Toronto is a veritable United Nations when it comes to its foodscape, ranging from Filipino to French and to Ethiopian fare and back again. But despite all the culinary representation, Scandinavian fare has long received the short end of the stick. Fortunately, Donna Ashley and her husband, Leif Kravis, run Karelia Kitchen, which manages to be a smokehouse, café and restaurant wrapped into one. “We’re a bit of everything,” Donna says, “but we are a smokehouse, first and foremost.”
Donna at Karelia Kitchen offers something unique in the realm of charcuterie. The Nordic smokehouse and café offers a Smokehouse Platter, which includes Atlantic salmon, hormone free chicken, pork loin, rainbow trout, assorted house pickles, preserves and flat bread.
Scandinavia is known for its potato hashes and smoked salmon. Lucky for us, Karelia serves up the finest of those on its brunch menu. There’s not many things here you’ll find that aren’t made in house, from the ketchup to the Finnish-cardamom bread. They even smoke the salmon right on site. Skål (or, cheers), as the Scandinavians say!
Karelia Kitchen is a Nordic smokehouse and café that’s long graced the Bloordale neighbourhood with its European-inspired menu. Karelia rounds up a delicious, locally sourced and organic menu with a focus on simple, smoky flavors. The Smorrebrod open-faced sandwiches are topped with salmon, chicken, trout, bacon, goat’s cheese and more, and are all prepared in the Karelia Kitchen smokehouse. For a sampling of everything Karelina gets right, head over to the café with a friend and split the smokehouse platter. Or tuck into the local favorite – the smoked salmon Smorrebrod with quail egg, salmon roe and cheese.