The fish, fowl, and finery of NDG's Épicerie Mange-Tout

Along Sherbrooke Street West in NDG, there’s a cow that’s been fishing since 2022—a storefront image combining the butchery and fishmongering of the fine grocer Épicerie Mange-Tout.

Run by two born-and-raised Montrealers, Zachary Eberts and Gabrielle Nasri, the shop keeps fridges in the neighbourhood stocked with wares. They’ll range from in-house smoked salmon, shrimp cocktails, octopus, crab dips and cakes, and cod cakes to pulled chicken, brochettes, marinated meats, ribs, and chicken wings.

There’s a ready-to-eat section run by chef Dominik Guindon (formerly of Java U Catering for a decade), and specialized dry goods like oils and spices. Then there’s a sandwich menu pulling ingredients off the shop’s own shelves and breads from Miette and Guillaume—"there’s nothing worse than throwing out food, and we can limit our losses while always moving the products,” Zachary says—and selections of craft beers, wines, and ciders.

All as local as possible, and it’s no easy feat to manage.

“But the community’s been supportive,” Gabrielle says. “We’ve brought them high-quality fish and seafood, dry-aged beef, and local products that they didn’t have as much access to as before. There was a real gap, and people are happy with what we’re offering.”

Getting in the grocery game

Like many small-scale, local grocers, Mange-Tout competes against large chains that are often criticized for price gouging and anticompetitive conduct. So Mange-Tout plays a different game.

“Once people come in, they see the difference in quality, and they trust what's going on. You gotta find a sweet spot—our challenge is really around sourcing the right stuff for the right people,” Zachary says.

Gabrielle agrees: “The competition is tough, but what makes us special is our focus on quality and our personal touch. Zachary’s experience in the industry allows us to offer the best products, and our shop is built on that expertise.”

“What we do is cultural in many ways as well, because families like ours grow up with a lot of importance placed on the food on their tables and what they eat. We’ll have conversations with our clients, and as we express the passion of people that work with us, we’ll all share recipes that can turn a simple piece of fish into something special.”

“That’s what's so cool about doing this,” Zachary says.

“I have a feeling there aren’t many people who are like, ‘hey, can I have the manager's number at Metro?’ after cooking chicken breast that they bought in aisle four, and texting them to tell ‘em how good the recipe they got was.” 

Blood from an oyster, not a stone

And Mange-Tout gets high on its own supply: It’s a place that, in many ways, was first born out of Zachary Eberts’ 15 years of experience as a seafood wholesaler, first working alongside the team at Lucille’s in the company’s early days before eventually operating under the name Oyster Blood. 

“I used to work in banking, but—and no disrespect to those who enjoy working in the field—I was miserable. I always wanted to be an entrepreneur; I’ll find it funny that I’m slinging salmon all these years later, but I love what I do. You meet so many interesting people in the world of fish and seafood, from all walks of life,” Zachary says.

Oyster Blood’s rep was firmly built off of supplying restaurants and chefs like Mon Lapin and Danny Smiles with quality fish and seafood. But the pandemic forced hands.

“I’d always had an idea for home delivery because I knew there was a gap in the market for quality seafood. Montreal has a lot of great restaurants, but not many places where you can get good fish as a consumer,” recalls Zachary. “COVID pushed us to try it, and it really took off quickly.”

Working alongside his wife and business partner Gabrielle Nasri, who brings 15 years of retail experience to the table from her family’s business ça va de soi, they grew the business to become what it is now.

“I knew I could help with the retail side, so we combined our strengths to make it work,” Gabrielle says.

Come on in, we’re open

The shop‘s been designed by Daniel Finkelstein of the independent design agency Finkel', who’s done past work for places like Mano Figa, Lloydie’s, and Maynard.

The space is centered around its seafood, fish, and meat counters. A raw bar, open from Thursday to Sunday, accommodates people looking to toss back a few oysters; the sandwich counter and ready-to-eat options help shoppers avoid the all-too-common scenario of ordering takeout right after getting home with purchases.

“This space we found on Sherbrooke was too big just for seafood, so we decided to expand. And as Zachary had contacts in the meat industry, so it made sense to offer more than just fish,” Gabrielle says.

While not a restaurant, Mange-Tout accommodates people who drop in with interior seating and an outdoor terrasse in the summer for those who want to stay a while, whether they’re shopping or not.

Taking stock 

“It’s not always easy, but it’s fun and stimulating. There are always new opportunities, and we’re constantly growing,” Gabrielle says. 

“The first year was stressful, but it’s incredibly rewarding to see something we built grow,” says Zachary. “It’s the independence and the excitement of running our own business that keeps us going.”

Épicerie Mange-Tout is located at 5854 Sherbrooke Street West.