Creative Toasties

It’s certainly not the first toastie bar ever, but it is a creative one: Tosti Creative in Amsterdam. Marjan Ippel ate a Ruebens toastie and spoke to one of the founders.

It started with a creative agency looking for a creative name that would stick in people’s minds. A ‘cheesy’ name that everyone regularly encounters in their daily lives. ‘What’s on many lunch menus? A toastie. That means free marketing for our agency every time,’ says Michiel van den Berg of Tosti Creative.

But when the agency came across a property with a hospitality licence, one and one were quickly added together. And now, almost against its will, it also runs a toastie bar at the front of its new Amsterdam office.

People will always keep eating toasties.

‘Yes, bread was out of fashion for a while. But people are eating it again. And they’ll always keep eating toasties. Toasties are especially popular with younger people. Even with our—admittedly—fairly steep prices. But in return, you really do get excellent quality. Cheese from Erik’s Delicatessen and meat from Fontijn butcher’s.’

Ruebens vs Reuben

Prices range from 5.50 for a basic toastie made with sourdough spelt bread, Gruyère, young cheese, ham, béchamel and ketchup, to 8.50 for, for example, the Ruebens with sauerkraut, pastrami, Gruyère, cornichons and honey-mustard sauce.

And that Ruebens is delicious. Even though the official name is Reuben, and Reuben contains no pastrami (that’s Rachel) but corned beef, nor honey-mustard but Thousand Island dressing. Still, this toastie is called Ruebens after all. So I didn’t say anything.

Guest chefs’ signature toasties

All toasties are served with a handful of crisps and some pickles. Extras such as a fried egg can be added for an additional charge.

But now it gets really interesting: In addition to the range, which changes every three months, Tosti Creative collaborates with guest chefs, each of whom will provide a signature toastie for a month. Starting with Julius Schenk of fellow Amsterdam establishment Cannibale Royale, who is serving a pulled-ribs toastie with oaked cheddar cheese and pickles throughout April. Collaborations with the chefs at fellow city establishments Breda and BAK are already in the works.

And even though it may have started as a joke, the dream now genuinely is to open more toastie bars. Even in other cities.

Tosti Creative
Van Woustraat 2H
Amsterdam

Image: Janneke Nooij