I’m not here to defend $20 avocado toast. But if you’re going to spend $20 on avocado toast, Santa Rosa’s Dolce Rosa Cafe makes a pretty good case for it.
The brunch staple starts with housemade focaccia drizzled with olive oil, then gets piled with avocado, arugula, burrata, cherry tomatoes, rainbow carrots, crushed pistachios, balsamic pearls, chili crunch and hot honey. Add prosciutto or bacon for $4, because at this point, you might as well see this thing through.
It’s not an enormous portion, but there’s a surprising amount of fine-dining flair packed onto the plate. The balsamic pearls are little bits of food-science sleight of hand, transforming vinegar into glossy beads. The whole thing is so carefully arranged that the toast seems to be angling for a cameo on your Instagram feed…