Comments on: First look inside Mark McEwan’s gourmet grocery store

By: Cindy Loo

Cindy Loo — Tue, 01 Dec 2009 00:00:02 +0000

Perfect for those who seek overly inflated prices.

By: Anne Johnston

Anne Johnston — Sat, 21 Nov 2009 01:51:48 +0000

Nov. 20, 2009….just watched one of Mark McEwan’s food show special….god is for real. He is just an ass hole. He hires these young helpers( like a sweat shop) and yells at them the whole night long. He pays them pennies, even though he makes like $5,000.00 a plate. Come on Mark, where are your moral’s? in the fucking frying pan. I am so upset right now that I will never watch one of your shows or go to one of your stupid rest. ever. I felt so sorry for all those sweat shop kitchen helpers you paid min wage for. Get a grip ass hole, you think that you are the only one in T.O. that knows how to cook. If you were in the room with me right now, I don’t know if I wouldn’t throw my hot soup into your face. You are the biggest ass hole around, and I thought Gordon Ramsey was bad. You give the Canadian chef’s and cooks, and line people and students a bad name. I am actually embarrassed to know that you are a line person who represents Canada……….so do as you say to all the helpers on your show that just have a hard time listening your voice, go fuck your self MARK!!!!!
happy to never meet you
Anne Johnston, Sarnia, Ontario. Canada

By: Lesley

Lesley — Mon, 28 Sep 2009 19:06:38 +0000

The store was very cold and grey looking; totally lacking in charm or character, except for few typical cliches. I much prefer the warmth of a Bruno’s, like at Dundas and Royal York, the Garden Basket in Markham, or even better, the old Comella Fine Foods in Markham.

The food was very well presented and the staff courteous and knowledgable. The produce was over priced and not very fresh looking. The juice samples were excellent.

By: mildred

mildred — Wed, 23 Sep 2009 00:22:41 +0000

I Can’t see anywhere what your hours are. Are you open Sunday? I have visitors coming from B.C. and they want to visit on Sunday.

By: christian kustedi

christian kustedi — Mon, 14 Sep 2009 13:31:33 +0000

It is clear that within three months from June to September the number of staff and quality of service have fallen and prices have increased dramatically.

By: Paul Kelly

Paul Kelly — Tue, 25 Aug 2009 20:44:39 +0000

We shopped at the store on Sunday. Loved the store and will return. One possible problem/concern. We bought a cold jar of Gaspacho(? sp.). We opened it as soon as we got home. Although the taste was good, it had a distinct fizzy texture on the tongue (very distinct). I would like someone to confirm that this is the way it should be. Unfortunately it reminded us of tomato juice going off. Is it supposed to have this tingly, fizzy taste. Thank you.

By: Laurie

Laurie — Wed, 12 Aug 2009 19:52:17 +0000

Great quality food- a liitle on the expensive side but then again, you get what you pay for.
Nice items if you are having company and don;t want to cook!
I was surprised at the cost of the salad items- found them to be a little over the top.

By: Jeff

Jeff — Mon, 10 Aug 2009 14:05:01 +0000

This place reminds me of Planet Hollywood – a lot of hype, high prices and very little value. An $8 baked potato in a plastic container, a $10 sandwich in a plastic container, a $12 per stem hydrangea from an incredibly underwhelming plant section….No emotional appeal to this store whatsoever. No value whatsoever. Really poor organic food assortment. Low produce quality. Saw lots of browsers on Sunday, but didn’t see anyone buying much. Geez, do your homework – learn the business of shopper marketing and NEVER allow your customers to leave your store feeling RIPPED OFF financially, emotionally, time invested, etc. It’s an insult your customers’ intelligence. Visit Whole Foods to see how shopper marketing is properly executed. When I leave their store, I marvel at everything I’ve seen, experienced and purchased, and can’t wait for the next visit. Natural and organic foods never tasted better, and have never been more interesting to learn about and explore. Want to validate your budding interest in the organic food movement? Go to Whole Foods, where customer loyalty is king and they completely understand retail market positioning. Couldn’t wait to leave McEwan’s and no, I will never be back.

By: Russ

Russ — Mon, 03 Aug 2009 02:48:00 +0000

Served spoiled meat today and had stale cupcakes ($3.50 each) today… families eating cherries at the cherry counter by the handfull and not purchasing and no staff in site.

By: Jean-Luc Major

Jean-Luc Major — Sun, 26 Jul 2009 16:45:34 +0000

The first few times we were there, It was great! Yesterday (July 25th) at the fish counter, one employee was busy chit chatting with a non buying customer, while about 3 or 4 other people we’re waiting to be served. I later met the same man outside on his smoke break. And then, we could find Thintinnies and now, no more. The strawberries we bought had a few rotten ones. The honneymoon is over. Just think, we go there for a loaf of bread and end up $125 later. That’s how good it was. No more. I haven’t seen the chef lately either.

By: Emily

Emily — Wed, 15 Jul 2009 20:43:20 +0000

I work near this store, and have had the opportunity to visit it a few times. I must say that the prepared sushi is amazing! Well – in comparison to what other grocery stores offer for sushi (I’m picky) And that’s pretty much all I go there for. The service is excellent too.
However it would seem to me that if this were to be a “high end” grocery store, his organic section would be through the roof. And…to put it nicely…it sucks.
To me, good food and the best of the best means organic…maybe not to him. But seriously, you can’t get better tasting (and better for you) fruit and vegetables than organic. He displays his fruit and vegetables nicely (I couldn’t find a single bruise on his chemically sprayed nectarines) but I’d rather have it messy as long as it was organic. Maybe I’m alone on this one…and people don’t care as much about organics as I thought they did. But I really didn’t see much there that I couldn’t get at Longos or Loblaws (organically speaking).

By: Gourmet Grocery Open in North York « Slim Pickings Cooking

Gourmet Grocery Open in North York « Slim Pickings Cooking — Wed, 15 Jul 2009 03:44:29 +0000

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By: joe lefkowitz

joe lefkowitz — Thu, 09 Jul 2009 01:43:28 +0000

I recently visited your store on Don Mills Rd. I purchased several items. Here are some examples: I purchased shanks and mushrooms with your pastry dough for $13.00. This dish was very bland and had way too much dough and not enough meat. I also purchased Sheppard’s Pie made with lamb. It was better than the shanks but had too much potato and not enough lamb. The people in the store were very professional and helpful. I am a diabetic and you had nothing that I could purchase. All in all, this store did not meet my expectations. I have shopped Pusateri’s and I believe it is much better. I have purchase similar items in Pusateri’s which tasted better and was less expensive.

By: Ciel

Ciel — Wed, 01 Jul 2009 20:59:55 +0000

Betty, use Google Maps: http://maps.google.ca/maps?f=q&hl=en&geocode=&q=939+Lawrence+E,+Toronto,+ON

If you can drive into downtown Toronto, stay on the Gardiner Expy to the Don Valley Parkway and drive the DVP –there is a Don Mills Rd exit close to the shops.

By: Urbantoronto

Urbantoronto — Sat, 27 Jun 2009 03:56:02 +0000

Wrong location! wrong location! wrong location!
I have the same feeling as Dan from above comment-Culinary Seductions. This supermarket turnout lower than I expected. Too disappointed! It totally can’t compare to Pusateri’s gourmet food quality.
$10 a sandwich, $9 a pound of mashed potato, $2.50/100 gram of cooked deli at the self-serve hot food stand, $10 a bottle of clear vegetable soup, $8.99 Breyers ice cream etc. The prices are too expensive for this location. It makes me feel it’s a luxury convenient food store not supermarket. It looks like a new Fresh & Wild Food Market to me. I think it won’t last long at this Don Mills & Lawrence location. I appreciated it more if Mr. Mcewan relocate this supermarket to Bayview & Yorkmills area or the Bayview Village shopping centre. Lastly, I would like to mention it here that I am so impressed with the servers there. They provided very professional and best services.