Chef Matty Matheson’s Rizzo’s House of Parm in Fort Erie blends Canadian-Italian comfort with Niagara roots and a fiercely loyal community.
Walking into Rizzo’s House of Parm is like walking into the early 2000s. Judging by the high energy of the dining room, you’d think it was a time before cell phones existed. There are families with young children biting into mozzarella sticks to get the perfect cheese pull. There are older couples on a date night enjoying a heaping bowl of bolognese and garlic bread. There is a bartender shaking up a cocktail and wait staff buzzing around the room — all in their waist aprons and logoed T-shirts. When you pull back the entry curtains, you’re met with these sights, along with a gorgeous mirror-backed bar, checkerboard floor and wood galore. The restaurant feels nostalgic — and the smell of fresh tomato sauce certainly helps.
American-Italian Rizzo’s is the brain child of chef Matty Matheson, whose electric personality and humour lights up a room. ‘Rizzo’ is the name of Matheson’s eldest daughter, and since the chef spent much of his childhood in Fort Erie, opening up the restaurant nearly four years ago was a very personal endeavour. Matheson has found massive success in Toronto, with burger joint Matty’s Patty’s and upscale eatery Prime Seafood Palace. Rizzo’s has been a homecoming of sorts, although Matheson’s popularity continues to expand borders.
Coulson Armstrong, culinary director for Our House Hospitality, Matheson’s restaurant group, tells me the concept of Rizzo’s was heavily inspired by Matheson’s wife Trish’s family recipes and by the way people cook in the Fort Erie and Niagara region. “I like to call it Canadian-Italian cuisine,” Armstrong says. “We’re Canadian, and it’s our spin on Italian-American food north of the border.”
The food at Rizzo’s tastes homecooked, but it’s elevated to restaurant quality. It’s the best version of veal parmesan or Caesar salad you’ll have, for example. It all comes down to the ingredients. The canned tomatoes, olive oil and parmesan are sourced from Italy, and, when produce is in season, the team pulls from Matheson’s nearby Blue Goose Farm. Rizzo’s doesn’t try to hide behind flashy techniques or plating; every dish is honest and shows an impressive amount of restraint. “We’re focused on using authentic ingredients and letting them shine,” Armstrong says.
The menu is packed with classic Italian dishes we all know and love, such as calamari, carbonara and tiramisu. In true Matheson fashion, he threw chicken wings on the menu that are given a slight Italian twist, served with arrabbiata sauce and garlic parm dip. It’s all comfort food that feels and looks inviting — not intimidating in the least.
You’d think that this style of food would be fairly easy to achieve, but Armstong says the expectations are through the roof, and only keep getting higher. With a recent Top Chef Canada win under Armstrong’s belt and Matheson’s widely-loved character on the hit TV show The Bear, people expect Rizzo’s (along with all of Our House managed restaurants) to be superb every single time. There’s no room for error, only execution.
The bustling dining room at Rizzo’s House of Parm in Crystal Beach, is where families, couples and friends gather over classic Italian-Canadian comfort food — think chicken and eggplant Parmesan, handmade ravioli and a hearty bolognese — in a nostalgic, early-2000s-inspired space featuring a checkerboard floor, mirror-backed bar and wood-accented interiors.
Photos by Basement Digital.
This is where Kevin Charanduk comes in. Charanduk is at Rizzo’s day in and out to ensure everything that leaves the restaurant’s kitchen is well executed. He was brought on as sous chef before Rizzo’s opened and, about two-and-a-half months after the restaurant opened, he was promoted to chef de cuisine. Charanduk was just 25-years-old at the time. “More than three years later, I’ve grown not just as a chef, but as a person,” Charanduk says. “I’m really focused on the community and how we can provide an experience that serves the people around us.”
Working under Armstrong’s guidance and mentorship, Charanduk has become a confident chef that trusts his own judgment and knows how to lead a team with the right amount of assertiveness and grace. In the summertime, when Rizzo’s has nearly 50 staff members, it’s important that Charanduk stays focused. Every parm comes out with expertly charred cheese, cannolis are piped to order and sauces are seasoned, reduced and plated with attention to detail. And the hard work has certainly paid off — last summer, Rizzo’s had 95 five-star reviews in a row. “The community has really embraced us,” Armstrong says. “Having worked in Toronto and experienced the amount of criticism and feedback restaurants receive there, it’s remarkable what we’ve been able to accomplish.”
Perhaps the key to the restaurant’s success is its attitude towards guests. Many walks of life enjoy Rizzo’s. You’ll see seniors coming in for an early dinner, families with newborns, couples celebrating milestones, birthday parties and even wedding parties. No matter the occasion, there’s no pretense or pretension. The menu is approachable, the hospitality is family-style and the environment is comfortable. You won’t need to look up an ingredient online to know what to order, and you definitely won’t feel short-handed on service. It’s a spectacle to just watch the dining room move — arms reaching, laughter everywhere, eyes lighting up with that first-bite feeling. What’s most impressive, however, is that the staff makes it look easy. What diners don’t see is the work that goes on behind the scenes.
Charanduk’s day starts around 12:30 p.m. He’ll start ordering products and ingredients for the next day, reviewing work schedules and looking ahead to upcoming events. He’ll then check in with the sous chefs about what happened during service the previous evening and they’ll discuss what might need attention moving forward. While all of this is happening, the prep staff are busy in the kitchen, preparing mise en place. It’s a juggling act of making sure all of the logistics are taken care of and to-do lists are completed, all while being a motivating leader and managing people.
At 3:00 p.m. every day without fail, the team sits down for a staff meal — usually something hearty and comforting such as ribs or sandwiches — before preparing to welcome guests. Service runs until 9:30 or 10:00 p.m., and then it’s time to clean up and start thinking about tomorrow.
“I like to work on the line alongside my team,” Charanduk says. “I can monitor quality, support the staff and make sure everything runs smoothly.” By now, nearly four years in, Rizzo’s is a well-oiled machine, but it takes a lot of diligence to remain that way. Every day matters. And as they say in The Bear, every second counts.
Rizzo’s brand is becoming more and more recognizable. They recently hosted a Toronto pop-up where people could order the Rizzo’s dishes they know and love. Despite being pulled in what often seems like a million different directions, Charanduk remains grounded in the restaurant’s philosophy, which hasn’t changed since day one: Rizzo’s is for everyone. And the menu has largely stayed the same from the beginning, so guests know they can get their favourite dish anytime.
“We just want to make great food, offer great value and serve generous portions,” Charanduk says. Armstrong couldn’t agree more. “There’s no expectation to be anyone other than yourself,” he says. “You come in and see familiar faces. It’s a gathering place where people can share a meal and chat with neighbours across the room.”
Being so close to the border, Rizzo’s also draws in many Americans. In fact, Armstrong notes that on any given day, 40 per cent of the dining room could be from across the border. The region is undoubtedly one-of-a-kind — Fort Erie was one of the first places in Canada to embrace Buffalo-style wings and Niagara is home to world-class wineries and amazing agricultural products. The dining scene as a whole leans relaxed, even when it comes to high-end restaurants. Places such as Michelin-rated Fat Rabbit in St. Catharines welcome guests who are wearing shorts and running shoes, for example. The focus is on the food, ambience and making sure people leave happy — not the superficial stuff. “That laid-back atmosphere is unique to Niagara,” Charanduk says.
Whenever they’re able, Rizzo’s gives back to the community. Whether that means sponsoring local kids’ baseball teams, supporting nearby farms or donating meals to those in need. A few winters ago, Fort Erie experienced a five-day power outage and Rizzo’s opened its doors to serve hot soup to anyone who wanted some. “That’s what I’m most proud of. We’ve achieved success as a restaurant, but I think the real impact comes from what we can do beyond our four walls,” Charanduk says. He’d like to see more restaurants running charitable programming for the sake of giving back to the place it operates in.
In 2026, it’s hard to picture Fort Erie without Rizzo’s. Compared to a larger city where there are an abundance of restaurants — to the point where it can sometimes get overwhelming at times — Rizzo’s is a go-to for so many. It’s a place to celebrate a special occasion, grab a drink and appetizer after a busy day at work and bring your kids without them needing to be on their best behavior. In an industry so often defined by investment restaurants looking to get in and get out, Rizzo’s stands out for the real passion that drives it forward. The passion from people such as Charanduk and Armstrong who want to spark joy through food.
In the warmer months, the patio at Rizzo’s overflows with guests, sipping Aperol Spritzes on tap. In the cooler months, tables are packed with people and plates, cozy vibes filling up the space. The Rizzo’s bunch don’t want to go anywhere. In fact, quite the opposite. After all, why change a good thing?
“We hope people support us for a long time,” Armstrong says. “We would like it to become a legacy restaurant.”
Rizzo’s House of Parm
2 Ridgeway Rd., Crystal Beach
rizzoshouseofparm.com | @rizzoshouseofparm
