There are big kitchens with tons of great prep and work space and then there is the cookhouse at the South End Smith’s Market location.
After taking over the retail space of the neighbouring East Side Mario’s, Smith’s has expanded to 20,000 square feet, boasting the biggest kitchen space in Sudbury
And like the kitchen, the food-to-go program is expanding for families who find themselves on the go.
Makoto Miake, the executive chef for Smith’s three Sudbury locations, said the pandemic lockdowns made ready-to-go meals popular and resulted in substantial sales — with no end in sight.
“People adopted new habits. Now meals to-go are the way of the future. Families can come here and grab and go with a meal that is locally made and of high quality requiring limited heating time,” Miake said.
The “ready roast” program offers roast beef dinners, pork tenderloin, chicken curry, mushroom ravioli and other meals that are cooked ‘sous vide’ style (vacuum sealed) on low heat to preserve the nutrients.
There are also meat pies and soups like the popular roasted red pepper soup jars available on hand. These items are made in the South End kitchen by the thousands and sold each week.
Salads to-go are also popular. There are classic salads along with superfood salads like the kale salad with its noodles and edamame.
The sushi program is also forever growing. Miake said sushi is his forte and it has quickly become a staple for others to add to their orders on the weekly, too.
The store also believes in supporting local vendors by offering collaborations with places like Apollo Restaurant and its pure Greek olive oil, Herc’s Greek Eatery for its salad dressings and Di Gusto for its pizzas. The store also features microgreens, kale and basil from Truly Northern Farms.
Miake, who was born in Japan, attended high school and university here in Sudbury. He completed an apprenticeship in the Nickel City and went on to work at the Applegrove Bistro and Verdicchio’s.
He has worked in Montreal, Toronto and the old Kabuki House sushi restaurant in North Bay. That’s where he connected with Greg Smith, the owner of Smith’s and joined the company in 2012. He has four chefs on his team now.
From fresh juice, smoothies and cold-pressed extract juice energy shots, Miake is forever looking to expand the store’s programs.
“I like putting ideas out there to see where it gets us. Then if it doesn’t work, you move on.
I try to launch about 15 new ideas per year and generally about eight of them stick with success,” he said.
After losing his hummus supplier, the kitchen crew filled the void. Now, the New York cheesecake parfaits and triple berry yogurt dishes have really taken off.
Miake said Smith’s has really given him the wings to fly and explore.
Smith’s has three Sudbury locations: 2040 Algonquin Road in the South End of the city., 971 Lasalle Blvd in New Sudbury and an express store at 2956 Old Hwy 69 in Val Caron.
The hours of operation are dependent on each of its locations. The information for hours is located here SmithsMarkets.ca. The store can also be found on Facebook here.
Anastasia Rioux is a freelance writer in Greater Sudbury. Let’s Eat is made possible by our Community Leaders Program.
