Food & Drink

Introducing: Starving Artist, the gourmet waffle house’s new St. Clair West location

Introducing: Starving Artist, the gourmet waffle house’s new St. Clair West location

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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, starvingartistbar.com
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

Topics: Openings Starving Artist Toronto Restaurants

2 thoughts on “Introducing: Starving Artist, the gourmet waffle house’s new St. Clair West location”

  1. This isn’t really Corso Italia, that’s WEST of Dufferin. This is the west end of Regal Heights/Hillcrest. Nice to see something great finally go into that great space.

  2. Just witnessed something atrocious and had to share it, as I will NEVER be going back to this restaurant or any in the chain. I left the restaurant this afternoon after an average at best meal, and headed over to my local laundromat to get change. A man named Bryan, who I now know to be the owner of the Starving Artist chain came storming out of the restaurant door like a mad man and into the laundromat where he then much to my dismay started verbally and PHYSICALLY attacking someone who upon listening in I realized was a staff member at the restaurant who was on duty folding some restaurant laundry. I have worked in and been around restaurants for the past 30 years and have never, ever seen someone treated that way by a member of management not to mention an owner of the restaurant. It was flat out assault and I was completely disgusted and shocked. He was swearing at him, threatening him, etc. for what appeared to be the sole reason that he was not folding laundry fast enough or wearing a black shirt. I am utterly appalled at what I had to witness and will never dine at this restaurant or recommended it again. Anyone who runs a business like that deserves zero patronage.

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