Don Weiner
Google
I had high hopes for Catch and Release. I was hoping it would be our own local Connie & Ted's of Marina Del Rey. However the one word that describes this new restaurant is "disappointment." More on this sentiment at the end.
We started out with a couple draft beers off the drink menu. The beer was good, but really pricey for the size of the glass. Especially when you consider the Yard House is across the street, and they serve twice the size for the same price.
For starters we got a half dozen Baja Shrimp Cocktail and half dozen Oysters. The shrimp came out unpeeled, so I wouldn't recommend ordering them if you're here on a first date. It would have been nice if this important detail had been added to the description on the menu. And at these prices, the shrimp should be served ready-to-eat. The oysters were the tiny kind, although tasty.
As a side note, the menu I saw online features seafood appetizer combinations that include the shrimp, the oysters, and lobster for a package deal. However when we asked the waiter about them, he said that on this opening night they were not available (or we would have ordered it). But then later I saw another table being served that combination. When I asked the waiter why it was not offered to us, he said that it was only available to "friends on family" on this night. Not a good way to impress new customers on your opening night.
Next we tried the Lobster Roll. The portion was small, appetizer size. But enough to share between 2 people. The bread was crispy and delicious, the perfect compliment to the large chunks of lobster. This was one of the highlights of the meal.
We also ordered a bowl of the Cod Chowder to share. This was a good dish, but very rich and buttery -- and a little salty. Half a bowl was plenty for one person. The flavor was tasty, and there was plenty of fish in the chowder. The large croutons could have been served on the side rather than floated on top.
Our next dish was the Ricotta Uni Dumplings. Not at all what I expected. A better description is Gnocchi. I'm guessing that the ricotta and uni is all mixed into the dough, because I wasn't getting much flavor of either. Very subtle uni, and really no ricotta at all. The sauce and bacon that accompany the gnocchi are a savory addition. The portion is small for the price.
Our final entree was the Seared Scallops with Foie Gras and Miso. The scallops were quite large and seared perfectly, but the 1 small piece of foie gras was not enough to balance the 3 large scallops. The flavor of the dish was very good, though the thick kale sauce should be used sparingly.
The dessert menu was sparse, with only 5 options -- and 2 were not available. And most of the items had funky names that needed explanation, which we had to ask for. (Note to wait staff: exceptional service means offering to explain things without being asked) We opted for something called Whoopi pie, which is two soft gingerbread cookies with ice cream between them, served over a delicious lemon curd and fresh blueberries. This dish was surprisingly very good, and all the flavors really worked well together.
When the check arrived we noticed a "20% Admin Charge" had been added. We were told it's basically a gratuity that covers the wait staff and back-of-house staff. Words cannot explain the amount of disappointment a customer feels when forced to pay a 20% gratuity with no mention of it anywhere until the check arrives.
Finally, the ultimate disappointment of the evening was the behavior of one of the chefs. When a restaurant has an open kitchen, the staff needs to be aware that everyone can see them, all the time. Chefs can't do things like lick a sauce spoon, then use it to sauce the next dish being served. And they certainly can't stick their finger in a customer's dish and lick it before the food is plated and served. Yet this was happening. And even when we notified the manager, and got a sincere apology, it continued to happen again and again.
Very disappointing.
