This small Ontario town is an under-the-radar foodie paradise
An oft-overlooked Ontario town is secretly harbouring a collection of particularly impressive restaurants and bars.
There are so many towns across Ontario that have major road-trip merit, whether for their kitschy roadside attractions, dazzling natural features, or historic properties.
For far too long, St. Catharines has been overlooked as one such destination, likely due to its proximity to what is, realistically, the ultimate Ontario road trip destination, Niagara Falls. However, I'd posit that it offers what few other small towns in the province do: a seriously impressive food scene.
Calling St. Catharines a small town is a bit of a misnomer on a global scale. Occupying a nearly 100-square km area and housing a population of more than 130,000, it's among the ten largest urban areas in the province, but that hasn't stopped us Toronto folk, in our infinite metropolitan superiority, from turning our noses up at it for years.
I'm not too proud to admit that I've been among them in my lifetime, but I'm pleased to announce that, having grown more closely acquainted with the town's food scene, I've changed my tune, and, if you've also been a naysayer, you might consider doing the same. In fact, if you have a passion for food, you might consider taking an entire road trip to explore it.
If you do happen to take a foodie road trip to St. Catharines this summer, here are my recommendations for places you need to check out.
Beechwood Doughnuts
I'm going to rip the band-aid off, but only if you promise to hear me out. Yes, this is a vegan doughnut shop. But it also just so happens to, somehow, serve some of the best doughnuts I've tried.
A local stalwart for more than 10 years, here you'll find a diverse selection of sizeable, air-light doughnuts that are impossibly dairy and egg-free. They've even managed to master the cronut, which, without butter, is no small feat.
Pick up a dozen for the drive back home, or to devour as a midnight snack in the hotel room.
Bolete
This Saint Paul St. restaurant and catering company, helmed by the esteemed Andrew McLeod, eschews the punchy, vibrant colours that many of its culinary neighbours have opted for in favour of a relaxed, quiet type of luxury. Having held steady for the past decade, it's safe to say the approach works.
Specializing in "modern Canadian cuisine," here, you'll find seasonal menus inspired by local growers and producers, with a wine menu that champions regional winemakers.
It may not be the restaurant with the loudest buzz on social media, but, should you spend a meal there, it's one that you'll very likely start singing the praises of to anyone who'll listen.
Di's Pizza Pies
Despite only having been open for two years, this pizza shop at 115 Saint Paul St. has already achieved a level of devotion from locals typically only reserved for the most longstanding of mom-and-pops.
It makes perfect sense, though. Founded by the team behind Oast House Brewers, the stunning cerulean storefront pays homage to Brooklyn with its crispy-crusted pies. A fellow unfairly maligned urban area-turned-hipster hub, it makes perfect sense that St. Catharinites see a bit of themselves in Brooklyn's traditions.
That, or they just like damn good pizza. Perhaps it's a bit of both.
Fat Rabbit
A decent amount of the more recent buzz St. Catharines' food scene can be attributed to this Michelin-recommended whole animal butchery restaurant perched on Geneva Street.
By chef Zach Smith's own admission, the restaurant's surrounding area has, historically, been regarded as a seedier area, but, boasting an impressive in-house charcuterie program, a menu built around ingredients and animals from the immediate area and an ever-changing beef tartare tartine feature that single-handedly changed my mind about the entire town, the restaurant has taken on a gravity of its own.
Recently unveiling an impressive expanded dining room and patio, the rabbit is fatter than ever, and, I'd argue, a meal here alone is worth its own trip. Though land animals are its bread-and-butter, I'd be remiss not to recommend picking up an order of the Humboldt squid calamari — a dish that's been kept on the menu by threat of death by Smith's daughter.
Bar Les Incompetents
Speaking of Smith's tact with seafood, situated on the main drag of Saint Paul Street, you'll find this French bistro sister to Fat Rabbit.
Earning its name from a fan-favourite line in Home Alone, the bar itself achieves the same rich, authentic atmosphere that the film is beloved for, punctuated with a flurry of cocktails with names derived from the film (get the Wet Bandit martini), a bountiful raw bar, and punchy dishes like puttanesca tartines and potato pave with creme freche and caviar.
If you're feeling lucky, try for the off-menu softshell crab sandwich, of which only ten are made a day. It features a whole fried softshell crab, a mound of tangy, caviar-filled tartare sauce and — why not? — Kraft singles. What could be more '90s than that?
Daniel Neuhaus
