Roast and Toast Post
“Where do I have to go when I visit Petoskey, MI?”
Roast and Toast. Aka Roast and Toast Cafe. The answer is almost unanimous. And sure enough, the very first time I visited, I understood the draw that this little eclectic coffee shop in downtown Petoskey had on all of its visitors. And let me tell you, it’s not just the coffee.
Before you even step in the front door, you are drawn in by it’s witty and creative arch way. Unlike other coffee shops that simply display the name of their shop and hours, Roast and Toast embellishes it’s entry with cemented-in multi-colored coffee mugs, that protrude from its red-colored brick- surely catching the eye of any passerby.
Once you step foot inside the doors, the pleasing, eye-catching aesthetics of the place only become greater. You truly have no idea where to look first, because there are so many interesting pieces to grab your attention. However, one of my favorite accents to the place, is it’s coordinating chalkboard menu wall. The menu is not only one giant chalkboard on the left-interior wall, but the border mimics the cemented-in coffee mugs on the outer arch-way. As a nerdy visual person, the cohesiveness and unity of the cemented-in coffee mugs and slight touch of contrast with the “white” coffee cups instead of “multi-colored” truly makes me happy. Plus, once you do get around to actually looking at the choices on the menu, you are taken-aback because everything sounds so delicious!
Yes, normal coffee shops and cafes are known to have “baked goods”, but Roast and Toast picks it up a notch in this area! They don’t just have cinnamon rolls or chocolate chip cookies, they have Giant Cinnamon Rolls, thick and soft Peanut Butter Chocolate Cookies, Cheesecake Brownies, Raspberry White Chocolate Scones, Blondies, and so much more. They have something that appeals to everyone’s sweet tooth it seems. If fact, I was just in there the other day and they even had Black Bean Brownies with Expresso Frosting for the vegans in town!
The food doesn’t stop there though. They have an extremely full menu of salads, sandwiches, wraps, entrees, breakfast foods … and soups. Oh my, do they have some incredible homemade soups that are made daily. And, you can’t find them anywhere else! One of my favorites is Creamy Chicken Broccoli. I’m getting hungry just thinking about their food.. oh, and their Veggie Pita. I know where I’m going on my lunch break today!
And then, there’s the coffee. There has not been one drink that I’ve ordered, that I havent been fond of. And they have unlimited choices. I can’t drink alot of milk, so any place that offers subtitutes for dairy, I appreciate even more! Some of their most popular drinks I’ve found are the Milky Way Mocha, Snowball, Accidental Tourist, Dirty Irishman, Black and Creamy, Rob’s Chai High and Raspberry White Chocolate Mocha. You truly can’t go wrong with the coffee selection. They’re even glad to make custom order coffee drinks like my Iced Honey Cinnamon Latte with Almond Milk. It’s not on the menu, but they are happy to make it for me each time. In fact, even plain jane coffee orders like my go-to of a French Vanilla Iced Coffee always hit the spot!
I could continue talking about this place, but you’ll just have to check it out yourself!
The undeniable truth is:
1) You can’t possibly visit Grandpa Shorter’s Gifts without stopping at Roast and Toast while you’re out.
2) I have become a regular.
More to come,
Megan Fluharty
Petoskey Through the Eyes of a Newbie
