Courtney's Place

If you find yourself in the middle of nowhere kansas and desire a homecooked vegan italian meal...courtney is there to help! all the food is made to order and she is more than happy to accommodate! fantastic!

Dining at Courtney's is like dining at a friend's house who has brought in caterers as waiters.  It is a historic building in Toronto that has maintained its history with original beamed ceilings and soda fountain atmosphere.  I drove to Toronto from Wichita and I will tell you that the 1 1/2 drive was very easy...though next time I will hire a car so my wife and I can enjoy wine there and back.

Our waiter was superb and I'll admit...I wasn't expecting that.  I assumed that all the way out here in Toronto the service would be...well...local.  I think our waiter was local but it shows how ignorant I was to small towns in Kansas.  Our waiter did not offer us menus because there are no menus.  He did not tell us what was on the menu...stories of delicious food flowed freely from his mouth as he riddled the evening's preparing as if he were a food poet and not a mere waiter.  I felt like one of those old cartoons who had been enticed by a long visible smell of pie from the kitchen, causing me to float across the room...completely submissive to the experience that was about to take place.

After our waiter was done enticing our taste buds we opened a bottle of wine.  We brought our own, which is the way to go as Courtney's does not have a real wine list nor do they stock enough to ensure they will have a bottle for you.  Our appetizers were very good, the salad was amazing, the bread was ridiculously good, and then came the lasagna.  Oh my lord the lasagna!  Have I mentioned the lasagna?  Oh my lasagna!!!

The portions are perfect but be sure to save room for desert which your waiter will tell you all about.  Then, Courtney comes out of the kitchen and meets everyone in the restaurant as she tells a bit of her story and asks to hear a bit of yours.  She is exactly what I had pictured in my head, a spit-fire lady with died hair and a personality as robust as her lasagna.  food says a lot about the person who prepares it and this lasagna had spoken at length.

Courtney then took a picture of my wife and I to add to her collection of people who came to her restaurant.  We drank our coffee, watched the place empty out, and as the last drop of wine hit our tongues we sauntered to the door for the long ride home.  Simply...a perfect dining experience.

It is an experience not to be missed!

Wow! If you are within 20 miles of Toronto, Kansas....make an effort to have dinner at Courtney's Place. Ok....don't expect much on decor. They have done a great job with it...but certainly not a swanky big city decor. But who cares....the food is outstanding!! Worth every mile to drive and worth every penny paid. Can't find too many resturants still cooking on a regular 6 burner stove and oven. The Chicken Parm, Shells, various pastas, and pizza was all good (we went with a large group). You can take your own wine (recommended), but ALL else was great. Even the service!! How can she even find a staff in a town this small is mind boggling, but to have a staff that offers great service....even better. Wish this restaurant was closer to home!!