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My husband and I were looking for a new restaurant to celebrate our anniversary, and a collegue recommended Catch. I hadn't been there before, and now I wish I had! The evening was perfect!
We ordered from the Chef's Tasting menu and were plesantly surprised at its creativity and freshness! When so many restaurants have fallen victim to cookie cutter menu options and fads, Catch really does take some creative insight in the menu combinations offered.
What made the night even more special was the wonderful service! Our server, Declan was amazing. Not only was he thoroughly knowledgeable on the menu, (and being a chef, my husband did have alot of questions), he was also efficient, professional and very friendly! I've eaten in many fine dining establishments, and it is rare to see such caliber of consistant service! It really made our night a very special one, and I have been recommending it to all of our friends and family!
I came here last night for Restaurant Week. I would give Catch 5 stars for food, but 3 stars for front of house.
We were seated immediately and the waitress came right away to offer water and bread. The water glasses were spotty - not dirty, so I didn't complain, but it showed a lack of attention to detail.
After an up sell on the water ($7.50 bottle of Saratoga, oof), we were left on our own for the next 15 minutes. I could see the waitress setting up other tables, but she didn't seem concerned to come back to her table that was filled (ours). Once she did come back to take our drink and dinner orders, service was definitely improved from there on out.
The food was fantastic. My cucumber gazpacho with crab and radishes was delicious! I kind of hated the bowl it was served in - very wide and shallow, so you had to scrape the bowl to get any soup. But it was so tasty I can't really complain. I also enjoyed the sea bass (with a perfectly crispy seared skin) with peas, bacon and fingerling potatoes. Everything was perfectly seasoned. I was even impressed with their desserts, which tend to get ignored, especially during RW. My buttermilk panna cotta was creamy and tangy and sour and sweet all at once.
Since Catch is in Winchester, I wasn't terribly surprised to see that the average age of the clientele as about 58. We didn't feel out of place being younger, but I think my streak of gray hair helped us blend in.
I really enjoyed Catch, and was already scheming reasons to come back (boyfriend's mom's birthday?) while we were still eating. It's on my list of places to visit again.
I just had dinner here last night for the 2nd time ( I went once before about a year ago) and everything was really good. Everyone's dishes were all very good - not outstanding - but good. I had the scallops with braised short ribs ravioli. The combo was surprisingly good and was nicely complimented by the grilled pinepapple cubes garnishing the plate. I also enjoyed the corn soup (shown in the pictures on yelp) but their cauliflower soup offered in the fall/winter definitely out shined the corn soup.
Overall it the service was excellent and I enjoyed the atmosphere of the restaurant. It's definitely worth checking out.
I love Catch. I have been at least 10 times and have never been disappointed. They use the best ingredients, most of them local. Tonight I had the corn soup with lobster, the yellowfin tuna and chocolate fondue. YUMMMM. The soup was so good that when my dining companion tasted mine she immediately ordered her own. She had the scallops with short rib ravioli which is a menu staple at Catch. They do change the menu weekly but some dishes are constant. The wine list is small but thorough with unique and delish options. I always sit at the "bar" so I can watch the kitchen which is open. Its like watching Top Chef and actually getting to get eat the food!
These guys do restaurant week right. All 3 courses were excellent. Service was excellent too which is sometimes a problem during RW.
Important tip: Look over the online wine list before you go. Selection is somewhat limited, and you may want to consider the value of the offerings.
I was pleasantly surprised by this tiny little place in the center of Winchester (where I wouldn't usually think of going when looking for a nice place to have dinner.) It has a fairly intimate design with table placement and settings and even though the restaurant is small, you still feel like you have your privacy. Our waitress was really friendly and nice. Overall, the place had an elegant feel while at the same time not feeling too uncomfortably upscale.
I highly recommend the scallops - they do a good job with plating, and the portions look smaller than they really are, but trust me, they are the perfect size and you will feel just full afterward without feeling stuffed. Dessert menu looked great but we didn't have any.
Dress is anywhere from nice "church" clothes (business casual?) to slightly more formal suit-and-tie, and you won't feel out of place anywhere along that spectrum.
Catch is a delicious restaurant. We were visiting Somerville/Tufts from San Francisco and were delighted to find Catch. The restaurant is small and lovely. The service excellent. Most importantly the food is delicious.
You don't need to go into Boston to find a fabulous restaurant.
The Chef posts the menu daily and the website photos live up to the taste. I would recommend Catch for "foodies" that prefer small and personal restaurants. The chef uses fresh, local ingrediants and combines ingrediants with subtle seasonings and flavors for a wonderful dining experience.
This restaurant would be a successs in any major city and you find it on a small street in Winchester, Mass. Winchester is a charming town to stroll around before or after dinner.
Do you really have to go to Winchester to get good seafood? No. Do you really have to go to Winchester to get the best seafood in Metro Boston? Yes.
If you've been to Wellfleet, you know about Wellfleet clams and this place has a bounty of them and they're roasted with chorizo! Nuff said. I personally would just eat off of their appetizer menu because everything is so good. Again, try the clams; the celery root soup; the Bang Island mussels and the crab cakes, but seriously, everything is good. For main dishes, I've only had the lobster and the NY Strip...both very, very good. Their wine list is great, as well. Cheers to Chef Chris Parsons.
Wow - outstanding. Absolutely wonderful, fresh, local ingredients. Accomodating chef - we requested to add a course to the prix fixe. Fabulous waitstaff and quite possibly (as a non-dessert eater) the most delicious desserts I have ever tried. Cannot wait to return.
http://www.catchrestau...
Great little restaurant hiding in the North Shore.
They have prix-fixe menu for $32!
Appertizer was great, have to try the crab cake, EXCELLENT. We also tried Cucumber Gazapcho and Prince Edward Island Mussels (I loved the Broth!)
For entree, I have to rave about the Atlantic Salmon, it's cooked just right, not too dry!! The Carnaroli Risotto that came with the Salmon was AWESOME!!!
We also had the Hagner Steak and the Soft Shell Crab (Beweare! They served the WHOLE Crab - not cut into little pieces. It may look a little scary at first and mean to eat that poor little Crab.)
Chocolate Caramel Tart was on the sweeter side, but Warm Chocolate Truffle Cake was perfect.
Overall, food was great. But service was a little slow. O well.
If you have time, you should check out the pastry place next door. I heard great thing about it.
I've been here twice. I can remember more about how crowded the tables are than the food.
Good wine selection and seafood dishes. Not the place to take someone if they don't like seafood.
It's very expensive and fancy but aside from the crowded tables it works well.
Ambiance: Catch is a small restaurant located in Winchester. I think of it as rustic chic because it has white linen clothes and the standard fares of a classy restaurant with sheets of brown paper on top. It's very tastefully done.
Food: My friends and I came here for dinner on restaurant week. The food were all tasty but not super amazing. Two of us had their corn soup. The presentation of the soup is like other restaurants with an island of chorizo in the middle. No one poured the soup from a teapot and filled my bowl though. The taste of the soup was pretty fresh. Another two people had the mussel. I didn't find the mussel to be any different from other restaurants though the meat was very cooked since it wasn't dry or chewy.
For our main course, two of us picked the handmade linguine. It didn't look like there was a whole lot of linguine. There was a good amount of seafood in there with the mussels and clams. The flavor only spoke of the freshness of the seafood and it was sufficient for me.
Another friend had their bluefish. It was cooked better than T.W. Food. The fish was moist (I suppose bluefish is a bit oily). But on the restaurant week menu, I think it's suppose to be sea bass. Bluefish is one of the cheaper fish available at the market (I wikipedia-ed this sucker to figure out what exactly a bluefish is) so I feel that the restaurant might be selling cheaper food to their customers. I understand the rise of the oil price etc, but whatever. I suppose T.W. Food and others are doing the same thing so I won't hold this against Catch.
Dessert: We tried all 3 selections of their dessert. Nothing really wowed me but then, I'm not a big dessert person. The panna cotta came in a cup so I really like that presentation. The fruit compote on the almond torte was super fresh so I like that as well. My friends also really enjoyed their almond torte.
Service: The service is pretty decent. We were seated promptly and our water was almost always filled. We asked for a cab back to Cambridge and they called one for us. While we waited for the cab (15 minutes), the server stopped giving us water though. I think by that point, we'd paid them already.
Overall: The food at Catch was good but not fantastic. Since it is a seafood restaurant, I feel that the quality of the seafood is quite fresh and good. If you are looking for a seafood restaurant, this is better than say Legal Seafoods.
Great seafood as good as you will find at any place in Boston. Mussels are great here. I had the skate once and it was outstanding!
We just dined here last night with another couple and had a good time. I would give it 3.5 stars (but no such luck with Yelp). The restaurant is small, but they do have an open kitchen that makes for a dramatic feel. Husband grew up in Winchester, so it's a big deal that a more upscale spot has lasted there. It's part of Restaurant Week and we arrived on time for our 8:30 p.m. reservation, but sat closer to 8:45 p.m. or 8:50 p.m. Seating was slightly crowded, but good for them for having a busy night.
The bread was great - olives in olive oil to pair with it, and we got a second helping right away. The wine list was robust, but pricey for bottles. You can order by the half bottle or glass. Our table had some repeats in our selections off the price fixe and Husband changed his mind at the last minute, throwing us for a loop. The Mussels were good, according to friends (I don't do Chorizo), and were a substantial portion in a lobster broth. Husband got my first choice - Cucumber Gazpacho and it was AMAZING; I would definitely order this again. The menu online said it came with crab, but instead they were serving it with mini shrimp. I got the Salmon Ceviche since the waiter talked me into Skate for my entree selection. The ceviche was great - small portion, but very tasty.
As for the Skate - eh. I should have stuck with my gut and Yelpers' recommendations on the Salmon. It was nicely done, but a little too reminscient of what fried chicken used to taste like. Not enough Carrot Puree and too many onion pearls. Orange Muscat for dessert was great, and the Mango Parfait was decent. Best dessert at our table was our friend's blueberry tart.
I would consider going back when in town, but I don't think I'll rush there anytime soon.
so i have to preface this review by saying i've only been here once, and it was when it first opened, so its likely much has changed--but its been probably over a year and i still think about this place so that says something, right?
catch is great. its small, and intimate and its on a main street in winchester which isn't saying much since winchester is a quiet town, but street parking was a little hard to find. either way, its basically downtown so you can park anywhere and easily walk.
catch had awesome mussels and i had the salmon as well which was cooked perfectly! sometimes im wary of ordering mussels (if you read kitchen confidential you'd understand. if you just LOVE your mussels then i'd tell you to pass on reading it) but here i didnt think twice.
if you are like me and love basically all kinds of seafood then this place is for you, they also have gnocchi as a starter. 'nuf said.
when we were there they were filming for a special Chronicle restaurant spotlight thing, so although everything (service/food/etc) was perfect, one could assume it was a show--
again, great so far, but i'll have to go back soon and i'll keep you posted :)
If you're not in need of an intimate table setting, there is a counter/bar that seats 4 or 5 and overlooks the kitchen. If you sit here, prepare to make friendly, small talk with the kitchen or with the person next to you. This is a bit of a neighborhood haunt. The person sitting next to you could be from Winchester, may strike a conversation, and ultimately ask where you live and what you do for a living. The kitchen runs like a well oiled machine and will provide some entertainment. Great food, great service. Warm, quiet atmosphere. The portions are not for anyone who may have a tape worm. Don't go here if you're that guy. You will leave hungry or soon be hungry. It's not cheap either so, bring your wallet and prepare to open it. No need to eat dessert next store at the patisserie, dessert at Catch is better/fresher than anything you'll get from there. If you want to be seated at a table, call ahead and make a reservation. They're popular.
I was visiting my sister in Arlington and she told me we needed to try Catch. Catch is the super upscale version of Legal's Seafood. We got there around 8:30 on Friday night with not wait. The wine menu is long as the Atlantic is wide with some moderate price wines to something I would have to get a second job so I could afford a sip. We had the Crisp Salmon Rillettes, everything was perfectly balanced, no extra seasoning needed. I had the Swordfish and my sister had the striped sea bass. Just like the appetizer, each dish was prepared with care and attention to details. How does he cook the mussels so amazingly!? The souffle was good, but not great because it came out cold and cold souffle might as well be called pudding with crust. The waitstaff was attentive and friendly. The atmosphere is warm and inviting. And the noisy neighbors were barely noticable. So if you ever get a chance to head North of Boston and have a few extra dollars you can part with, you have to try Catch, you'll reel in a big winner.
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