M’Eat Resto Butcher (Butcher + restaurant) opened up at 806 Queen St E on July 19th, 2018. They are a boutique butcher shop that doubles as a meat-forward neighborhood restaurant from executive chef and owner Cam Nelson. Their focus is on local farm-to-table-fresh meat and seasonal offerings for their butcher shop and meals for lunch, weekend brunch, and fine-dining evening crowds. Read on to get the facts on M’Eat and ‘m’eat’ their chefs!
The Restaurant
- Lunch is served weekdays Tuesday to Friday, 11.30 am to 4.00 pm.
- Dinner is served Tuesday to Saturday, 5.30 pm to close.
- Brunch is served Saturday and Sunday, 10.00 am to 3.00 pm, beginning mid-August. Inquire for more details.
The Butcher Shop
- Weekdays Tuesday to Friday, 10.00 am to 5.30 pm, and Saturdays 10.00 am to 5.30 pm.
- The butcher shop consists of two essential elements: the M’Eat program and the retail shop.
The M’Eat program
- The foundation of the butcher shop. Chef Nelson takes inspiration from the nose-to-tail movement as he will purchase and butcher whole cows from hand-selected farms that abide by the H.A.W.P. principles: hormone-free, animal per acre, winter feed and pasture raised.
- Selling through one whole animal at a time, it is important to Chef Nelson to ensure that every bit of the animal is used.
- In partnership with Flanagan Foodservice’s Carve program, select cuts will be available for purchase to highlight different breeds of premium Ontario beef.
- Duck, a fantastic alternative red meat, will be available raw, smoked, and in confit.
- Carefully-selected varieties from select Ontario game farmers will also be available for purchase.
The retail shop
- Features complimentary products to the meat-forward options: salts, marinades, rubs, sauces and truffle products co-curated by Chef Nelson and Local Line from across Ontario and Canada are the perfect purchase to complete the farm-to-table neighborhood shop.
- Hearty, healthy oven-ready options prepared on the premises, including beef-based stews, pot-pies, lasagnes and sauces are available for the busy professionals and families who wish to participate in the delicious and sustainable movement.
Suppliers
- Local Line
- Blackbird Baking Co.
- Arrowhead Farms
The Chefs
Cam Nelson is an experienced chef with more than 20 years of experience in the industry. A native of rural Alberta, Cam’s path to the kitchen was inspired by his surroundings – an environment which fostered a deep understanding and appreciation for food – how it’s raised, how it’s grown, and how it makes its way from farm to table. Since re-locating to Toronto seventeen years ago, Cam has worked in the kitchens of the city’s best restaurants, with stints at Oliver and Bonacini’s Jump and Canoe, Mark McEwan’s Bymark, Roger Mooking’s Nyood, and most recently as head chef at Le Notre Bistro on Harbord Street. Beyond the kitchen, Cam spent time developing his business expertise, consulting on restaurant operations for locations across the city. Now residing in the city’s east end, Cam is ready to open his own place in his new neighbourhood. Inspired by his farm-to-table roots, M’eat Resto Butcher, located at 806 Queen Street East, is a neighbourhood butcher shop fused with a meat-forward restaurant.
Rudy Boquila is a born-and-raised Toronto chef who is passionate about his craft. Starting his career in the industry at The Bamboo (now Cube Nightclub), Rudy then moved to the acclaimed Queen-West Oyster Boy joint. Seeking a new adventure, Rudy left the Toronto restaurant scene to tour with Live Nation, where he cooked for global powerhouses such as U2, Bon Jovi, AC/DC and Aerosmith. In 2012, Rudy returned to Toronto, where he co-founded Lamesa Filipino Kitchen. Most recently, Rudy held the position of Executive Chef at the historic Gladstone Hotel. Joining Chef Cam Nelson at M’Eat, Rudy will bring the traditional Filipino nose-to-tail cooking style to fuse with the butcher & resto shops farm-to-table values, making the two talented chefs a perfect match for this new Queen East venture. For Rudy, cooking is a labour of love – and it shows.
For more information about M’Eat please contact Briana Le Goaix or Susan Willemsen at The Siren Group Inc. Tel: 416-461-5270. Email: briana@thesirengroup.com or susan@thesirengroup.com.