Inside McEwan’s new 17,000-square-foot location at Yonge and Bloor

Inside McEwan’s new 17,000-square-foot location at Yonge and Bloor

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While the long-promised Eataly has yet to materialize inside the Manulife Centre, a brand-new McEwan’s outpost (the third of its kind now) has stepped in to fill the food-hall void at Yonge and Bloor. The 17,000-square-foot subterranean space is a one-stop-shop for all things culinary, offering the busy area’s residents and office workers an array of made-to-order dishes, hot and cold food stations, artisanal pantry items and picture-perfect produce. There’s also an on-site butcher, a café and a collection of retail products, including some of chef Mark McEwan’s favourite kitchen tools. Have a look around.

An escalator leads to McEwan’s lower-level location:


 

Tables and chairs near the entrance and McEwan’s Café:


 

McEwan’s Café uses Lavazza beans to make espresso-based beverages and specialty coffees, including turmeric lattes and bulletproof coffee made with unsalted New Zealand butter. The café also serves made-to-order protein smoothies and Refuel’s organic cold-pressed juices:


 

Grab-and-go breakfast goods (acai bowls, yogurt and granola, breakfast sandwiches, bagels and burritos) are available all day at the café:


 

The bakery sells house-made pastries, including pistachio croissants, bomboloni from the Cheese Boutique and cheese danishes from Harbord Bakery. There’s also fresh bread from Blackbird Baking, challah from Harbord Bakery, gourmet cookies, pies and other treats:


 

There are also display cases dedicated to sweets from CXBO, Le Dolci and Delysées:


 

A selection of mini-cakes by Le Dolci include teeny versions of their Eunice the Unicorn cake:


 

Delysées supplies McEwan’s with the largest selection of macaron flavours available in-store:


 

The store also sells fancy confections like Sugarfina’s artisanal gummy candies, but also limited-edition items including the Disney Mickey collection, Chapon Chocolatier bars and Angelina’s Chocolat Chaud mix:


 

The prepared-food section includes grab-and-go salads, bowls and other ready-to-eat meals:


 

A couple walls are dedicated to drinks:


 

Here’s McEwan’s pristine produce section. It’s also where you’ll find peeled onions, shallots and spiralized vegetables:


 

Besides household basics (toilet paper, cleaning products, pet food) you’ll also find fancy stuff, like Spanish Conservas de Cambados, in the pantry:


 

Independent vendors are sometimes on-site to hand out samples some of their small-batch goods. Here, Hamilton’s Tam Nguyen, of Saigon Soul Food, offers gluten-free spring rolls and sauces to curious shoppers:


 

Near the back of the store, you’ll find McEwan-approved kitchenware:


 

This refrigerated section stocks a wide selection of plant-based dairy substitutes, pickles, McEwan-brand sauces, dips, spreads and soups, and frozen desserts including Death in Venice gelato:


 

The butcher shop sells thick-cut steaks, ready-made items, pre-marinated cuts, sauces and jus. Look out for Bymark’s beef burger patties, available here in regular and mini sizes. Fresh fish is also brought in daily:


 

Here’s the dining area:


 

A whole section is devoted to olives:


 

The mix-and-match hot table and salad bar are stocked with all kinds of globally inspired items. Everything is made on-site by executive Chef Shen Ousmand’s team:


 

There’s also a sushi bar, a salad bar and a sandwich station:


 

The meat and cheese section is stocked with McEwan and Cheese Boutique products:


 

This state-of-the-art rotisserie roasts multiple whole chickens throughout the day:


 

A carving station offers a rotating menu of ribs, porchetta, prime rib and brisket. Here, chef de cuisine Kris Topping is carving the slow-roasted porchetta and P.E.I. grass-fed prime rib:


 

To make a whole meal, you can order both proteins and sides from the carving station:


 

Fabbrica’s Roman-style pizza is topped with garden-grown veggies, cheeses and meats ($6 and up per slice):


 

Mini bites include pakoras, arancini, sausage rolls, pierogies and little Jamaican beef patties (three-piece order minimum):


 

McEwan’s entrance is located on Yonge just south of Bloor:

1 Bloor Street East, Lower Level, mcewan.mcewangroup.ca, @mcewanfoods