Spotlight on 4 of the Best Chefs in Niagara

If you consider yourself a foodie, the odds are good that you’re already well aware of Niagara Falls’ and the surrounding area’s reputation as a haven of exclusive restaurants, locally sourced ingredients, and all-around excellent taste. For years now, the combination of fertile farm country, wine lovers, and a continually expanding farm-to-table movement has fueled a growth in stellar restaurants offering a wide range of culinary experiences. Whether it’s fine dining you’re looking for or more humble digs in which to enjoy a meal, Niagara is a great spot to revel in food.

Because of the wide variety of options, taking in the food scene can all seem a bit overwhelming to the newcomer visiting Niagara. Where should you begin to get the best food experiences available? While the list is small and by no means conclusive, here is a little spotlight to guide you on your way to enjoying Niagara’s fantastic food scene, especially as it’s represented in two of its finest restaurants: Windows by Jamie Kennedy and Massimo Capra’s Rainbow Room.

From celebrity chefs to hometown heroes, here are four of the best chefs in Niagara Falls.

1. Massimo Capra

One of the most recognizable culinary figures in North America, thanks to his role as the host of “Restaurant Makeover,” Massimo Capra is one of the most celebrated chefs in all of Canada. In addition to crafting some of the finest food in the region, his invigorating personality, obsession with fine food, and undeniable skill have led him to some fascinating undertakings, one of which is the Rainbow Room. Under his tutelage, the Rainbow Room offers some of the finest contemporary Italian food in all of Canada, much of it crafted from local ingredients.

2. Jamie Kennedy

Jamie Kennedy has been an outspoken advocate for the farm-to-table movement for years, and his commitment to locally grown fare has remained steadfast. Local food tastes better, looks better, and is more nutritious, but what Kennedy also understands and helps foster is the idea that local food reflects the uniqueness of a place in a way sightseeing and other forms of tourism cannot. For a truly Niagara-based experience, a visitor needs to eat Niagara’s food, and at Windows restaurant, you can do that every day of the year.

3. John Casciato

A native of Niagara Falls, John Casciato is the Rainbow Room’s Executive Chef and the Executive Chef of Crowne Plaza Niagara Falls. In addition to overseeing the vision Massimo Capra has for his restaurant, Casciato offers his own unique insight and craft into the region’s fare, ingredients, and culinary practices by helping to craft menus that make use of the best the region’s farms, orchards, fishermen, ranchers, cheese makers, and more have to offer.

4. Jay Jackson

The head chef of Windows Fresh Grill and Wine Bar, Jay Jackson is also Windows restaurant’s Chef de Cuisine. With two decades’ worth of experience in fine restaurants throughout Canada, Jackson is also wholly committed to local ingredients, sourcing them with an insight guided by his own personal taste and desire to give guests the best eating experience possible.

When you’re in Niagara, these four chefs will help you eat like it.

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