Introducing: Starving Artist, the gourmet waffle house’s new St. Clair West location
Name: Starving Artist
Neighbourhood: Corso Italia
Contact Info: 1078 St. Clair Ave. W., 416-901-7079, starvingartist.ca
Owner and chef: Bryan Jackson, owner of the original Starving Artist on Lansdowne Avenue. He also owns Kitch, the casual lounge at Dupont and Dufferin
The Food: “Everything is made of waffles, on waffles, between waffles or made in a waffle iron,” warns the restaurant’s menu in extra-large type. A handful of dishes are unique to the new location, including “waffle bacon”—i.e. strips of bacon baked into golden waffle fingers—and a fried-egg brunchwich sandwiched between two mini waffles. For dessert, the Split-This brings a waffle-encased banana topped with ice cream, whipped cream and strawberries.
The Drinks: Smoothies, milkshakes and a seasonal selection of hair-of-the-dog cocktails, like spicy caesars and something called the French Canadian Breakfast: a blend of maple whiskey, espresso, milk and salted caramel.
The Place: Warholesque waffle art decorates the white-walled room, which used to occupy a Laundromat and a next-door travel agent. Brick arches mark the divide between the two spaces, one of which now houses the sit-down dining room, the other a grab-and-go coffee counter outfitted with comfy leather armchairs.
The Numbers: • 7,200 eggs cracked per month • 1900 square feet • 230 gallons of waffle batter per month • 60 seats inside, double the capacity of the original location • 36-seat patio to open in May • 29 waffle options • 27 litres of maple syrup consumed per week • 10 waffle paintings created by owner Bryan Jackson • 6 laptop stations • 5 months to renovate the space • 5 years since the original Starving Artist opened on Lansdowne Avenue
Caroline Aksich, a National Magazine Award recipient, is an ex-Montrealer who writes about Toronto’s ever-evolving food scene, real estate and culture for Toronto Life, Fodor’s, Designlines, Canadian Business, Glory Media and Post City. Her work ranges from features on octopus-hunting in the Adriatic to celebrity profiles.
