Fat Rabbit

Seeing how Pearl Morissette has captured the #1 ranking in Canada's 100 Best Restaurants for 2025, we knew a car rental was in our future.  So we made our way out of Downtown Toronto to the wine country for our tasting menu out on the farm.  However, we weren't going to do the 1.5 hour drive just to do one restaurant right?  For lunch, we headed into St. Catharines to try another restaurant on that list at #97.  Fat Rabbit is its name and a butcher shop is its game.  However, they also house a restaurant in the same space that allows you to pick your custom steak (among other things).

Even though we were only there for lunch and looking forward to a tasting menu for dinner, we went all out and started with the Crispy Humbolt Squid.  This was an excellent dish where the squid was super tender while having a slight chew.  The thin batter was definitely crispy and seemed to be almost not there.  That made each bite an airy experience which made things not as heavy as it appeared.  The batter was also beautifully seasoned where it didn't need anything else but a slight squeeze from the slice of lemon.  However, the side of scallion mayo was the cherry on top as it provided a bright, yet richly-flavoured hit.

Looking at the menu, we knew we had to get The Cheeseburger.  Freshly-ground meat prepared to medium, this thick patty was juicy, meaty and well-seasoned.  It was topped with a thick slice of gruyere as well as caramelized onions, pickles and dijonnaise.  The soft bun held everything together where the dijonnaise had a nice tanginess that helped offset the richness of the beef.  The pickles took that one step further while adding crunch.  We couldn't forget about the caramelized onions as it provided a rich sweetness.

We got a side of Crispy Potatoes to compliment and oh boy, was that a great decision.  These slices of what I believe were Yukon Gold potatoes were lightly crispy, but ever-so-creamy and moist on the inside.  This textural contrast provided a great mouth feel and kept coming back for more.  These were properly salted where they enhanced the natural potato flavour.  On the side, we found garlic mayo which was creamy and aromatic.  There was also some bomba to add a bit of spice to the dish.

For our choice of steak, we went big with the 29oz Aged Ribeye from the display case.  This was thick cut and took 30 minutes to prepare.  When it did arrive, it was a sight to behold.  Charred on the outside and perfectly medium-rare (closer to rare, just how I like it) on the inside, it was what we were looking for in a premium steak.  This was $68.00 per pound which would be around $122.00 for the steak.  Not bad for so much meat that was cooked properly.  It was also well-seasoned with kosher salt allowing us to eat this without any need for any condiments.  It was juicy and tender with a slight bite.

To compliment our steak and also get some veggies, we opted for the Turnips with picobello, bottarga and beurre blanc.  These turnips were cooked-through while still being firm with a crunch.  Natural sweetness was the initial hit of flavour, but then we got some bitterness and slight sharpness at the end.  The creamy beurre blanc helped add some luxuriousness while the bottarga afforded saltiness.  Overall, we quite enjoyed the Fat Rabbit and were glad we stopped by for lunch.  Interestingly, another couple was there, also taking pictures, and then we saw them again at Pearl Morisette!  I guess we weren't the only ones with this idea of hitting both restaurants!

 

The Good:

- Just well-prepared food

- Love that you can pick your steak

- Great service

 

The Bad:

- We enjoyed our meal but unless you are on your way to Niagara or another spot, I wouldn't necessarily drive out 

 

Le Relais de l'Entrecôte

Going back to French food, we did a touristy thing and decided to check out Le Relais de l'Entrecôte.  You might of heard of it, you know, the place where they only serve one thing - Steak Frites.  Also, you can get more if you finish your plate, at no extra charge!  No, they do not take resos, so you'll have to go at opening to snag yourself a table.  We decided to take a chance at the Montparnasse location since it was further away from the busy areas.  It also helped that the metro station was right in front too.  Our plan worked as we got a table no problem at opening.

So with every meal, it starts with a Walnut Green Salad with a classic Dijon vinaigrette dressing.   Nothing complex with this as it featured fresh leafy greens with nutty walnuts.  A few slices of radish added some colour.  As for the dressing, it was sweet, tangy and a touch creamy.  This was a light start to our meat-focused meal.  In addition to this, we were also served a sliced baguette and butter.

So onto the one and only main course - Steak Frites.  The medium-rare sirloin was quite tender.  This was true for all of our plates.  I've read reviews about it being chewy and that was not the case with our steaks.  It was drenched in their famous Café de Paris sauce.  I think their version has a combination of chicken livers, butter, cream, Dijon and other seasonings.  Hence, the richness of the sauce coated each piece of the tender meat.  It createed an umaminess that further enhanced the beef.  As for the frites, they were super crispy but still had some potatoness left.  We ended up getting 2 orders each and really that was enough.

Onto dessert, we ordered 2 including the Sévigné and Crème Brûlée.  The former is a chocolate cake served with vanilla ice-cream, hot chocolate sauce and Chantilly cream while the latter is the classic custard topped with burnt (torched) sugar.  We really enjoyed the chocolate cake as it was rich and definitely chocolatey but not overly sweet.  That sauce was a bit sweet though.  The crème brûlée was also really good where the sugar topping was torched expertly being crunchy, sweet and smoky.  Upon cracking it with our spoon, it revealed a creamy custard that wasn't too heavy but was rather sweet.  Could definitely taste the vanilla essence.  So in the end, the meal was about the steak frites and it was good in our opinion.  Sure, the place is a bit touristy, but worth a visit still.

The Good:
- Solid steak frites
- You can have more if you want!
- Desserts pretty good

The Bad:
- No resos, have to lineup
- Service was decent, but rather hurried

Black Walnut

The Cambie Street corridor is somewhat under the radar when it comes to being a destination for good eats.  Sure we have Vij's and a collection of various other restaurants, but rarely do we have anything that resembles near-fine dining.  Now we have something a bit different in the Black Walnut, located in the former location of U & I Thai.  The spot has been completely renovated where it has a classy vibe while still being modern.  They took out some walls and the dining space has an open feel to it.  We were recently invited to try out their menu as well as some cocktails.

We started things off with those aforementioned cocktails including The Empress, The Fresh, The Animal and Smoked Penicillin.  These were all Instagram-worthy with bright colours.  In terms of taste, I really enjoyed the animal with its sweet and spicy thing going on.  The smokiness of the smoked penicillin was apparent while the empress was light and floral.

Onto the food, we were able to see the construction of the Salmon Tartare where I had a front row seat.  This turned out to be very good with aged and buttery fish that was well-marinated with garlic, chilis, lemon juice and salt.  This sat atop some clean and fresh-tasting tomato water. Beyond that, the puffed wild rice on the top added a crunchy nuttiness.  Very nice start to the meal.

Next, we had the Crispy Fried Oysters with chive aioli, smoked trout roe and creamed celeriac.  This was majestically presented in their shell atop some rocks.  I thought the oysters were super fresh and buttery with an appealing brininess.  They were indeed crispy, yet not crunchy (which was a good thing as to not obscure the delicate texture of the oyster).  I thought the flavours were complimentary with smoky brininess and brightness.

Another solid entry was the Octopus tentacle that was braised, then deep-fried.  Hence, the texture was a beautiful contrast between the soft octopus and crispy exterior.  It was seasoned enough on its own, but the accompanying potato foam, pickled celery and kimchi gel added creaminess, tanginess and a touch of tangy spice.  They helped bring the otherwise mild dish alive.

Peaking through the mound of crispy thin potato chips, the Bison Tongue was perfectly-prepared.  It was tender, yet still retained a chewiness that gave the entire dish texture.  There was a good grill to it and it was seasoned properly.  The addition of a very bright salsa verde helped keep things from getting too heavy.  Some pickled onion and added even more acidity to the dish while the crunchy radish provided an extra shot of contrast.

So the Black Walnut Burger looked rather unassuming at first, but believe me, it was legit.  The thick and fresh beef patty was juicy and cooked just right.  It had plenty of meatiness while charred enough on the outside.  It was complimented by water buffalo cheddar, chive aioli, smoked bacon, pickles and rhubarb chili ketchup.  Hence, you got brightness, smokiness and a sweet tang.  This hit all of the notes.

Our next dish was the Dry Aged Black Cod with chanterelles, smoked bacon, white beans and butter.  The cook on the fish was perfect as it was flaky and super buttery.  Due to the aging, there was much more fish flavour.  Well-seasoned from the pan-fry, the fish also benefitted from the salty and smoky bacon as well as the creamy butter.  The white beans were tender while the chanterelles were their usual delicious self.

Saving the most epic dish for last - we had the Tomahawk Steak for 2.  This also came with a plate of veggies and potato wedges.  The steak itself was prepared perfectly medium-rare with a beautiful sear on the outside.  It was seasoned well and quite juicy.  It was not as tender as I would've imagined, but it was far from chewy.  This was definitely a sight to behold.

Onto dessert, we had the nicely-plated Banana Dome Ice Cream.  Normally, I'm not a fan of any type of banana desserts, but this one was quite good.  I found the ice cream to be creamy and aromatic.  The bruleed banana slices were sweet and caramelized.  Some crunch was provided by the meringue while the addition of caramel sauce ensured we had enough sweetness.

The banana dessert was good, but the Pear Tart was even better in my opinion.  This featured a firm tart shell that encased pear compote and pastry cream that was just sweet enough and nicely-textured.  This was further enhanced by the ice cream on top.  I thought this was a very composed dessert with all of the elements expertly-prepared.  This wouldn't look out-of-place at a patisserie.

The last dessert was also good in the Corn Cheesecake.  This was literally a sponge cake with whipped cream cheese in between.  Hence, this was super light with the essence of sweet corn.  I couldn't stop eating this due to its airy texture and aromatic corn sweetness.  So we had a good amount of food at the Black Walnut and we came away impressed with how the food was executed.  Definitely a good option on Cambie Street if you want something more refined.

*All food and beverages were complimentary for this post*

The Good:

- Solid execution on the dishes

- Some unique dishes

- Delicious cocktails

The Bad:

- Aged fish provided beautiful textures and more pronounced fish flavours, however, it might not be for everyone

Lil' Jon Restaurant & Lounge

Gosh, we haven't met up with Lola and Scout since pre-Covid times.  You see, they live in Seattle and well, during the border shutdown, it was a bit difficult to head down South.  Yes, I have been across the border a few times since it opened up, but just didn't get a chance to meet for eats (hey that rhymes...).  Finally, we made plans to do so and they suggested a classic diner in Lil' Jon out near Factoria.  With vinyl booths and counter seating, I would say that this place has diner written all over it.

I was pleasantly surprised at the reasonable pricing given that food costs are out-of-control these days.  Taking advantage of that, I went for T-bone steak, that came with a choice of soup or salad to start.  I went for the Cream of Potato Soup and it was a hearty with lots of tender potato cubes.  I found it having the right viscosity being thick, but not so much that I couldn't drink it.  Flavor was mild, but was well-seasoned.

Behold, my 16oz Choice T-Bone Steak.  I asked for it to be prepared medium-rare and it came exactly like that.  Of course the tenderloin portion of the steak was a touch more rare, but that was expected and frankly, welcomed.  I found the seasoning to be spot on as it was flavorful on its own.  I found the meat to be quite tender.  The side of mashed potatoes were smooth and velvety while the brown gravy wasn't too salty.

As for Viv, she went for the Bacon Cheeseburger with 1/3 lbs patty, shredded lettuce, tomato, pickle, American cheese and bacon.  This looked impressive, but ultimately was quite average.  Despite sporting a large meaty patty, it was dry and somewhat chewy.  However, the bacon was crispy and the produce was fresh.  On the side, the fries were not bad being crispy with plenty of potato texture inside.

My son decided on his favorite with the French Dip featuring thinly-sliced roast beef on a French roll with au jus on the side.  The best thing to describe the roast beef is that it resembled Arby's.  So if you are familiar, the roast beef at Arby's is marinated to the point where it is very tender and almost ham-like.  Now I'm not saying this was necessarily a bad thing here if you enjoy that texture.  Just be aware it wasn't very meaty.

My daughter had the Turkey Melt with roast turkey breast, Swiss cheese, lettuce, tomato and mayo on grilled sourdough.  I thought this was fairly standard and definitely serviceable.  I liked how they didn't slather the bread with a stick of butter.  Hence it wasn't overly greasy and oil-soaked.  It was still crunchy though.  Nice balance of ingredients and it ate rather moist inside.

Scout went for one of the classics here in the Chicken Fried Steak featuring breaded cube steak topped with country gravy.  He has had this before and enjoys it partially due to the gravy.  It has a nice consistency where it is creamy while not being too greasy nor floury.  As for the steak itself, the coating is crispy while the meat is moist and tender.  This was also served with a side of mixed veggies.

We ended things off with a few orders of their pie.  Although they are frozen pies, we found them to be more than acceptable.  Of the ones we ordered, I enjoyed the Cherry Pie (pictured above) the most as it had a nice tangy sweetness.  The crust was not exactly flaky, but it had a nice firmness to it.  We also had the peach, which was just sweet enough, however, the chocolate cream pie was too sweet for me.  Overall, Lil' Jon is a no fuss, ol' school diner that serves up predictable eats.  There are a few gems such as the T-Bone Steak and Chicken Fried Steak, but the other items were pretty average.  Yet, for the reasonable prices they charge, I think you will be satisfied (especially if you pick the right items).

The Good:
- Well-priced
- Surprising food if you pick the right dishes
- Excellent service

The Bad:
- Pick the wrong dishes, and they are pretty average

Riley's Fish & Steak

The Glowbal Group is often a very easy target for foodies and restaurant critics.  Often sporting the ritziest decor and a place to see or be seen, the food almost appears to be secondary.  To be fair, I've had some good meals at Glowbal Group restaurants and I'm not afraid to admit it.  I personally feel that many people consider it an embarrassment to say such a thing.  I will agree that for the price, there are many other choices in the city to choose from, so I do not deny that is the case when we talk about Glowbal, Coast, Black+Blue, Italian Kitchen and Trattoria.  I won't comment on Five Sails, as I've not been there since they took it over.  Recently, their newest venture, Riley's Fish & Steak, has earned a Michelin-Recommendation.  I can just see some people rolling their eyes right now.  However, I would like to judge this for myself and decided it would be the place where I would celebrate my birthday.

Originally, I had visions of a seafood tower in my mind, but ultimately ordered a selection of appies to get a better sense of the menu.  One of their recommendations is the Wagyu Beef Carpaccio and I would have to say it was quite good.  The thinly-sliced beef was buttery and soft while topped with smoked tomato jam, aioli, parmigiano reggiano, onion rings and chimichurri toast.  There was no shortage of seasoning for this dish due to the saltiness of the cheese and creaminess of the aioli.  The smoked tomato jam was something a bit different and although I was concerned about it being too strong, there was just enough of it to provide some sweet tanginess.

Featuring the same crispy onion rings, the Crab Louie sported a considerable amount of lump crab meat, baby gem lettuce, avocado, soft poached egg and tomatoes in a 1000 island dressing.  I also thought this was pretty solid where the lettuce was fresh and crisp.  There was just enough dressing coating each leaf where there was just the slightest hint of heat in the tangy sweet dressing.  As mentioned, there was enough fluffy crab for the entire salad.

Initially, I was not aware how big Riley's Brioche would be, so we didn't end up finishing it.  Now it wasn't because we didn't like it.  Rather, it was fantastic with a crunchy exterior giving way to a soft and buttery interior.  Even without touching the aromatic lobster oil and or whipped butter with smoked maldon salt, the brioche was super tasty on its own.  The butteriness combined with the garlic and gruyère made it aromatic with enough saltiness on its own.

We also got one of their Classic Steamers with half mussels and half clams (1.5lbs in total).  With the classic broth, it consisted of white wine, garlic, herbs and butter.  It was plenty flavourful (bordering on salty) with properly cooked-down wine.  This great for dipping with the chimichurri bread.  Both the mussels and clams were buttery and plump while not overcooked.  We did find 2 unopened clams though.

Other than the carpaccio, the other highlight with the appies was the Lumb Crab Cake with black pepper mayonnaise.  Often, I am rather dismayed with crab cakes with all forms of filler.  Not only does it reduce the amount of crab in the cake, the crab is overwhelmed by the ingredients.  Not here though.  This was all crab with a panko coating on the top and bottom.  Hence, it was fluffy and texturally consistent.  Also, we could really get the crab flavour and essence from the cake.  It was also nicely browned on both sides giving it a crispy nuttiness.

Moving along, our next appie was the Smoked Salmon & Caviar Potato Rosti with egg, chives and shallot crème fraîche.  I thought the rosti was a little greasy, even though I know it is not supposed to be a health food.  The exterior was definitely crispy and well-browned.  On top, the smoked salmon was appealing colour and buttery in texture.  The small dollops of sevruga caviar were a real briny treat (wish there was more, but I understand since it is expensive).

Last appie was the Seafood Chowder served in a sourdough bread bowl. I quite enjoyed this as the viscosity of the chowder was just right.  Definitely rich and thick enough while still able to be drinkable.  There was obvious hit of smoked bacon to go with the slight seafoodiness of the broth.  I could get the natural sweetness of the seafood and onions while the salt might've been a bit too aggressive.  Overall, it was a good chowder.

Onto the mains, we ended up with 3 cuts of steak including the 8oz Prime Beef Tenderloin ($64.00), 16oz Prime Beef Ribeye ($98.00) and 14oz Prime Beef Striploin ($64.00).  Now the reason I put the prices in parentheses is our favourite was not the most expensive.  We asked them all to be prepared medium-rare and they were prepared as such.  The most buttery tender was actually the striploin.  It was packed with flavour and required little chewing.  Nice crust on the outside and well-salted.  Second favourite was the ribeye because it was so delicious from all of the fat.  Lastly, the tenderloin was good and also well-seasoned, but by virtue of being the leanest, it had the least beefy flavour.  It was tender though.

Viv decided on the Sablefish marinated in miso maple. With all of their seafood entrees, they include a potato risotto, parsley puree and confit cherry tomatoes.  Not mentioned, but included on the plate was broccolini and arugula salad.  Although sablefish is very forgiving when it comes to preparation, this one was done perfectly.  It was flaky and buttery with a nice smoky and caramelized exterior.  The marinade had penetrated the entire piece of fish.

My daughter ordered her usual with the Chinook Salmon Steak.  Also known as King Salmon, this was super buttery and soft.  Not only was it cooked beautifully, it was super fresh with a clean taste.  As you can see in the picture, the skin was seared until it was crispy.  It was also properly seasoned.  As with Viv's dish, the same accompaniments were on the plate. Risotto featured cooked-through, yet still firm cubes of potato.  It was plenty creamy.  Broccolini was vibrant and crunchy.

My dad ended up with the Jumbo Scallops because I encouraged him not to order the same dish as my daughter...  Turned out to be a good idea because the 6 scallops were beautifully seared while still being a bit rare in the middle.  The result was tender buttery scallops that were well-seasoned and nicely caramelized.  Again, the plate as completed with the same accompaniments as well as some charred lemon.

Since our steaks needed some sides, we got 3 of them including Truffle Fries, Creamed Spinach and Crispy Brussels Sprouts.  I thought the fries were pretty typical, yet quite crispy with only the slightest hint of truffle oil.  It came with some tasty black pepper mayo.  The creamed spinach was sinfully prepared with Boursin, hence it was both creamy and flavourful.  Some feta on top made it even cheesier.  A Glowbal classic, the Brussels sprouts were indeed crispy and tender.  There was plenty of parm on top for a salty nuttiness while the side of chipotle mayo added spice.

Since I had a birthday cake sitting at home, we only ordered 2 for the table to share.  Not surprisingly, the kids didn't really share the Devil's Marquis featuring devil's food cake, caramel chocolate ganache, crispy chocolate crunch, dark chocolate crème and bittersweet chocolate mousse.  This was truly decadent and rich with so many layers of chocolate.  I was able to try this and there was a mix of textures and different sweetness of chocolate.

For myself, I'm always partial to fruity desserts and especially tangy ones.  Therefore, I only had eyes for the Lemon Tart with torched Italian meringue, raspberry cream, candied lemon zest and berries.  I really liked this as the crust was firm and crunchy.  Inside, the lemon curd was creamy and tangy while the lemon zest added a nice sweet bitterness.  I was a bit surprised at this because it was one of the better lemon tarts I've had lately.  In fact, the whole meal was unexpected because we uniformly thought it was good.  Yes, I'm going on record on say that dinner we had at Riley's was on point.  Proteins were prepared properly and the quality of the ingredients was plain to see.  You will be paying a pretty penny for it though, yet if you want to be spendy, it is definitely an option for your dollar (or many many dollars).

The Good:
- Proteins were prepared properly
- Overall, solid food
- Attentive service

The Bad:
- One of the most expensive restaurants in the city, even though it was good, lots of choices to be had at this price point
- Too bad the parking lot below (which is expensive as well) is not attached to the restaurant