It included quarters of romaine in a zesty Caesar dressing with anchovies, a clump of marinated tomatoes and a toast spread with black-olive tapenade.

Just a slice of wholemeal toast lightly spread with honey or marmalade (if you must have 'butter', use a low-fat substitute) is ideal; but if you want to vary the way you start your days, the ideas below are inventive alternatives.

The antipasto misto (served for two or more at $8 a person) is a satisfying cold platter of roasted red and yellow peppers, assorted Italian meats, a melting melange of eggplant, zucchini and onions and toasts spread with black olive tapenade and chicken liver pate.

And it's light enough to serve it with hors d'oeuvres like toasts spread with warm white beans mashed with garlic, brandade, tapenade or smoked trout.

But the kitchen got back on track with a winning version of crostini - an assortment of meaty, full-flavored mushrooms, wild and tame, over toast thickly spread with goat cheese.

The saffron-tomato-fennel broth was terrific, as was the luscious toast spread with aioli.

The classic fish soup has toasts spread with rouille melting in the middle, and his foie gras "au torchon" consists of two big rounds served with an oxtail gelee.

For his part, Father Dement dawdled over a fourth slice of toast generously spread with marmalade.

For dessert, I had a little round toast spread with a creamy yogurt, as thick as jam, and Belgian chocolate.