Catch 35

Coconut Shrimp

We went to dinner at Catch 35 in Naperville as we here it advertised a lot on the radio.  There is also a location in Chicago that Natalie went to a long time ago, but we told them it was our first time.

Coconut shrimp - more of an Asian flavor of coconut shrimp, the sauce was like a chili sauce so it was spicier than we expected and there was a lighter breading.  But who can go wrong with coconut shrimp.

Chilean Sea Bass - we saw this on the menu but when the waiter said it was their signature dish we felt we had to try it. We were hoping of a replication of an awesome Chilean sea bass dish we had in Las Vegas (at the Venetian).  It wasn't quite like that experience, but still a great piece of fish.  Light and tasty with a Hawaiian ginger scallion sauce.

Tuna Poke - poke style tuna with avocado, scallions, soy sauce and macadamia nuts.  Also a Hawaiian inspired seafood dish. We must have been dreaming of Hawaii. This dish would be wonderful on a hot summer day being that it is prepared and served cold. The flavors were great together.  Natalie felt the color of the sauce was not the most appetizing, but that can be overlooked.

Key lime pie - we tried their key lime pie for dessert.  Not quite like in the Florida Keys.  It had a whipped, airy texture instead of being more dense. But it was a nice sweet end to the meal.

Final thoughts on Catch 35:
Food - we liked all of the food.  If we went back we would repeat the entrees; they were so different but enjoyable.
Service - we went to eat here on a Friday during Lent so it was pretty busy.  Luckily we had reservations because it sounds like there weren't taking any walk-ins.  Because of the busyness of the restaurant the waiter didn't spend a lot of time telling us about the different fresh fish or the preparations on the menu.  So what he did say felt a bit rushed and forced.
Atmosphere - it was a lively Friday night.  The interior is decorated with sleek lines and a modern style. Going with the seafood feel - there were blue overtones.

Chilean Sea Bass

Tuna Poke

Key Lime Pie

Chicago Bagel & Bialy

Matzo Ball Soup

We saw Chicago Bagel & Bialy featured on Chicago's Best a few weeks ago and since Nick can never pass up a good Reuben sandwich he wanted to try it out.  It is located in Wheeling and we happened to be near there so we stopped by.

Matzo ball soup with a challah roll - good solid Matzo and big chunks of vegetables. We got the smaller size serving and it was more than enough for both of us.

Bagel and Lox sandwich

Reuben Sandwich

Reuben sandwich - lots of pastrami, good sandwich but not the best Reuben Nick has ever had.  It came with a pickle and coleslaw.

Bagel sandwich with veggie cream cheese, lox, tomato, red onion and cucumber with potato salad and pickle on the side. Natalie loves bagels and lox and would eat them all the time if smoked salmon were cheaper. They have lots of bagels and cream cheeses to choose from. They toasted the bagel before preparing the sandwich.


Final thoughts on Chicago Bagel & Bialy:
Food - good Jewish deli food but nothing that we would drive so far for in the future.
Service - you order at a counter and they bring out food to your table or you can take food to go.
Atmosphere - it is a cozy, casual place on a busy street right across from Superdawg II

Fresh Starts

Mesclun Salad with Goat Cheese

A couple of months ago on Check Please we saw Fresh Starts in Flossmoor featured.  Since we don't work that far away from this restaurant we figured we would give it a try.

Crab Cake Appetizer - Natalie thought something was a little salty, but maybe that was the sauce that was with it.  Nick thought it was good, but nothing amazing.

New Orleans Pasta with chicken, Andouille sausage, green onions and a Cajun cream sauce - nice taste, good bit of heat, and fun shaped radiatori pasta.  It was quite a large quantity with both of us trying it and still a lot for leftovers.

House Salad

Scallops with Risotto -
the scallops were jumbo sized and tasted great. They were served with a lemon chive cream and vegetable risotto.

Both of the entrees came with salads. Natalie upgraded to a mesclun salad which was great as it had 2 huge chunks of goat cheese in it.

Final thoughts on Fresh Starts:
Food - good food. Natalie might consider ordering out for lunch.  They have lots of good salad and lighter options.

New Orleans Pasta

Service - The service was attentive.  The owner walked around at one point to ask how we were doing.

Atmosphere - cozy and casual neighborhood feel.

Crab cakes

Scallops and risotto