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Restaurant
Reviews: Pacific Catch
When I was
a little girl, my family ate dinner out every Thursday, because
it was the maid's night off. In the San Francisco of the 1970's,
the best choice for an informal family meal was at the one of
the many ethnic restaurants, usually Thai, Mexican, or Japanese.
In these small, family-run restaurants, children were welcome,
the cuisine reflected owners' birthplace, the food was fresh,
interesting, slightly exotic, always delicious, and the meals
were inexpensive. There was usually a patriarch who greeted the
guests, newly arrived aunts and uncles who worked in the kitchen,
American born teen-age children who took a break from their school
work to wait and bus tables, and a mother who presided over the
cash drawer. These restaurants, owned and operated by new immigrants
involved the entire family, as they pursued the American Dream.
30 years
later, the Marin County spin on the Pacific Rim, family-involved,
child-friendly restaurant has emerged. Pacific Catch is the latest
venture by World Wrapps founder and Belvedere resident Keith Cox.
Aaron Novashen, the executive chef at World Wrapps is also a partner
at Pacific Catch, and provides the necessary leadership in the
kitchens. His wife Amy created the charming and colorful graphics
for the menu. In keeping with the all-in-the-family theme, Laura
Smith Blair, Cox' next door neighbor and wife of another founding
partner of World Wrapps painted beautiful canvas murals with her
interpretations of Mahi-mahi, Tuna, Halibut and Snapper. Cox'
wife, Hilary Foss, put together Pacific Catch's first location
in San Francisco, and now stays home and focuses on new son Kylan
and two year old daughter Leila. The chain's board of directors
includes another Belvedere neighbor, Scooter Simmons, founder
of Chevy's.
Corte Madera's
Pacific Catch is in the for Fresh Choice location in Town Center.
The large, bright room is casual, yet many of the appointments
are elegant. Bamboo, rice paper, and bamboo leaf are part of the
sophisticated look. The overall feel is casual comfort, with banquettes,
high back chairs, bare tables, paper napkins and disposable chopsticks.
This location can host 100 diners indoors, with an additional
50 seats on the heated, sheltered terrace outside. The initial
inspiration came from a Hawaiian fish restaurant Cox visited on
Maui.
An appetizer
of Coconut Shrimp ($6.50) brought two skewers of farmed prawns,
coated in rich coconut batter and deep-fried, and served with
a gelatinous, sweet and spicy orange dipping sauce. We asked for
and received the mango salsa as well. The mango salsa was fresh,
with fresh mango, chilies, and red onion. I didn't receive the
burst of tropical flavors that I expected. The fried shrimp were
very mild, but I did enjoy the meaty, doughy coconut batter.
Also listed
under starters is Baja Shrimp Ceviche ($7.50). Small shrimp were
marinated, essentially "cooked" in lime juice and chilies.
The flavors were clean and crisp, augmented with fresh cilantro,
and embellished with chopped avocado and served with crunchy tortilla
chips.
We had been
told by our dinner partners (Belverdere resident and Keith's sister
Laura Cox and her husband Jay Cohen) that Sweet Potato Fries ($2.95
as a side, $3.95 for a basket) were not to be missed. They are
indeed scrumptious, especially served with Wasabi Aioli. Crispy
batons of sweet potatoes are fried to a crisp exterior and soft
interior, sprinkled with a touch of salt, and served very hot.
We tried
the Mahi Mahi Fish Taco ($3.25 each or $8.95 for a platter)-Grilled
Mahi mahi sat atop a small mound of crunchy shredded cabbage,
that rested on a warm corn tortilla. I thought it was really good,
and I particularly enjoyed the lime crema and smoky tomatillo
salsa. The spice rub added flavor without overpowering, and a
short grilling time kept the fish moist and tender.
Wasabi Salmon
Bowl ($11.95) offered a lot of food. We received a generous fillet
of grilled farmed Chinook salmon, several hefty avocado slices,
a dash of slightly piquant daikon sprouts, some peeled cucumber
slices, a scoop of seaweed salad, some pickled ginger, mounded
on top of a small hill of sticky sushi rice and garnished with
nori threads and sesame seeds, then drizzled with a wasabi spiced
soy sauce. There were a lot of competing textures and flavors,
but no single element stood out significantly or overpowered another
component.
The concept
of the CB-Chalkboard Special is to provide fresh, well-priced
fish. By relying on the fluctuation of the market, says Keith
Cox, Pacific Catch can supply the best of the season at the best
price. On the night of our February visit, the specials were farmed
Canadian Chinook salmon, ($16.95), Hawaiian Mahi Mahi ($17.95),
Hawaiian Opakapaka ($18.95), and California Striped Bass ($18.95).
This notion allows the diner to enjoy great, fresh fish prepared
one of four ways-Hawaiian, Japanese, Baja BBQ, and California
Grill. We opted for the Bass, prepared Hawaiian style.
A large bass
fillet was grilled and presented on a banana leaf. Accompanying
it was the best part of the dish, grilled baby bok choy. Crisp
Maui onions were battered and deep fried. The rings were flavorful
but a little soggy. I really didn't care for the pineapple fried
rice. I found it low on flavor, mushy, and bland. The bass was
good, a bit overcooked, and therefore dry, but there was plenty
of soy-based sauce to soften it up.
Ahi 3 ways
($17.95) is a House Special Entree and easily and happily could
have served two adults. A large plate was presented with sticky,
short grain rice molded in the center of a lovely square platter.
The poke component was the best- ½" cubes of red tuna,
lightly dressed with a hint of sesame. The other two ways were
fairly similar to each other-"grilled rare sashimi",
and seared with a sesame seed crust. The grilled version was good--ultra
fresh tuna, cooked ever so briefly as to seal in the flavor on
the exterior, while leaving the center soft and succulent. The
sesame crust on the seared Ahi was a little excessive for my taste,
and reminded me of tahini. I loved the wakame seaweed salad. The
delicate ponzu dressing had slight citrus overtones and contrasted
wonderfully with the texture of the deep green glistening
The wine
list reflects the restaurant's focus on the Pacific Rim with selections
from Australia, New Zealand, Argentina, California, Oregon and
Washington. Because of Pacific Catch's focus on seafood, the white
wine selection is more extensive than the red, but we very much
enjoyed the 2003 Avalon Cabernet ($7.75 glass, $31. bottle). The
2002 Olivet Lane Chardonnay ($8. Glass, 32. Bottle) was a good,
if not a bit heavy, complement to our Asian-inspired dishes.
Desserts
are not the main focus, but do provide interesting Pacific Rim
inspired twists on brownies and ice cream. Mochi Fondu ($5.50)
could easily serve a family. We were served 12 wedges of chocolate,
vanilla, and coffee ice cream, each wrapped in sweet, rice paste,
and skewered with a toothpick, ready to be dipped in rich, melted
chocolate. Caramel fans should appreciate Fried Dulce de Leche
Spring Rolls ($5.95). Vanilla ice cream and warm caramel sauce
were oozing all over a deep-fried cylinder of thick dough that
had been filled with a sweetened cream cheese like mixture. I
found this dessert a collision of too many tasty elements from
several culinary traditions led astray. Perhaps the advertised
Macadamia Brownie would have been a better attempt at cultural
fusion.
There is
an extensive children's menu available, offering tasty selections
for California's kids, such as a California Roll ($4.95), Teriyaki
Bowl (Chicken or Shrimp $4.95) or Grilled Fish Tacos ($4.50).
The service is swift, friendly and efficient, and waiting time
is minimal.
Similar to
a small, family run establishment, Pacific Catch focuses on serving
" fish items, cooked-to-order, utilizing fresh ingredients
and house-made sauces." They are committed to offering great
value in a friendly environment. The difference however is that
this is a restaurant with a board of directors with extensive
big business experience. They plan to roll out the chain slowly,
(one new store a year) in their effort to pursue the American
Dream.
Pacific Catch
is located at 133 Town Center in Corte Madera.
Hours are 11:30 am to 9:30 pm daily.
Reservations are accepted for parties of 8 or more. Credit Cards
accepted.
415 927 FISH (2474)
www.pacificcatch.com
From The Ark Newspaper
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