Downtown dwellers have a new one-stop gourmet-grocery shop. Coppa’s Fresh Market has opened a multi-concept retail space on the second level of the Harbour Plaza complex at 1 York Street. The independent, family-owned grocer’s first downtown location offers a hot table with an extensive selection of prepared foods, a bakery, a gelato bar, a butcher (with a fridge full of dry-aged beef), a fish counter and a deli. Chef and MasterChef Canada host Claudio Aprile (Copetin, Origin, Colborne Lane) has also joined the team as Coppa’s executive chef in charge of the prepared foods kitchen. The on-site eatery, Nonna Francesca’s Ristorante, is run by executive chef Roberto Granata (Mela Café, Il Fornello) and serves familiar favourites like pizza and pasta, as well as some southern Italian dishes. Coming soon: online grocery orders for same day pick-up.
Designed to look like it’s located under a bridge, Market 63 is accessible from the street or the PATH via Union Station
Welcome
There’s fresh produce, of course
Quite a bit of it, actually
Stations of ready-to-eat stuff line the eastern entrance of the store
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Like this hot bar
The hot bar also serves made-to-order sandwiches like veal or chicken parmesan, and Montreal smoked meat. $8.99.
Executive chef Roberto Granata shows off the eggplant parmesan, also available at the hot bar
Rotisserie chickens come in various flavours (barbecue, chipotle, piri-piri, Greek) and are available in regular or prime (raised without antibiotics)
There’s a serve-yourself salad bar, because vegetables
At the poutine bar, the standard version comes with cheese curds and gravy. $8.99.
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There’s an extensive olive and antipasti bar
There’s also a sushi counter
The cheese section also stocks some cheese alternatives
Here’s the fish counter
And the butcher station
This fridge is full of dry-aged beef
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Here’s a closer look
The bakery makes most of the products on-site
It offers an assortment of treats including pastries, cheesecakes, cream puffs, fruit tarts, zeppole, lobster tails (the dessert kind), cannoli and chocolate-covered strawberries
To help customers make quick decisions, Market 63 has adopted a colour-coded tag system that helps identify daily deals (orange), lactose-free products (blue), vegan products (green) and new products (red)
The store also sells a number of nut- and gluten-free products
Unsurprisingly, there’s a large selection of Italian pantry staples, including pasta, olive oil and balsamic vinegars that the brand imports from Italy under its own label
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Coppa’s private-label Nonna Francesca goods include fresh pastas and sauces
It also includes snacks, like nuts and dried fruit
Coppacino Café serves coffee-based beverages
There are also grab-and-go foods for sale, as well as gourmet coffee beans
There’s a gelato parlour, too
The florist, bulk candy section and gift shop are down the hall in a separate unit
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Here’s the entrance to Nonna Francesca’s Ristorante
And the dining room and bar
Burrata comes on an heirloom tomato and arugula salad dressed with pistachio pesto. It’s served with grilled bread. $18.
The Carpaccio di Salmone tops slices of fresh olive oil-marinated salmon with blood orange, fennel, capers, onions and root chips. $17.
The fluffy Ricotta Gnocchi Alla Sorrentina comes in a San Marzano tomato sauce with buffalo mozzarella and basil. $18.
For the Strozzapreti al Cinghiale, Granata makes a wild-boar ragu for the twisted pasta and tops it with parmesan. $24.
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The light Roman-style Funghi pizza is topped with Asiago cheese, wild mushrooms, watercress and truffle oil. $19.
An example of the daily seafood special, seen here, features a fresh 1.5-pound branzino that’s been grilled with olive oil. $MP. (Guests can choose to add sides like rapini sautéed with garlic and chili. $7.)
Bistecca Alla Fiorentina is a 34-ounce dry-aged porterhouse steak, seasoned with rosemary, sea salt and olive oil. $110.
The Cannolo Siciliano Scomposto features freshly fried cannolo piped full of ricotta and chocolate cream. $12.
The Torta della Nonna fills a sweet pastry crust with vanilla custard and tops it with pine nuts and Chantilly cream. $12.
