Friday night we ventured south to Fort Lauderdale to sample some of the food at the Quarterdeck on Fort Lauderdale Beach, so Sunday we decided to head up north – to North Palm Beach and check out a new (old) restaurant on Northlake Blvd.
The Catch Seafood & Sushi is in a small, unassuming plaza formerly occupied by the Dockside Sea Grille which closed a few months ago. We were looking for a place to have dinner “on the water,” and my friend suggested this place thinking it was still the Dockside.
We arrived a little before 8pm and entered into the small, nondescript restaurant that has a bar and a few tables inside and a deck on the back for that on-the-water dining experience we were looking for. When we walked in we were greeted with a very friendly hello by the chef and the hostess who we later found out was the owner.
If you’re looking to have dinner, definitely ask for a table outside, as the ambiance inside is more of a neighborhood bar than a seafood restaurant. The outdoor dining area has a tiki type feel with a thatched roof, island décor and a view of the canal.
Besides us, there was one other table and they were setting up for a birthday party which started to arrived shortly after we did. And from what I gathered, I realised that was one of the best 18th Birthday Party Ideas I’d seen so far.
The hostess/owner took our drink order and gave us the menu to peruse. After only a few minutes our server began asking if we were ready to order, we asked for more time. When the drinks came, we asked the owner for some recommendations for a starter. Since we have been on a calamari kick lately, we had to sample theirs (fried and served with spicy slaw and remoulade) and took the owner’s recommendation and went with the Tapas (crispy plantains, shredded beef, tomatoes, onions, white beans, avocado, cheddar cheese and cilantro).
The calamari was cooked just right, as opposed to the slightly overcooked version we had at the Quarterdeck the other night. The remoulade could have been just a little spicier for my taste. Overall, not a bad dish.
The Tapas were different. The plantains were fashioned into cups which held the rest of the ingredients. While an interesting appetizer, I felt they lacked flavor. The only thing we really tasted in them were the beans. With a little seasoning, cutting back on the beans and adding some more beef – we had a hard time finding any of that in them – the Tapas could be good.
When it came to choosing an entree, there were a few that caught my eye including the Macadamia Snapper (sweet potato mash, roasted cauliflower, grapefruit beurre blanc), the Chaufa Peruvian Fried Rice (squid, scallops, shrimp, clams, mussels, roasted pepper, scallion, egg), and of course a simple burger. I decided to ask for a recommendation, and without hesitation, the owner suggested the Lomo Saltado.
Lomo Saltado is a Peruvian (there’s a bit of a Peruvian theme going on here) dish done with stir-fried beef, tomato, onion, white rice and a brown sauce. The twist here is that they serve that on top of a bed of french fries. That alone was enough to say, “I’ll take it.”
I was definitely not disappointed. The beef was cooked a perfect medium-rare, the sauce that it was cooked in was delicious, and for as crazy as the addition of the french fries were, this was an awesome choice for dinner.
My dinner companion took a fairly safe route and ordered a classic seafood restaurant meal – fish and chips. The fish, if I recall correctly, was haddock and was cooked to a golden brown and came with a basket of fries. It received a thumbs up as well.
The owner of the restaurant was extremely friendly and welcoming and was more than helpful in navigating us through the menu and providing suggestions. On the other hand, our server seemed to be in a rush to get our order and get us out. Maybe it was because he wanted the place cleared out so he could concentrate on the birthday party, but whatever the reason, or whatever type of restaurant, service should never be rushed unless the guest asks for it to be.
Overall, I think The Catch Seafood & Sushi in North Palm Beach shows signs of promise. Sprucing up the indoor dining area to give it a more welcoming feel is a good place to start. The owner did tell us there is live entertainment outdoors a few nights a week and she’s looking at doing other things to drive business.
Have you dined at The Catch Seafood & Sushi, let me know what you think in the comments. Also, be sure to follow my South Florida Food Finds Instagram at @soflafoodfinds and follow my personal Instagram account at @scottsanfilippo.