The Shops at Don Mills is a great reno. It is like the small town-outdoor-east end version of Yorkdale. A little bit of everything at the medium to high end price points.
I was quite excited to hear that McEwan had opened. I went early in the am when it first opened to make sure I could properly browse without the crowds. The store itself is not that big, but most "gourmet" grocery stores are not. The layout is great, nice and spread out. The prepared foods are at the front of the store, with the packaged products just before the cash. The customer service is fantastic. Everyone I interacted with was extremely helpful, down to earth and not pushy.
Is McEwan going to be a regular grocery store of choice for me? No. But, here are the circumstances I think it will be useful for most consumers that can only afford occasional visits:
- treats for yourself (like the Belgian chocolate I picked up. Was hard not to press my nose against the glass of the chocolate truffle display)
- special dinners/dates (great premade north 44 approved food...saw some mouth watering meats, salads and desserts. Not cheap, $7/8 for fresh hummus)
- gifts (saw butter tarts that I know my dad would love. Am interested to see what they will do come Christmas time)
- speciality items (when your recipe calls for some Mexican spices...they have a whole section....you will be covered)
I really liked McEwan. Am looking forward to trying the sliced turkey and speciality rice I got!! They have a kitchen upstairs that they make all the meats/salads, etc.
It is worth the visit...plus they do sell Kiva's products : )