Chicago Restaurant Week 2016: Catch 35

For Chicago Restaurant Week at the end of January, hubby and I decided to check out Catch 35, a slightly splurgy seafood spot near the river. During Restaurant Week, you can nab some pretty good prix fixe deals at top Chicago restaurants, and Catch 35 offers two dinner options – a $33 menu and a $44 menu.

Ambiance-wise, Catch 35 has a bit of a personality disorder. It’s a very long restaurant, and the front section evokes a bit of a classy jazz lounge/bar feel. There’s a shiny black grand piano surrounded by high top tables with views out the front window towards the water. A long bar stretches towards the back of the restaurant. Across from the bar are a few casual-looking tables positioned fairly close together. After the bar comes a brightly lit display case showing off fresh cuts of fish, and a few more tables. It’s like you’re in a fancy fish market. Walking deeper into the restaurant, you then go up a few steps. It’s here that you’ll find probably the best and most comfortable tables. There are a few booths on one side, and tables for four on the other. Then up a few more steps, and now you’re officially in the largest section of the dining room. Maybe it’s going for a fine dining feel, but it’s more like 90’s hotel meets Senior’s night.

Despite its confused look, Catch 35’s food is anything but. Everything is plated nicely, and more importantly, tastes pretty awesome.

Kicking off the start of a fantastic meal, my husband started off with a creamy and flavorful lobster bisque.

I got the beet salad, which was a huge portion with tons of beets, topped with creamy goat cheese and crunchy pistachios. 

 

For my entree, I had the perfectly cooked mahi mahi served over roasted root vegetables and red grapes (part of the $33 menu). Catch 35 has a pretty good wine selection, and I had a terrific and sweet riesling from Mosel, Germany that went well with my meal.

 

We shared a ginormous side of roasted Brussel sprouts, and also the short rib hash (not pictured). Actually, we probably didn’t need the side dishes – our entree portions were well-sized, but we just couldn’t resist. With a name like Catch 35, you might be tempted to stick to seafood only, but the short rib was fantastic. I highly recommend the short rib hash, or any other dish with short rib in it. 

 

Hubby got the Chilean sea bass – yum! (part of the $44 menu).

We each got our own molten chocolate cake for dessert. It was soooo good, though very rich. One portion would have been enough to share!

The Final Word: Solid seafood and wine selection. The service could be more attentive, and the decor is not the most chic, but I would come back for the nicely prepared dishes.

Info: Catch 35, W. Upper Wacker Drive, Chicago, IL 60601 USA

 

Gen Sushi, Belmont

After a couple of friends raved about Gen Sushi, my guy and I decided we had to give it a try. The place is tiny, with 4 seats at the sushi bar, and four two-seater tables.  We entered through velvety curtains, and claimed our seats at the sushi bar.

There is no doubt that all the staff are pleasant and friendly, and I felt at home in the little restaurant. I’ve also heard that Gen Sushi is very accommodating of special diets, though my boyfriend and I will eat everything.

The fish is fresh, and portions of raw fish are very good – see the tuna sushi above. However, I found the maki rolls to be a bit sloppy. Maki pieces were unevenly shaped, and not cut to the same height.

Very thin slices of fish were unevenly layered on the rainbow roll (above, middle). The avocado slices were haphazardly arranged on the caterpillar roll (above, bottom). At Gen Sushi’s price point, I would have expected cucumber antennae and eyes made from pieces of octopus on a caterpillar roll.

We finished our dinner with a complimentary palate cleanser – sweet and juicy pineapple and orange slices served cutely on their rinds.

The Final Word: Overall, we had a very enjoyable dinner with terrific service. The sushi was yummy, but the presentation was lacking.

Info: Gen Sushi, 61 Concord Ave, Belmont, MA 02478, USA

Fish tacos at Border Cafe

Border Cafe (Cambridge, MA) makes great swordfish tacos. The grilled avocado is deliciously sweet (grilling an avocado – how genius is that?!), and is topped with a summery mango salsa. On weekends, there always seems to be a crowd waiting outside this restaurant, but the line moves quickly and the food is well worth the wait.