(Image: Karolyne Ellacott)
“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 (S assafraz, 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 RaviSoup s, 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.
121853 (Image: Karolyne Ellacott) Introducing: Sliced https://torontolife.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/03/mar12Sliced_intro-96x96.jpg https://torontolife.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/03/mar12Sliced_intro.jpg https://torontolife.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/03/mar12Sliced_intro.jpg 656 466 [] https://torontolife.com/food/introducing-sliced/slide/mar12sliced_intro/ mar12sliced_intro 0 0
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121875 (Image: Karolyne Ellacott) Roasted beet salad ($9.75): arugula and mixed greens, beets, chèvre and toasted cashews with a citrus dressing Introducing: Sliced https://torontolife.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/03/mar12Sliced21-96x96.jpg https://torontolife.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/03/mar12Sliced21.jpg https://torontolife.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/03/mar12Sliced21.jpg 624 416 [] https://torontolife.com/food/introducing-sliced/slide/mar12sliced21/ mar12sliced21 0 0
Roasted beet salad ($9.75): arugula and mixed greens, beets, chèvre and toasted cashews with a citrus dressing
121873 (Image: Karolyne Ellacott) Kalifornikation salad ($9.50): avocado, hearts of palm, beans, cherry tomato and kale with a lime-cilantro vinaigrette Introducing: Sliced https://torontolife.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/03/mar12Sliced19-96x96.jpg https://torontolife.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/03/mar12Sliced19.jpg https://torontolife.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/03/mar12Sliced19.jpg 624 416 [] https://torontolife.com/food/introducing-sliced/slide/mar12sliced19/ mar12sliced19 0 0
Kalifornikation salad ($9.50): avocado, hearts of palm, beans, cherry tomato and kale with a lime-cilantro vinaigrette
121865 (Image: Karolyne Ellacott) Red and white quinoa salad with hearts of palm, kale, tomato, parsley and cucumber ($6.50) Introducing: Sliced https://torontolife.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/03/mar12Sliced11-96x96.jpg https://torontolife.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/03/mar12Sliced11.jpg https://torontolife.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/03/mar12Sliced11.jpg 624 416 [] https://torontolife.com/food/introducing-sliced/slide/mar12sliced11/ mar12sliced11 0 0
Red and white quinoa salad with hearts of palm, kale, tomato, parsley and cucumber ($6.50)
121864 (Image: Karolyne Ellacott) 14: Left: HLT ($6.75): hummus, grilled zucchini, lettuce, tomato and pea sprouts. Right: Lemony Tuna ($6.50): albacore tuna, lemon mayo, watercress, tomatos and pea sprouts Introducing: Sliced https://torontolife.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/03/mar12Sliced10-96x96.jpg https://torontolife.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/03/mar12Sliced10.jpg https://torontolife.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/03/mar12Sliced10.jpg 624 416 [] https://torontolife.com/food/introducing-sliced/slide/mar12sliced10/ mar12sliced10 0 0
14: Left: HLT ($6.75): hummus, grilled zucchini, lettuce, tomato and pea sprouts. Right: Lemony Tuna ($6.50): albacore tuna, lemon mayo, watercress, tomatos and pea sprouts
121866 (Image: Karolyne Ellacott) Hangover sandwich with omelette, crispy smoked bacon, house-made sausage, tomato, bibb lettuce and house barbecue sauce ($11.25) Introducing: Sliced https://torontolife.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/03/mar12Sliced12-96x96.jpg https://torontolife.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/03/mar12Sliced12.jpg https://torontolife.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/03/mar12Sliced12.jpg 624 416 [] https://torontolife.com/food/introducing-sliced/slide/mar12sliced12/ mar12sliced12 0 0
Hangover sandwich with omelette, crispy smoked bacon, house-made sausage, tomato, bibb lettuce and house barbecue sauce ($11.25)
121869 (Image: Karolyne Ellacott) Moroccan chicken sandwich ($8.25): chicken breast and baby spinach with preserved lemon, green olive tapenade and harissa mayo Introducing: Sliced https://torontolife.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/03/mar12Sliced15-96x96.jpg https://torontolife.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/03/mar12Sliced15.jpg https://torontolife.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/03/mar12Sliced15.jpg 624 416 [] https://torontolife.com/food/introducing-sliced/slide/mar12sliced15/ mar12sliced15 0 0
Moroccan chicken sandwich ($8.25): chicken breast and baby spinach with preserved lemon, green olive tapenade and harissa mayo
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121863 (Image: Karolyne Ellacott) Preserves from Stasis, honey from Rosewood Estates, Kozlik’s mustard and “the perfect pickle” Introducing: Sliced https://torontolife.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/03/mar12Sliced9-96x96.jpg https://torontolife.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/03/mar12Sliced9.jpg https://torontolife.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/03/mar12Sliced9.jpg 624 416 [] https://torontolife.com/food/introducing-sliced/slide/mar12sliced9/ mar12sliced9 0 0
Preserves from Stasis, honey from Rosewood Estates, Kozlik’s mustard and “the perfect pickle”
121877 (Image: Karolyne Ellacott) Racks of sandwiches ready to go Introducing: Sliced https://torontolife.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/03/mar12Sliced23-96x96.jpg https://torontolife.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/03/mar12Sliced23.jpg https://torontolife.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/03/mar12Sliced23.jpg 624 416 [] https://torontolife.com/food/introducing-sliced/slide/mar12sliced23/ mar12sliced23 0 0
Racks of sandwiches ready to go
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121861 (Image: Karolyne Ellacott) The desserts are brought in from Sweets From the Earth and Circles and Squares, with a few house-made options as well Introducing: Sliced https://torontolife.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/03/mar12Sliced7-96x96.jpg https://torontolife.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/03/mar12Sliced7.jpg https://torontolife.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/03/mar12Sliced7.jpg 624 416 [] https://torontolife.com/food/introducing-sliced/slide/mar12sliced7/ mar12sliced7 0 0
The desserts are brought in from Sweets From the Earth and Circles and Squares, with a few house-made options as well
121860 (Image: Karolyne Ellacott) Spiced nuts ($2.25) Introducing: Sliced https://torontolife.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/03/mar12Sliced6-96x96.jpg https://torontolife.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/03/mar12Sliced6.jpg https://torontolife.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/03/mar12Sliced6.jpg 624 416 [] https://torontolife.com/food/introducing-sliced/slide/mar12sliced6/ mar12sliced6 0 0
Spiced nuts ($2.25)
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121856 (Image: Karolyne Ellacott) Husband-and-wife owners Nabil Zakaria and Jordana Appugliesi Introducing: Sliced https://torontolife.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/03/mar12Sliced2-96x96.jpg https://torontolife.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/03/mar12Sliced2.jpg https://torontolife.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/03/mar12Sliced2.jpg 624 416 [] https://torontolife.com/food/introducing-sliced/slide/mar12sliced2/ mar12sliced2 0 0
Husband-and-wife owners Nabil Zakaria and Jordana Appugliesi
121855 (Image: Karolyne Ellacott) Inside the Bay Street shop Introducing: Sliced https://torontolife.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/03/mar12Sliced1-96x96.jpg https://torontolife.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/03/mar12Sliced1.jpg https://torontolife.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/03/mar12Sliced1.jpg 624 416 [] https://torontolife.com/food/introducing-sliced/slide/mar12sliced1/ mar12sliced1 0 0
Inside the Bay Street shop
Sliced, 650 Bay St., 416-971-4000, slicedgourmet.com
Great addition to the neighbourhood. Welcome and best of luck!
Holy disappointment, this place has a lot of work to do.
First off, the sandwiches are tiny for the price (~$9 per sandwich) and you’ll get more bang for your buck at Pusateri’s. Organic stopped meaning expensive 5 years ago.
Second, and more annoying, the offerings and menu are a mess. I arrived at noon and was told that none of the daily soups or hot sandwiches and most of the daily salads weren’t available yet. How can you be a lunch place in a busy area and have so much of your lunch offerings not ready?
I was told that I could order something that wasn’t ready yet and they could make one up for me, but when I asked for a menu to see what was possible I was told that they don’t have menus in store and I had to go online to see the daily offerings. They didn’t have a menu in their own restaurant and the staff didn’t know what was available!
What a joke!
“The food is sub par,tasteless and pretentious for a bistro but the catering is sublime”…
This is how I was introduced to Sliced by a Doctor friend of mine at Sick kids.
As it turns out he was right!
I work almost directly across the street from sliced new location, for years I have been trying to ignore the hookers and pimps drug dealers and pedophiles walking in and out of the worst hotel imaginable.
When we herd three years ago that the property was being redeveloped everyone was in disbelief! The general consensus around the office was either that the building would be torn down or that it would return to its former infamy…
Until this past year nothing much happened, we were all concerned, but now thanks to what appears to be a devoted owner, the former Bay Street eyesore, is one of the most memorable building on bay!
The building itself has been transformed into a beautiful rendition of its former glory and it is clear that the owner is very intent on achieving perfection, as we have watch work be done, redone. and done over and over again… which explains why it hasn’t opened yet!
Sliced has opened in what appears to be the larger of two retail spaces. While the Lobby nestled between them has been totally remodeled.
A few months ago, I learned from a worker at the property, that the designer for the hotel is a former television personality… lets hope not the same one that did the design work for Sliced!
As for Sliced its self, If they could make the food a little more appetizing (fresh)and less pretentious. you couldn’t ask for a better location for a sandwich shop!
To say that any of the 6 sandwiches I have eaten were even good would be a lie, but defiantly better than the alternative (Fresh Start or street meat)!
Other than horrid design (which trust me if you haven’t been there photographs way better than it looks in person), the coffee has to be the biggest disappointment!
Coffee, the worst I have ever had!
Big statement right, well let me clarify; I have attempted to drink their coffee over 10 times since they opened, as I write this I am certain that there are three cups sitting in my trash can and not one did I get past the 3rd or forth sip! Again better than the alternatives, but not worth going across the street for!
In all the location is a 10/10
the building also a 10/10
The design well it would be nothing but insulting to put a number to it so lets as disappointing…
The food 3-5/10 and
The coffee…well drop by my office if you want to try a
cup on me!
But I’m happy that the building is being used for something respectable again!
I was there today for lunch and really liked it. They made up a hot sandwich for me and I sat at the terrific wood counter that looks onto Bay St. Great vibe and beaufiful space.