IN Toronto magazine

IN SPOT:

Outhouse is a pared-down, convivial sandwich and coffee house in Baby Point, just west of The Junction

“Fashion is boring,” says William Ashman, “in comparison to food.”

It’s one reason why the self-proclaimed foodie closed Haus, the fashion boutique he co-owned at Bloor and Lansdowne, two years ago to open Outhouse, an espresso/panini bar in Baby Point, the neighbourhood just west of The Junction.

 “Outhouse sounds like a toilet,” admits Ashman, but the name is a nod to the pantries families used to build outside of their homes. The shop is also inspired by New York City’s West Village, where Ashman had a eureka moment one day while watching New Yorkers enjoy their java.

Facing bright, traffic-heavy Jane Street, Outhouse is a brew of urban/suburban bliss. It’s where High Park mothers go to chill or gab with thirty-something Ashman while listening to the Smashing Pumpkins over sweet Rufino bean bevies with names like “The Lawsuit,” a lip-smacking vanilla and caramel concoction, or “Hansel’s Revenge,” a milky latte that tastes like gingerbread.

The food, which consists of hand-made panini, wraps and flaky pastries, is always fresh. (Sandwiches with side salad run $8.50 to $10.50; for you carb-fearing folks, there’s an all-salad version of each sandwich, too.)

The eatery is small and pretty basic but the vibe is convivial. “I want to get people back into being social,” says Ashman, who avoided installing wi-fi in his café so people would talk instead of Facebooking. Chatting with Ashman, who’s typically stationed behind a sandwich press or a plate of glossy butter tarts, is as enjoyable as the café’s best-selling grilled chicken “Chelsea” panini. He knows most of his patrons by order and by name and kills everyone with kindness. “Leave a 20 on the table and we’ll call it even!” he hollers at one cash-strapped patron.

Granted, the ’hood is stroller central (Ashman keeps a basket of toys and colouring books for the wee ones often prowling the café), but as indicated by the rainbow sticker on Outhouse’s window, given to Ashman by a local trans teen, the café is home base to a diverse community.
Fostering a sense of belonging, says Ashman, “is worth more to me than any sale.”

Outhouse panini & expresso bar 8am-6pm. Mon-Fri. 10am-4pm. Sat & Sun. 393 Jane St.