Toast of the Town

Chefs are topping bruschetta with everything from asparagus to shrimp, proving that in this Italian classic, the bread is just the beginning.

(Photograph by Essdrass M. Suarez/Globe Staff)

ASPARAGUS BRUSCHETTA $8 ($4 for a smaller serving during happy hour), Bambara

THE BEST!

Grilled focaccia from Iggy's is the foundation for this savory bruschetta created "on the fly" by executive chef Jay Silva. He mixed chopped grilled asparagus with truffle butter, black summer truffles, ricotta, and Parmesan, heaping a spoonful of the concoction on top of the focaccia, which he is careful to leave soft inside. Silva struck gold. A quick pass in the oven melts the cheeses and melds the flavors. The crunchy asparagus combines perfectly with the truffles, and the warmed cheese makes for an ooey-gooey (yahooey!) bite. Bottom line We've been thinking about this dish since we tasted it.

40 CLOVE SHRIMP ON PARMESAN CRUSTED BRUSCHETTA $14, Skipjack's

Skipjack's uses a French baguette, sliced thin, brushed with olive oil, garlic, and Parmesan, and grilled in the oven. "Once it's introduced into the hot sauce," says executive chef Andrew Wilkinson, "the melt-in-your-mouth action starts." He's not kidding. First, he puts five fat wild Gulf shrimp on the crisps, then sets the bruschetta in a pool of "40 clove" garlic scampi sauce that includes shallots, butter, olive oil, white wine, and vermouth. Bottom line Ask for some house-made soft rolls to sop up more of the delish, garlicky sauce. Yes, bread with your bruschetta.

BRUSCHETTA OF GRILLED ZUCCHINI, CRUMBLED PORK SAUSAGE, AND LEMON ZEST $9, Via Matta

Looking picture perfect, this combo sits on a thin slice of Iggy's francese loaf, grilled with olive oil and salt and pepper. The bread is like an ordinary crusty cracker, but the beautiful stack on top got our attention. Expect two lightly grilled zucchini slices separated by a crumble of house-made pork sausage and topped with the zest. The bruschetta's height is a drawback. You have to take it apart to eat it. Still, the flavors sing. Bottom line Looks great, tastes great, but who wants to eat bruschetta in pieces?

BAMBARA 25 Edwin H. Land Boulevard, Cambridge, 617-868-4444, bambara- cambridge.com
SKIPJACK'S 199 Clarendon Street, Boston, 617-536-3500, and other locations; skipjacks.com
VIA MATTA 79 Park Plaza, Boston, 617-422-0008, viamattarestaurant.com