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Category: Breakfast & Brunch [Edit]
584 Lansdowne AveToronto, ON M6H 3
Neighbourhood: Wallace Emerson
(647) 342-5058
- Hours:
Tue-Fri 9 am - 6 pm
Sat-Sun 10 am - 6 pm
- Attire:
- Casual
- Accepts Credit Cards:
- No
- Parking:
- Street
- Price Range:
-
$$
- Good for Groups:
- Yes
- Good for Kids:
- Yes
- Takes Reservations:
- Yes
- Delivery:
- No
- Take Away:
- Yes
- Waiter Service:
- Yes
- Wheelchair Accessible:
- No
- Outdoor Seating:
- Yes
- Good For:
- Brunch, Lunch
- Alcohol:
- None
12 reviews for Starving Artist
All Reviews
Starving Artist
7/20/2010
Whilst apartment hunting a few months ago (and in a decrepit hung over state) my friends and I decided to stop in here for coffee. We stepped up through the cramped doorway into the bustling little restaurant that smelled like a mother's kitchen. We were led through the laughing crowds of people towards the back where there was a little table adjacent to the turn tables.
The waitress came to take our orders, we explained we were only getting coffee. She asked us, "Have you ever been here before?" We all shook our heads, smiling, no. She explained to us that everything on the menu was served on waffles, and my eyes light up. In high school, I had a guilty pleasure that involved making chocolate chip pancakes really late at night, and this fascination did and does stem towards all kinds of breakfast goodies, including french toast and waffles. But I hadn't indulged in a normal pancake, let alone waffle, in quite some time as I had been vegan for a few years, and then found out I had a gluten-sensitivity, which really made it impossible to have waffles or any such thing. But then as we're looking over the menu, I see something that almost causes my eyes to burst out of my skull. "They have GLUTEN-FREE, VEGAN waffles here!" I exclaim excitedly. I was too hung over on that occasion and in need of leafy greens to indulge in the new discovery, but my friend did order the waffle grilled cheese which looked amazing.
Upon moving into that same area only a month or so later, I remembered the adorable little restaurant that incorporated all of my favourite things into one space: art, gluten-free indulgences, vegan-friendly eats, and of course, waffles. I decided we all needed to go. It wasn't nearly as busy as the first time I had stepped into the space, and so we were told to sit wherever we'd like, and we picked a corner spot on the backyard patio. One of the co-owners, as we'd come to know (and recognizable from the picture on the business card), served us. Toby is incredibly charismatic and charming. He knows how to work well with customers. He gave us the run-down on the place, and throughout the course of my many visits thus far to Starving Artist, I have learned much more about the restaurant. Toby started the restaurant with his partner Brian in an effort to provide an artistic spot for artists and the community alike. It's an artist-friendly spot, with art lining the walls (photographs, taken by Toby), and they're also really excellent at providing a spot for musicians to perform (anything from acoustic shows, to jazz nights). There is a heavy focus on hip hop music at Starving Artist, and they constantly have a specific hip hop radio station playing over the speakers (Toby told me which one it was, but I have since forgotten). There are also regular events, such as hip hop nights, or nights when various DJs play the place. It's an interesting idea, and I see what they're trying to do.
I ordered one of the dessert waffles, requesting the vegan/gluten-free waffles. At that time, I was not vegan (I have since converted back), and thus ordered one of the blueberry dessert waffles with ice cream. Our breakfasts arrived and my waffles were not crispy chip-like things that crumbled into dust when you consumed them, as I had kind of suspected. Nor are they the store-bought gluten-free waffles available at most grocery stores. They are real in-house made gluten-free, vegan, puffy, soft waffles. This place is the real deal. I smothered the waffles loaded with blueberries, blueberry sauce, whipped cream, and ice cream with maple syrup and cut away a corner to try. The waffle squished between my teeth like moist bread pudding. There is a slightly different consistency to the gluten-free waffles, which is to be expected, but it is not unlikeable, and it does not turn me off. Furthermore, the presentation of the waffle boats (the desserts) and the other breakfasts is gorgeous. The plates are always piled high, clean around the edges of the various servings, and little touches like intricately cut strawberries add a pretty touch to the meals.
I have come to love Starving Artist. I have yet to attend a hip hop night, but it is on my list of to-dos this summer. Now, I too can indulge in Toronto's favourite daily past-time, brunch.
Starving Artist
Delicious foodage!
Nice little patio too (too bad the rain sent us inside).
I had the Breakfast Waffle (2 poached eggs, bacon, on top of 2 potato waffles) The potato waffles are gorgeous, could really taste the chives. Comes served with a green salad as well as your choice of potato salad, fruit salad or bakes beans.
Now I really want to go back and try the regular waffles. The guy next to us was eating blueberry ones and they looked tasty.
Waitress seemed a bit out of it (hungover?) - bringing someone else's bill to our table plus crashing some dishes around at another table, but otherwise was serving us in a very friendly manner.
Starving Artist
4/11/2010
Waffle-ly delicious!
I've been here a bunch of times.
At first I was hooked... but as they boomed, the service got slower (lack of waitstaff not meeting the influx of customers), and my waffles were consistently ice cold with an unmeltable chunk of butter.
I returned a few more times and only ordered items with potato waffles because they are less icky when cold.
This place has come a long way since those cold waffle days.
This venue is still crazy cool. Artwork from local artists, the chill house tunes, the wonderful little backyard patio. The service is always friendly but busy.
They have a great menu, with savory lunch items and sweet dessert waffles. I was starving and ordered one of the larger brunch dishes on the menu, the Hitchhiker with waffle bacon (about 10 bucks) with the dill potato salad.
My waffles were not ice cold! Not piping hot, but acceptable.
I still find the service quite slow, even though they have hired more staff. So, not the place to go if you are in a hurry, but great for a lazy afternoon.
I would give the place four stars, but I have an issue with cold waffles. And also in the summer, the bee problem does drive me crazy, but I don't know if that's actually fixable. I just don't want to share my food with flying critters of stinging pain.
Starving Artist
2/26/2010
Starving Artists delivers a real solid on the vegan, gluten-free waffles. To accompany them they provide real maple syrup(a must), a small salad and your choice of fruit, beans or something else I can't remember.
I got the fruit but it was mostly honeydew mellon with some grapes and pineapple, of which I am not a fan. I regretted not getting the beans. Mmm, baked beans.
Back to the waffles, I was admittedly worried they would be dry, toaster pop type cardboard things, but they came out looking just the regular waffles. They are round, thick and moist through and through. They make the batter in house and it's a winner.
Try this place for brunch, it's in a strange place near a gelatin factory but you never have to wait for a table, parking is easy or walking from Lansdowne Station. I even spied well-behaved children dining there. Who knew that was possible?
Starving Artist
1/11/2010
1 photo
There need to be more reviews for this place - I demand it! Highly overlooked brunch spot, and one of two reasons to ever get off at Lansdowne station (Ciro's being the other: http://www.yelp.ca/biz...). Step over the vagrants that are loafing outside the station and head north a block or two, and you will have arrived.
This is a gourmet waffle cafe with many, many options that will satisfy even the most diehard waffle enthusiast. I've enjoyed The Hitchhiker ($10), which includes scrambled eggs with cheddar cheese, caramelized bacon (I subbed for tomato and avocado slices) and two waffles. I was not a fan of the potato salad (to be fair, I never really am, unless it's my own**), but everything else was on point. There's also a Waffle Benny ($9 for exactly what it sounds like), an AYCE special ($15) and a host of other menu items if (for some reason) you're not in the mood for waffles.
The owners, Tobias and Bryan, are two affable fellows who you'll immediately want to befriend. They play cool music, interesting movies backdrops like the Video Director series, and create all of the photography you see on the walls. They run the show here and do everything from tidying your table to plating your food. They're always trying out new things on the menu and you can even send in suggestions for different waffle types on their website - UGC at its finest!
Cash only, last time I checked.
** Potato Salad recipe: http://food.chatelaine...
Listed in: Serious Brunch List: Toronto's…
Starving Artist
1/24/2010
Figures that once I move from the apparently on-the-cusp-of-not-being-sketchy Blansdowne area, a lovely brunch nook/watering hole opens up.
But geographical bitterness aside, this waffle-centric joint has a lot going for it, from a cool, laid-back atmosphere and interesting but unobtrusive decor to a really, really tasty potato salad and an interesting interpretation of eggs Benny.
Despite that fact that there was no omelette on the menu, my default brunch order, I was mega stoked to discover that they offered avocado as a substitute for bacon on the 'Waffle Benny', for FREE. Stoked to the point where i may have actually let a little squeal of delight escape my lips. Substitutions always cost, if they're even offered at all, so I was rather impressed that they let me know I could go the buttery vegetable (fruit?) angle without penalty right off the bat. I'm a sucker for the details.
My brunch partner took the exact opposite view of bacon and got 'The Hitchhiker' - cheesy scrambled eggs with two mini waffles - and opted to upgrade his caramelized bacon to 'waffle bacon', a completely new concept for me wherein bacon is added to the waffle batter for a marriage of sweet and meat. Despite the fact that I generally stay away from the stuff, curiosity got the best of me, and I went in for a sample of this coated bacon creation. The verdict? The sweetness and texture of the waffle actually offset the sometimes overpowering saltiness of bacon and also helped to eliminate the excess grease factor that usually turns my stomach. Definitely worth a try.
Ok, back to my dish. The Waffle Benny came with two sides, and despite Bart's proclamation to the contrary, Starving Artist did make friends with salad, one leafy and one creamy potato salad, which satisfied my yen for a hash brown like addition to my plate.
The poached eggs were tasty, fluffy and enjoyed a nice smattering of hollandaise sauce and having the creaminess of an avocado was a welcome addition. Although I think I prefer an English muffin to a waffle as a the little bed for my eggs Benny to rest on, I enjoyed the subtly saccharine quality the waffle brought to the brunch table, even though I usually go for strictly salty.
The coffee, while a little on the strong side for me, was still plenty good and was promptly replenished and our waitress was capable, kind and refreshingly available while not being overbearing. Being able to balance those two qualities is sometimes the difference between good and great service and I'd say she nailed it.
I will definitely be hitting up this cozy and cool brunch joint/bar again and am curious to see what it's like after dark, which will probably happen sooner than later since they have a Nacho Night. This girl likes her cheese.
Starving Artist
5/3/2010
Save your TIME and MONEY and go somewhere else!
OK, so I got the Eggs Benny and literally my 7 year old neice could make this $9 meal because it safely did not invole a stove top.
The eggs were "poached" in the microwave (dinging sound in the background and the telltale plastic poacher "mold" shape), the potato waffles (sounds great right?) were cold and the handful of mixed greens were squirted with Kraft Raspberry Vinegarette. Oh, the side of potato salad was straight from a grocery store tub! The service was excruciatingly slow, we waited just about 1 HOUR for our food and no explanation of why it took so long! The servers calculated for us that our $9 meals were $12.50 including tax and tip. That would be a 25% tip, how generous of us to them for such bad food/service! Never again Starving Artist, they deserve to STARVE!!!!!!!
Starving Artist
6/17/2009
Awesome place that opened very recently (June 2009). On the site of an another restaurant, it has the open airy feel of a cool cafe though it's in the middle of an old industrial area.
I know of it because I work in the area. And like school letting out for children at the end of the summer, every lunchtime one can observe a ravenous pack of my coworkers roaming the area of Lansdowne and Bloor, looking for anything edible.
Until Starving Artist, the breakfast/lunch choices in the area were dismal.
Starving Artist serves waffles. Their thing is waffles. Waffles and coffee. Breakfast waffles, lunch waffles: Potato waffles with poached eggs, bacon, and chives. Mini waffles with maple syrup. Waffle sandwiches with various goodies. And coffee.
I have eaten there 2 or 3 times already and I have not been disappointed. The coffee is great. Love their espresso. The owners are two friends for whom this is a side-business to their passion as artists (I think). You can see examples of their work on the walls. It's very good.
The only downside to this place is the price. It's a bit on the expensive side. But I think it's worth it.
Starving Artist
2/27/2010
I was first drawn to Starving Artist as a brunch place because the initial review I read said this placed specialized in waffles. When my brunch team and I got there, we were pleasantly surprised to find EVERYTHING on the menu made of waffles. The biggest creativity item on the menu is waffled bacon. That's right, I said waffled bacon. It is bacon, covered in waffle batter, placed in a waffle maker, cut into strips and then served with a side of maple syrup for dipping. The brunch menu ranges from waffle grilled cheese, to potato waffles, regular waffles, waffles benny and more. They serve lunch, dinner and dessert (a big list of waffles/toppings) and have vegan options and a big drink list. Waffles come with a choice of two sides (options are fruit salad, potatos, beans and greens). The tea, was disappointing because it was a regular bag of Lipton. The coffee and lattes looked better. Coffee comes in a French press.
For someone schlepping from the nose bleed section of North York, Starving Artists was a bit of a hike but one that I would gladly drive back next time I"m craving waffles. The staff were on top of our table the entire time, despite having to rush back and forth to service the packed brunch house. If I remember correctly, Starving Artists is a cash only/debit only place.
Starving Artist
3/6/2010
Starving Artist might've cornered the market on vegan/gluten-free waffles (I wouldn't know, I just had the regular ones). If you aren't looking for those specific things and don't live close by, this place is not worth the trip.
Service was reasonably attentive, but the execution and quailty of menu items was very disappointing. The waffles weren't any better than any other place I've been to, the "salad" accompanying my brunch was pedestrian bagged mescalin mix with a splash of balsamic vinegrette.
Three of us had dishes with scrambled eggs which were overcooked, causing them to have brown skin and a rubbery texture. The fruit was the jarred type, not fresh, the chocolate milk was very pale and watery. I appreciated the idea of waffle bacon, but after the glowing reviews on here, I was disappointed. Overall, it is not worth the trip or the prices.
Starving Artist
Soul Food shut down, and has been replaced by this excellent waffle shop. Just North of Bloor on Lansdowne, next to a bunch of houses. The shop is easy to miss if you aren't from the area. Starving Artist has both a front and backyard patio, and a fair amount of space inside. It's a nicely done up space. They serve up waffles in all sorts of ways. There are savory breakfast waffles, served with eggs benedict. There are sandwich waffles (smoked salmon for the win). And then there are desert waffles, which you can get topped with just about anything. The prices are great, and the waffles are awesome.
Listed in: I live in BLANSDOWNE!
Starving Artist
8/24/2009
I've been here a few times. The idea of a wafflery is brilliant. Definitely disappointed by their potato waffles, but their regular waffles are great. The big problem with this place is they haven't perfected their sides yet. Hopefully they will.
