Introducing: Sliced, a new grab-and-go sandwich shop on Bay Street

“We wanted to get pre-packaged food away from the gas station stigma,” says Jordana Appugliesi, co-owner of the new Bay Street takeout joint Sliced. Along with her husband, Nabil Zakaria (Sassafraz, Monte Cristo), and mom, Mary Jo Appugliesi, Jordana offers healthy, preservative-free soups and sandwiches that are made fresh daily (end-of-day leftovers donated to Second Harvest). We dropped by to check the place out.

Perched on a corner of Bay Street that used to see far more backpacks than briefcases (it was previously a rather grubby hostel), the space has been completely revamped with a palette of charcoal greys and black, industrial lighting and sleek chrome shelving. The food itself is inspired by Appugliesi and Zakaria’s backgrounds (Italian and Moroccan, respectively) and their food-driven travels. Indeed, their yearly pilgrimages to Ibiza are always paired with a culinary tour of another city (one such trip involved a whirlwind tour of Barcelona’s tapas bars).

The Ibiza Sunrise is the duo’s sandwich version of their typical holiday breakfast: a potato, onion and herb frittata doused in a harissa and smoked-tomato aïoli ($8.50). Zakaria’s Moroccan heritage is found in the lemon chicken sandwich; a much-loved dish from his childhood, the sandwich stars roasted chicken breast and baby spinach, and is accented with a house-made preserved lemon and green olive tapenade and drizzled with harissa mayo ($8.25). The Brick Lane chicken sandwich is a nod to Britain’s lively Indian food scene and Zakaria’s 10-year stint in the country; it features curried chicken—which has been simmered in coconut milk—sultanas, fresh mango and baby spinach, and is sprinkled with toasted cashews ($8.75). Soups come from RaviSoups, while desserts are brought in from Sweets From the Earth and Circles and Squares, with a few house-made options as well. With plans to expand the business—and a baby on the way—the family has a lot on their plate.

Sliced, 650 Bay St., 416-971-4000, slicedgourmet.com