BRUNCH AT STARBELLY - Auburn Bay

I sometimes drive by this place when I visit my sister. I was very curious about this place when it first opened and didn't hear and read great things. My sister was also hesitant about having dinner here. My birthday was coming up so I suggested to have brunch at Starbelly since I heard some good things about their brunch. Located on Seton Blvd by Save-On foods and the new South Health Campus, Starbelly is very easy to find. Upon entering, the restaurant is very big and open. The open kitchen and bar is located at the front of the restaurant, and there is a big private dining room off to the side. My sister made reservations at 10:30am on Sunday, and it wasn't busy at all.

There were four of us altogether for brunch. The menu was small and had the typical offerings for brunch - standard breakfast, bennys, hash, and French toast. We all picked something different on the menu. The service was okay. Our server occasionally came by to refill our coffee and water and asked how everything was. I was debating back and forth between the savory dish (Pastrami Hash) or the sweet one (French Toast). I did what my friend does and pick at the really last minute when the server was taking our orders.

French Toast $15

I decided to go with the sweet dish. When the dish arrived at the table, I was disappointed. This dish definitely did not match the price. You get two pieces of brioche, two spoonfuls of berry compote, a scoop of cream cheese icing, and three itty bitty slices of bacon. I don't like ordering things that I can make easier at home. The food was okay, nothing memorable except for the small portion size. The best part of the dish was the bacon, and I'm not that big fan of bacon to begin with.

Root Beer Doughnut and Bourbon Vanilla Gelato and Peanut Butter and Banana Creme Brulee $8 each

We decided to order two desserts to share. I wanted to try the root beer doughnut since glancing at the online menu when it first opened. I was curious about the root beer taste. The doughnut did not taste like root beer at all no matter how I ate it - with ice cream, just the doughnut. All I taste was the cinnamon sugar and the weird thick caramel glaze. There was two doughnuts with bourbon vanilla gelato in the middle. The sandwich lasted 30 seconds before falling down - hence the picture. This dessert was a disappointment too. The only marginally good dish was the peanut butter and banana creme brulee. I can taste the peanut butter and banana together. It was very creamy, and it kinda reminded me of baby food. A slice of bacon biscotti came with the dish. I didn't very understand how this went together unless the chef was into the Elvis vibe. The biscotti was a biscotti with a big bacon favour.

Overall, I was disappointed when we finished our brunch. The only good thing about brunch was the company. I didn't ask my fellow brunchers how they felt about the restaurant. For me, this was a waste of a birthday pick, time, and gas money traveling all the way to the deep south. If you live or in this area, Starbelly might be an okay restaurant to go to occasionally.

Star Belly
220 19489 Seton Crescent SE
403-570-0133