Catch

My husband’s a smart man.  He had an informant trick me into giving up names of restaurants on my list so he could pick one for my birthday dinner.  And he picked well.

Catch is a trendy new restaurant in the Meatpacking district, featuring two floors and several bars.  As the name suggests, the menu’s emphasis is seafood but this restaurant is not just for the seafood lover.  The large menu features delicious meat dishes as well. 

We arrived around 7 pm and by 8 pm Catch was packed.  The wine list had a a few of my favorite choices so I had a difficult time narrowing down what I wanted.  I tried the Sauvignon Blanc and the Sancerre, both solid wines by the glass, but I ultimately settled on the Sancerre.

After a rough day at work, this was the perfect birthday dinner.  I loved everything about Catch, but if I had to pick one stand out, it was our server, Moe.  Moe was both warm and attentive.  He knew it was my birthday and started off my night with a glass of the Sancerre.  And because Moe, not the bartender, pours the wine, I was treated to a generous pour.

Catch starts your night off with a fantastic surprise in its bread basket: lightly salted doughy pretzel bread with a side of mustard butter.  Any restaurant that starts the night off with delicious bread, and pretzel bread at that, is off to a good start on my blog.

What to Eat:

To start, definitely order the Dungeness Crab Spaghetti.  The tomato sauce was seasoned with anise and tarragon, two of my least favorite spices, yet I still loved the dish.  If you can get over the hint of black licorice, the fresh tomato sauce with scallions, homemade spaghetti noodles and chunks of crab meat are delicious.

We also enjoyed the Beef Potstickers, shown below.  They were beautifully presented and had a hearty/smokey taste to them. 


















For an entree, you have to order the Sauteed Snapper.  The snapper, cooked in a brown butter sauce, was crispy on the outside with moist and flaky white fish on the inside.  The decadent snapper was placed on one of my favorite side dishes, a bed of creamy lobster mash potatoes.  The lobster mashed potatoes were so good I debated ordering an extra side dish of them.

For dessert, we had the molten chocolate cake which was standard and tasty.  Since it was my birthday and I had to share the dessert, I went to Schnippers after dinner for a Cookies and Creme Chocolate Milkshake (isn't that what birthdays are for?).  Big props to my husband turning my crappy day into a fantastic birthday.

Up for a trendy night out in the Meatpacking District?  Head to Catch,

Your foodie friend

Insider tip:  There are several seats facing the open kitchen on the second floor.  Our table was nearby and I noticed that very few people took advantage of these seats (most remained empty).  If you can’t get a reservation and will only be a party of one or two, ask to be seated along the kitchen.