Seasoned, acclaimed restaurateurs Chris Stewart and Andrey Durbach (interview), owners of La Buca, Pied-a-Terre and Cafeteria, have just opened Commissary, a rather cool-looking little shop selling “prepared foods to take home.”

It’s located at 4027 Macdonald St. – right beside La Buca. They’re selling stocks, terrines, patés, soups, sauces, stuffed pastas and basically any of the ingredients that they employ in the recipes articulated in each of their restaurant kitchens. In addition to these staples, they also table proteins (we picked up some sweet sockeye for dinner) and gastro-esoterics like truffle paste and Callebaut baking chocolate. Cuteness aside, it’s cunningly utilitarian in its functionality for both them and us, serving not just as a space and means to make and sell what they’re already doing for themselves, but also to allow us in on the action with their surplus. Clever.

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