Harbord Village's Maven opens Rose's Pantry for prepared foods and takeout

Chef-owner Shauna Godfrey has opened Rose's Pantry next door to her buzzy Harbord Street restaurant Maven, realizing a dream she'd shelved when the restaurant took off.

The new shop, named after Godfrey's two beloved grandmothers (both named Rose), fills a space on Robert Street that was previously a salon. It stocks prepared foods, pantry staples, fresh breads, sweets, fancy tinned goods, and seasonally rotating soft serve. The aesthetic blends old-world sensibility with custom millwork—part Hudson Valley market, part shtetl grocer.

Early standouts include a dilly egg salad sandwich layered with both soft- and hard-boiled eggs on Maven's famous pullman-loaf challah; smoked sprats and albacore tuna salad brightened with dill-infused rice vinegar and thinly sliced pickles; and a pesto farfalle salad studded with sun-dried tomatoes, bocconcini, and fresh cherry tomatoes.

Godfrey's reimagined blueberry bun—open-faced, slathered with sweet cream cheese and topped with jammy blueberries—pays homage to an iconic Jewish household staple of 1990s Toronto. She was deliberate about the name, respecting that Harbord Bakery's traditional version sits just across the street.

Hot offerings including weekly soup, breakfast sandwiches, and rotating hot sandwiches like Maven's barbecued salami or schnitzel on a bun are in development, along with catering services. Rose's is open Thursday to Sunday, 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.