About Karelia Kitchen

In the 1960s and 70s, Karelia was known throughout Toronto—in addition to being a region along the Finnish-Russian border—as the name of a contemporary design company headed by Latvian architect Janis Kravis. Today, it's perhaps better known as a restaurant. Helmed by Kravis's son, Leif, and his wife, Karelia Kitchen may work with food instead of furniture—but it still focuses on the elegant simplicity of Nordic design. The casual restaurant is primarily a smokehouse that juxtaposes the region's culinary techniques and recipes with local, organic ingredients. According to Post City, Leif handles all the smoking, using shaved hickory to accentuate salmon, trout, organic chicken, hunter's sausage, and Quebec goat cheese with a "nice pungent flavour that doesn’t overpower.'”

These tender, smoky staples form the core of the restaurant's menu, which includes platters of seared duck breast, braised beef short ribs, and other Nordic entrees. There's also nine variations on the smørrebrød—an open-faced sandwich. In the spirit of the elder Kravis's modern design, many of these dishes are displayed in long glass cases and served on sleek, minimalist dinnerware.