Oct. 14—It's true we eat first with our eyes, which leads to beautifully crafted meals tasting even better than they look.

At Toastique, open-face slices of toasted bread aren't your average breakfast add-ons. They're artistically created and served on wood boards etched with the eatery's name.

So forget everything you thought you knew about a piece of toast. It's no exaggeration that these are made-to-order colorful culinary compositions.

Here, there's nothing trendy about the avocado mash ($14). A slice of multigrain bread is practically smothered with a thick layer of lemony mashed avocado, carefully placed marinated yellow and cherry sunburst tomatoes, thin wedges of watermelon radish, microgreens and drizzles of chile oil.

The varied components and textures are not just visually pleasing, they also satisfy the palate. Watermelon radish is a mild peppery flavor tempered by the avocado. The tomatoes are not just pretty to look at, they're sweet and juicy.

This, like the other toasts we ordered, is not hand-friendly food. A fork and knife are needed to cut off bites or at least smaller pieces that can be eaten without utensils. Either way, multiple napkins are needed.

We also ordered smoked salmon toast and tomato burrata ($13). For the former, imagine lox and bagel but with sourdough bread as the platform. This is spread with herbed cream cheese. It's loaded with paper-thin slices of smoked salmon, peppery smoked pastrami, cucumber slices, pickled onions and capers.

The tomato burrata rustic bread toast was by far the messiest only because it was stacked high with a fanlike array of thick tomato slices, in the middle of which is a small brick of the smooth, creamy white cheese. This is all precariously placed on a creamy herbed-ricotta base, with pieces of fresh basil and drilled with balsamic glaze. It's the essence of summer, even in October. It's like a Jenga version of a caprese salad, ready to fall apart at any minute. Consequently, this was quickly eaten.

There's not an unappealing toast concoction in the place. Toastique is not all about bread-based meals, though. There's an array of bowls ($12 each) with granola as the foundation and an array of ingredients ranging from fresh fruit to nuts, from coconut milk to almond milk, from activated charcoal (yes, you read that right) to peanut butter.

Peanut butter is also featured on one of the toasts that caught my eye and teased my taste buds. Raisin walnut bread is the stage for the PB crunch ($12). This features honey-roasted peanut butter, slices of fresh strawberries and bananas, granola, chia seeds and drizzled honey. The result is a design you'd expect to see in a kaleidoscope.

Eight gourmet toast varieties are offered, plus a monthly special. Five varieties of bread are available, along with gluten-free. The menu includes cold-pressed juices, made-to-order smoothies and a variety of coffee options. Staff is friendly and helpful. The place is noisy thanks to high ceilings and the whir of blenders.

Initially prices seemed high, but after seeing what arrived at our table and tasting the artistic presentations, we had second thoughts.

Plus, each epicurean toast is indeed a complete meal.

Contact: 1-719-900-1590; toastique.com

Hours: 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. daily

Details: Credit cards accepted. Outdoor seating. Wi-Fi.

Favorite dishes: Tomato burrata and smoked salmon toasts

Other: Gluten-free and vegan options available.

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