After spending the past few years in Calgary, where she opened and ran Milpa, we were excited to learn about Chef Elia Herrera’s return to Toronto — the city where the much adored culinary star first made her mark as one of Canada’s best-known voices in Mexican cuisine. Her highly anticipated Tecolote Market has officially opened at St. Lawrence Market, unfolding the next chapter in a career that has always been about family, tradition, great food and making people feel welcome.
Chef Herrera (Córdova, Veracruz, Mexico) comes from a lineage of women culinary legends spanning three generations. Her grandmother founded a successful catering business as a teenager, eventually serving prominent figures from Mexican society, including presidents, ambassadors, governors and members of the Spanish Royal Family. Her knowledge, recipes and passion were later passed down to Herrera’s mother and ultimately to Herrera herself.
With this treasure trove of family recipes and time in the kitchen with her grandmother, Herrera followed her passion and graduated from the Culinary Institute of Mexico. She went further in developing her skills and honing her techniques in Spain, France, Belgium, Italy and then Canada. Her career to date is quite breathtaking, with the opening and development of several successful restaurant concepts in Canada and abroad, including Los Colibris, El Caballito and Colibri (Toronto), Milpa (Calgary) and SiSi at The Palms (Turks and Caicos). Herrera’s first restaurant, Colibri, located in the Entertainment District in Toronto, became a favourite with Toronto foodies. She then opened her fast-casual concept inside Assembly Chef’s Hall, where traditional hand-pressed tortillas, slow-cooked meats, house-made salsas and regional flavours of authentic Mexican cuisine in the heart of the Financial District.
And outside of the restaurant scene, foodies may recognize Herrera on television from Top Chef Canada and Top Chef Mexico. She also appeared as a guest chef on MasterChef Canada, as well as earning a gold medal at Canada’s Great Kitchen Party (2018).
So, why St. Lawrence Market?
After spending time in Mexico with her family for over a year and a half, Chef Herrera returned to Toronto last year and had applied to be at the Winter Market and fell in love all over again with what the city had to offer. “Honestly, I love the community here and in this time of my life, this offers more balance,” said Herrera.
In addition, she recognizes how her customers were always seeking authenticity and flavours. “The style of Los Colibris was more elevated and people loved it,” said Herrera. “Now, I am excited to share more comfort and humble Mexican food at Tecolote. The flavours and my family traditions are still here.” She went on to tell us that Tecolote is in honour of her grandmother. The word translates to owl in Nahuatl and is a tribute to her wisdom, strength and traditions.
And it’s not only about nourishing Torontonians and visitors with comfort foods; Herrera also wants to grow in ways that allow her to have more balance while continuing to develop, create, and collaborate with others. But at the core of it all, everything found at Tecolote will honour and maintain her family traditions. “At the end of the day, my family is my inspiration. I am continuing the legacy of my grandmother. She’s always my biggest inspiration. When times get hard, I just remember how my grandmother was able to do it back in the day when machism in Mexico made things very hard for women. They were not allowed to work, but she became an amazing entrepreneur.”
Located in one of Toronto’s most iconic food destinations, Tecolote Market offers a casual eight-seat dining experience alongside takeout and a curated selection of authentic Mexican dishes. Definitely grab a few ready-to-go frozen, freshly prepared favourites, beverages and specialty pantry products to make life easier. So, whether you want to sit down and enjoy one of Herrera’s fan favourites, grab dinner to take home or stock your pantry with something new, there will be plenty to discover here!
“I love being here. They’ve made me feel like part of the community. I also get to meet people and talk with them. That’s different from being in a restaurant where you’re in the kitchen for most of the time. I’m very shy, so this is helping me become more outspoken.”
Tecolote Market was inspired by Mexico’s bustling mercados, neighbourhood shops and the kind of home kitchens where food is meant to be shared — all with Chef Elia Herrera’s genuinely warm hospitality that makes a visit here so very special! Our mouths are still watering over her enchiladas, burritos, bowls, and salsas! We’re beyond thrilled for her return to our city!
Tecolote Market is located on the lower level of St. Lawrence Market in Toronto.
