There is an undeniable energy on a certain block of Geneva Street in downtown St Catharines these days.  We feel it every time we drive by.  The bustling dining room & patio scene at Fat Rabbit has breathed some much-needed life back into a ‘hood that, quite frankly, has seen better days.  The team here is not averse to taking risks.  And they’re paying off in a big, big way.  Let the renaissance begin!

Zach Smith has run kitchens across the country with stops as head chef at Bar Raval and, more recently, at Matty Matheson’s Meat & Three.  The maestro, his vision with Fat Rabbit is not unlike a great concept album: the A-Side being a restaurant and the B-side a butcher shop.  You’ve got to listen the whole way through, front to back.  And at this rate, the album will be going platinum.

With all this metaphor, we can’t help but wonder if there’s somehow a link to the Niagara-based ‘70s rock band with the same name?  Perhaps we clutching at straws here.  We’ll use them for sipping from Fat Rabbit’s bottle shop instead during our #weekendsinwinecountry

Fat Rabbit’s head butcher is Justin Upper.  He’s in charge of sourcing whole animals, ethically raised from local farms.  From there it’s zero-waste butchery showcasing lesser-known cuts.  He’s even engineered a curing chamber in the back where the magic happens on the charcuterie front.

Coppa, pancetta, ham hock & ramp, mortadella, bresaola, sobrassada and salamis galore.  We’re lucky enough to get a tour and had to keep our drooling in check.  We had to leave quick for moisture & humidity-control reasons.  Oh, and don’t sleep on their weekday special of charcuterie for two + two glasses of wine for $40.  Solid choice on date night to start the festivities.

Sous Chef Gareth David is truly the host with the most.  He happily toured us through the back-of-house, explaining how everything operates, where they source their meat, seafood and produce, and how his work ethic made him a quick study when it comes to culinary.  An open book, he shared everything from the building’s history to the team’s menu-prep techniques that vary depending on what’s in season.

Speaking of seafood, a couple of absolute bangers adorned the menu during one of our recent visits.  Mussels-on-the-half-shell are cold smoked and then finished with a jalapeno mignonette.  A generous portion, but seven to an order meant someone got one extra bite.  And then there were the raw scallops finished with a mélange of citrus, tomatillos and chilies.  Perfection on a plate (or shell in this case).  Chef’s kiss!

We’re told that Fat Rabbit wanted to serve a burger that was a big “fuck you” to all of the other burgers out there.  In our humble opinion, mission accomplished.  Eight ounces of blended ground beef, gruyere, sherry-caramelized onions, dijonaise and house pickles are the proper combination of accoutrements.  To quote Jules Winnfield, “that is a tasty burger!”

There’s also a daytime menu at Fat Rabbit if brunch or lunch happens to be more your speed.  Breakfast sandwiches, BLTs with heirloom tomatoes, and renditions of a full English can be enjoyed with mimosas or cold brews.  In typicaly Toronto Food Blog fashion, we opt for steak and eggs (hold the eggs).

Fat Rabbit is such a welcome addition to Niagara that we just had to report back in blog form ASAP. Be sure to check them out the next time you’re in wine country.  Maybe you’re reading this and are already here.  In any case, please tell Zach and the team we say hello.  They’re literally changing both the neighbourhood and the St. Catharines’ food scene one chop at a time.

The Rib Steak of your dreams!