#FOOD: CHEF ZACH SMITH TO LAUNCH SUNSET STEAK AND CHEESE NOVEMBER 20, 2026

How does a Roast Pork and Rapini Sandwich sound?

Chef Zach Smith, the chef behind Michelin-recommended Fat Rabbit and Bib Gourmand–awarded Bar Les Incompetents, is opening Sunset Steak and Cheese on November 20, 2026. This new sandwich shop and bar is located in the historic 70-year-old Sunset Restaurant on St. Paul Street in St. Catharines.

Expect Philly-style cheesesteaks, hot dogs, cold beer and cocktails, with a drinks program by Juliana Wolkowski of Lowboy Studios, all in a room that keeps much of its original character.

About Chef Zach Smith
Chef Zach Smith has spent more than two decades in professional kitchens, including four years as Chef de Cuisine at Toronto’s Bar Raval, before relocating to Niagara in 2020. He opened Fat Rabbit in 2023 with Head Butcher Justin Upper, who runs the restaurant’s zero-waste butchery and charcuterie program, and General Manager Emily Walker, who leads front-of-house operations. Smith is also executive chef and partner of Bar Les Incompetents, a French-ish bar and restaurant on St. Paul Street in St. Catharines that opened in late 2025. In September 2026, he returned to Toronto as executive chef and co-owner of Casa Rubia, a Spanish steakhouse opened with Grant van Gameren and Hailey Burke. He is also executive chef and co-owner of Bar Raval, while remaining based in Niagara.

Location: 180, St. Paul Street, St. Catharines, ON

Hours:
Monday: Takeout, noon–5 p.m.; dine-in, 5 p.m.–midnight
Tuesday: Closed
Wednesday–Sunday: Takeout, noon–5 p.m.; dine-in, 5 p.m.–midnight

Instagram: @sunsetsteakandcheese

#FOOD: BAR LES INCOMPÉTENTS

Meet Les Incompetents, the sister restaurant to Michelin-recommended Fat Rabbit, which opened in late 2025 inside the historic Lincoln Theatre at 386 St. Paul Street in St. Catharines.

A menu shaped by the sea and seasons

Where Fat Rabbit is built on land with whole-animal butchery, Les Incompétents looks to the sea this spring with Canadian snow crab, BC spot prawns, East Coast oysters, lake trout, and a wine list spanning French classics and Niagara producers. Owen Walker of Quetzal and El Rey designed the cocktail program, which features spirits from Dillon’s Small Batch Distillers.

“I grew up pulling crabs right out of the ocean with my dad. All familial celebrations revolved around seafood. Whole salmon on the BBQ, BC spot prawns, and Dungeness crab were all I ever asked for on my birthday every year.” — Chef Zach Smith

It is the kind of place where you order oysters, drink something chilled, and stay much longer than you planned.

Current must-try dishes include:
-Lobster Tiradito, orange-coconut lèche de Tigre, xo sauce, crispy leeks
-Hamachi tartelette, green goddess, citrus, wasabi
-Puttanesca tartine, yellowfin tuna, caramelized onion, black olive, tomato vinaigrette, cantabrian anchovy
-Charcoal grilled seabream, squash, nduja
-Baked oysters, escargot, vadouvan curry, crème fraiche
-Secreto frites, cafe de Paris, red wine jus, dijonaise

The Wine and Cocktails

Sommelier Lexi Wolkowski leads the wine program, with a list that spans French classics and Niagara producers. “From Chablis and Jura to small local vineyards, we built a list that feels both familiar and curious. These wines make you want to talk about
them,” says Wolkowski.

The cocktail program is by Owen Walker (Quetzal, El Rey), with classic technique, house-made infusions, and a menu that also changes with the season. Crowd-pleasers include the Wet Bandit Martini, Incompetents Negroni #2 and Long Coffee Drink.

Walker is joined by Geoff Dillon and Adam D’Intino of Dillon’s Small Batch Distillers, adding a local spirits connection to the program.

The Team

Zach Smith, Executive Chef and Partner
Bee Lim, Partner
Adam D’Intino, Partner
Owen Walker, Cocktail Program, Partner
Geoff Dillon, Partner
Julio Guerra, Chef de Cuisine
Lexi Wolkowski, Sommelier
Emily Walker, General Manager
Stuart Laidlaw, Bar Manager

More here.

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by William Wong (@mrwillwong)