Catch New York, a sexy seafood hotspot known for its celebrity clientele and party scene, is in the midst of a renaissance.
In celebration of the restaurant’s 15th anniversary, Catch Hospitality Group co-founder Eugene Rehm gives Page Six an exclusive first look at the iconic Meatpacking restaurant’s revitalized menu and renovated space.
“We’re celebrating our 15th anniversary with 15 new dishes, an all-new cocktail program, and a completely redesigned space,” Lemm said.
Since opening in 2011, Catch New York has drawn elite crowds and instantly solidified its status as a sought-after destination for the city’s elite.
“Brand’s good friend Nas celebrated his birthday on opening night,” Lem recalled, adding that he brought along “a lot of great people,” including Jay-Z, Carmelo Anthony and Common.
“So from that first night… that sparked today’s catch and it created hype and some enthusiasm around the space,” Lem said.
Almost every celebrity has passed through this restaurant’s landmark front door, from Justin and Hailey Bieber to Mariah Carey to Steven Tyler, Ja Rule, and countless others.
Catch’s momentum began to taper off as the “club restaurant” trend cooled during the pandemic, giving Lem and his team the opportunity to shift focus to three new ventures: The Corner Store, The Eighty-Six, and Auresh, which have since become some of the city’s most difficult to book.
Inspired by the huge success of the team’s latest gastronomic endeavor, Lem has seized the cultural moment by shifting Catch to a more “food-first focus.”
“We are focused on creating great experiences that put food first, while staying true to Catch’s culture of the past 15 years as a place to gather and celebrate.”
Once a dining room that could seat 400 people, the space now seats just 240 patrons. The redesign, envisioned by Catch’s longtime architectural collaborator Rockwell Group, allows for spacious leather banquettes and more space between tables.
“We wanted to create an element of luxury and design within the space, rather than just cramming in a bunch of tables,” Lem said.
Chef Michael Vignola, Catch Hospitality Group’s Culinary Director, has created innovative dishes to complement the original menu. New appetizers include crunchy croissant pretzel buns, chicken wraps topped with caviar, bok choy salad with shaved grapes, crispy sunflower seeds and sesame dressing, and mosaic crudo di catch.
Scene-stealing entrees include lobster mac and cheese topped with cartoon-like claws and Stone Ax Wagyu fillet gently tossed with miso mushroom skin. The latter is what Bethenny Frankel declared her “death row meal” during Friends and Family Week.
“The response has been amazing,” Lem said, before revealing that several New York Knicks players recently visited the store and devoured the caviar bao buns.
Already appearing all over Instagram, Reels is executive pastry chef Michael Romano’s strawberry shortcake shaved ice, made with crushed strawberry compote and lemon cookie crumble, drizzled with mascarpone mousse and condensed milk.
Adjacent to the stylish second-floor dining room is a moody bar area, where thirsty city dwellers can enjoy craft cocktails like Catch’s dirty martini with sprinkled mascarpone olives, matcha macadamia white negroni, and fluffy margaritas.
“We had a lot of exciting moments here at the bar. You never know who you’re going to run into,” Lemme said, recalling a hilarious time when Axl Rose was spotted drinking casually with friends.
“None of us on our team knew who he was…because they were too young to know who Guns N’ Roses were,” Lemme laughed.
Brad Pitt lounged in the bar area while celebrating the premiere of his 2013 film World War Z. Lem also recalled bringing food from Dos Caminos, a nearby Mexican restaurant, for an anonymous A-lister who wanted tacos.
“You never know what people will want, and our job is to take care of them,” Lem said.
For a more private dining experience, you can also relax in the semi-private dining room on the third floor, located across from the lively blue-tiled open kitchen.
“We have retractable walls that allow us to completely close off the space,” Lem said. “It’s good for two people up to 30. And it’s a great opportunity to eat quietly without being disturbed and have a great experience.”
Since the relaunch, Rehm said reservations have doubled and there is a waiting list for Sunday and Monday nights.
“It was inspiring to see the pure joy of people coming here, appreciating it, posting it, and sharing it with their friends,” Lem exclaimed. “It was really cool to see. I don’t know anyone who’s been able to do that before. I’m just thrilled that people love the food and love the room. And (I’m) just thankful for the team around me that allows us to do that on a daily basis.”
The ever-humble Lem believes Catch New York is the foundation for everything his team has accomplished, pointing to the original outpost as the springboard for his expanding restaurant empire.
“Without these four walls, there would be no Catch LA. There would be no Catch Vegas, Aspen, Miami, Dallas, Scottsdale, Corner Store, Eighty-Six, Olesh,” he said.
“So these four walls mean a lot to me personally, and I’m excited to continue to shine and provide great experiences for our guests for the next 15 years.”
