Given Toronto’s increasing density, the city’s retailers are taking advantage of all the space they can find. At a busy intersection like Yonge and Bloor, a hub of apartments for rent in Toronto, that means building up — and down. Blink and you might miss the escalator entrance down to McEwan. But keep your eyes peeled and your taste buds will certainly be rewarded.
Located in the basement of the southeast corner of Yonge and Bloor, McEwan is a gourmet grocery store. While you’ll find all the basics here — fruits, vegetables and pantry staples, it’s the prepared food section where McEwan truly shines, which is no surprise once you discover the story of this supermarket.
Mark McEwan is the man behind the market and may be a familiar name to some as Toronto’s first celebrity chef. He launched some of the city’s top restaurants: Bymark, ONE, Fabbrica and Diwan, along with acting as the head judge on the Food Network TV show Top Chef Canada. McEwan brings the same attention to detail and high standards to the offerings at McEwan. To call it just a grocery store would be an understatement since they’ve also got a carving station, a sandwich station, hot and cold food tables and a sushi bar. Visitors can also find their favourite pizzas from Fabbrica freshly made here, along with unique private label products like oils, pickles and dressings.
Despite his successes, McEwan isn’t one to hog the spotlight. He’s put Chef Shenazad Ousmand at the helm of his grocery operations. The Sri-Lankan born chef pulls from his roots along with his schooling in classical French and North American cuisine to create McEwan’s ready-made offerings. The array of South Asian dishes at the hot table — curries, biryani rice and tandoor shrimp among them — were some of our favourite eats during our visit to McEwan. Chef Ousmand says that the heart of his food is in the social aspects of dining. But even if you’re grabbing a meal to-go from the hot table and eating it in the comfort of your downtown Toronto rental, there’s something nice in knowing that there are a handful of others enjoying the same dish as you are in their own Toronto apartment rentals, condos and homes.
If you’re a resident of one of Yorkville’s apartments for rent, you’re just a few minutes’ walk away from the tasty eats at McEwan. And if you live in an Annex apartment rental, you’re not too much further — about 15 minutes. Otherwise, just hop on the subway to Bloor-Yonge station to get your fill of great food at McEwan.
McEwan, 1 Bloor St E, Basement.
https://mcewangroup.ca/grocery/
Looking for an apartment for rent? Sign up to receive project updates, new, and exclusive insights about our rentals.