up in the microwave for twenty seconds, make sure to open the lid first. We learned the hard way!)
So now the only method I have left is to try the Brique French Toast fresh from their oven. And I can’t wait!
The sign at the actual eatery. Photo courtesy of Daniel Breiz.
By the way, if you don’t know exactly when to order it for yourselves, the good news is that they last for three or four days in the refrigerator, (although I doubt that you can resist eating them that long when they’re in your house!) You can even freeze them.
In addition to the fabulous meal, I love that I now have something in common with The Rock, Dwayne Johnson, because I’ve read that this is his favorite “cheat meal.” Brique French Toastery is owned and created by husband-wife team, Daniel Breiz (whom I met and immediately liked,) and Racquel “Rocky” Rockquemore-Breiz, the latter being Dwayne’s private chef. But if Dwayne ever wants to share her, I’d be happy to eat this meal for every breakfast!
Brique French Toastery
Westfield Century City Mall
10250 Santa Monica Boulevard—2nd Floor
www.briquela.com
