This was our first visit to Canada. We decided to try to eat at some local restaurants outside the hotel. Due to our unfamiliarity with the area, we almost missed an excellent dinner as we braved Toronto rush hour traffic and missed our exit a few times.
When you drive up to the restaurant, it is easy to miss because it is next to a fairly imposing Buddhist temple and looks like a small house set back from the road. Once inside however, the decor is warm, inviting and elegant. This was a nice discovery after the lengthy travel time.
But, in the end...it was worth it. Culinaria, which is also referred to as the Elliot house is an interesting business concept. The restaurant is a training school for professional chefs, but also opens its doors to invite the community in for various culinary classes. We were there on a week night and the restaurant which is located in an industrial district about 30 minutes outside of Toronto was not full. This provided opportunity for some interesting dialog with our server.
The meal was excellent. We had certainly worked up an appetite! I had a fillet Mignon which had excellent flavor. My husband also enjoyed his entree. Preceding our entree we both order the Butternut Squash soup which also passed muster. Finishing off our dinner, we tried their apple crepes. They graciously split one for us in the kitchen and topped the crepe with a scoop of vanilla bean ice cream.
According to our server, the menu changes frequently and there is an emphasis on local product when possible. If you are in the Toronto area and would like to try something a little different, we would recommend you consider this restaurant off the beaten track.