Game Day at The Catch - CLOSED

The Catch

2100 E. Katella Ste. 104

Anaheim, CA 92806

I used to live, eat, and breathe baseball. Back when I was a kid, I collected baseball cards and scheduled my day around baseball on TV (this was way back when there were only like six games aired a week), and I used to be able to tell you every team's starting lineup. But, unfortunately, my love for the game faded after the labor disputes, and my introduction to faster-paced sports, like hockey. I still like baseball, but sitting down and watching a 3-hour game on TV is hard. Plus, now there are too many restaurants for me to write about.

Another reason for my lack of interest this year has been the poor play of our hometown Angels. They are awful. I could probably write forever about how bad they are, but this is not a sports blog, and I would probably drive most of you away. I still do enjoy going to the games, though. Most people love getting a hot dog at the game, along with some peanuts and maybe even a beer. Unfortunately, I find the food at Anaheim Stadium to be pretty bad. They offer Jack in the Box, Chronic Tacos, and Panda Express. Not exactly mouth-watering options here. The hot dogs are not even as good as they used to be. In the two games I have been to this year, the hot dog buns have either been stale or too soggy. The hot dog itself was not as flavorful as I remember from my youth.

So with the limited dining options at the stadium, a good alternative is to eat before the game, but where to go? There are a smattering of restaurants that surround Anaheim Stadium. Still, only one of them borders the parking lot, which helps cut back on the walking involved getting to the game, especially after a few adult beverages. That restaurant is an OC original restaurant, The Catch. They moved from their original location around the corner on State College at least three years ago. This new version of The Catch has a much more modern feel and a lighter, vibrant vibe. We were recently invited to see what they offer before the Angel games and see if it could match what is provided at the stadium. I am sure the guys at The Catch are not worried about being outdone by the cold pizza and hot dogs being served across the parking lot.

We were greeted out on the fantastic patio with our choice of cocktails. They were featuring cocktails made with Amethyst Gin on this particular afternoon. Amethyst Gin comes from the state of Washington, and they are now branching out by coming to California. This gin is distinctive because they add a hint of lavender to it. I could not detect the lavender used here in the first cocktail I had. Next was the Royal Tea, which resembled a Long Island tea but was less sweet and more manageable. I really liked this version a lot. The other cocktail was a Lavender Martini. This had lavender hints but did not overpower the drink too much. A little too sweet for my taste, but Katie enjoyed this cocktail a lot.

I refrained from having a beer because I knew we would have lots of food, and beer always fills me up way too fast. The beer list here is pretty awesome. Along with the award-winning beers from Victor Novak, who creates beers at Taps, the sister restaurant to The Catch, they also have a great list of craft and large-batch beers. At this event, I had the chance to meet Greg From OC Beer Blog, and he seemed really excited by a number of the beers here, especially the Chocolate Porter from Hanger 24. I was happy that I did not bow to the peer pressure of having a beer because the food started making its way out of the kitchen fast and furious.

Starting things off nice and light, the good folks at The Catch brought out Yellow Fin Tuna Tartare ($13.99). Here they use sashimi-grade tuna, diced up and joined in butter lettuce cups with sweet chili and soy sauces, green onion, avocado, and a very smooth wasabi creme fraiche. This had lots of layers going on here. The tuna was lovely and rich, the chili and wasabi cream added a touch of heat to the dish, the soy sauce added a burst of salty flavor, and the avocado helped to cool things down while adding a very smooth element. Again, very well done appetizer, and if you did not want to eat heavy before the game, this might be the plate for you.

Getting into more of my wheelhouse was the Reuben Bites ($11.99). These bite-sized Reuben sandwiches in the fried form are stuffed with corned beef, which is braised in Taps Irish Red Ale, Gruyere cheese, sauerkraut, and then rolled in seeded rye bread crumbs. These are accompanied by a thousand island dressing and a creamy horseradish sauce. These were not as greasy as I imagined they would be. The corned beef got a little lost here, with the big flavors from the sauerkraut and the cheese dominating this appetizer.

Okay, I have to apologize for the next set of pictures. I was so excited to eat that I did not get the full versions of the following two items, so just remember that these are the sampling versions. Sorry about this rookie food blogging mistake. The Twisted Carne Asada Fries ($15.99) is unlike anything you can get across the parking lot at the stadium. They start with a well-fried french fry, then are topped with marinated tri-tip steak, pico de gallo, pepper jack cheese sauce, guacamole, sharp cheddar cheese, grilled scallions, jalapeno peppers, and just for good measure, a toasted chili de Arbol. Tons of layers and flavors going on here. I would have liked a little more cheese on my sample, but looking at the full version, it had more than enough cheese on it. What is an outing to a baseball game without nachos? Right, pretty dull and lame. The Snack Bomb Nachos ($15.99) put those bland tortilla chips and a sorry excuse for cheese sauce to shame served at Angel Stadium. At The Catch, they use two kinds of chips, Frito's Scoops and Salsa Verde Doritos, then pile on the nacho cheese, beef chili, pulled carnitas, sour cream, cheddar cheese, pico de gallo, guacamole, sports peppers, green onions. I liked the inclusion of the Frito's Scoops here because it made scooping up the toppings much easier. The full-size version of these nachos could easily feed four and might be able to be used as an emergency pitching mound at the Big A.

We did not get a chance to try this, but it was too big of a burger not to post here. The O.M.G. Burger ($59.99) is five pounds of ground chuck, ten slices of cheddar cheese, a head of lettuce, a bunch of tomatoes, shaved red onions, dill pickles chips, and mayonnaise, all on a fourteen-inch bun. Just for good measure, this gigantic burger is served with four pounds of fries. Yeah, let's see Adam Richman tackle this one on Man Vs. Food. This burger can also have bacon, avocado, jalapenos, and even double meat added for an additional charge. Suitable for a group of about twelve hungry people, or maybe me and three of my friends.

The Catch is known for its seafood, but after eating these tacos, they might make a name for themselves with their Mexican food. On their Game Time Menu, they offer Tacos By the Rack (12.99 3pc., $24.99 6pc., $35.99 9pc.). They have two varieties: Slow Cooked Pork Carnitas and Blackened Mahi Mahi. Of the two, I was pretty impressed with the carnitas version, a family recipe from Sous Chef Sergio Lopez. Along with the carnitas, the tacos contain salsa Quemada, queso panela, green chile, lime juice, cilantro, and white onion. The pork was tender, while the contents provided a nice mix of flavors and moisture. The tortillas did a fine job of keeping everything together. The Mahi Mahi was a good taco, also. Predictably, the fish was cooked right. This is a seafood restaurant, after all. The chipotle sour cream was a nice topping, along with the Mahi-mahi.

The last item that made it out of the kitchen for us was the Roasted Pork Cemita ($12.99). To be honest, I had no idea what a cemita was before this event. However, I have since learned that it refers to the bread used. The bread originally comes from Puebla, Mexico, and like the sandwich above, it typically has sesame seeds covering it. The inside of this sandwich should not be overlooked, though. The pork is joined under the bun by Oaxacan cheese, papalo (Bolivian coriander), sweet onion, avocado, lime juice, and pork chicharrones. This was a very hearty sandwich with a very unique taste. I got the flavor in waves. A splash of citrus, the chicharrones' crunch, the onion's sweetness, the avocado's creaminess, and the gently spiced pork all hit at different times while I was eating this.

To finish our night, we had an aptly named Rally Monkey Shot. I was in a food coma when they described what was in this shot, but I know it had 99 Bananas liqueur, chocolate syrup, and something to make it creamy. This shot was little but definitely packed a punch.

So, the Angels are a horrible team right now, and the food at the stadium is not much better. But, if you are going to watch a lousy baseball team, at least you can eat well before it. The Catch is a great spot to enjoy your pregame festivities. The drinks are cheaper than at the ballpark, and the food prices are right in line with the stadium, but with more significant portions and better quality. So, it seems like a no-brainer that The Catch is the place to be before a game. The Game Day menu impressed me, and I did not even mention the Sausage Hoagie or the Highfalutin Dagwood Dog, a foot-long corn dog on a pretzel bun topped with chili, cheese, sports peppers, mustard, red onions, green onions, and jack cheese sauce. Just typing this description makes me want to sit through another Angel's loss, of which there have been many.

We thank everyone at The Catch for this beautiful opportunity to experience the Game Day menu here. The waitresses, bar staff, food runners, and management at The Catch were phenomenal this afternoon. In addition, all of the customers on the patio seemed to be having a great time. Lastly, we would like to thank the great Lee Healy for thinking of inviting us to this great event. Thanks so much, Lee. Everything was great.

If you would like to find out more about The Catch and get more information about any of the items you saw on this blog, click here to go to their website: http://www.catchanaheim.com/

Is the Catch a Hit or an Error? - CLOSED

The Catch

2100 E. Katella Ave., Ste 104

Anaheim, CA 92806

The Catch has been across from Angel Stadium for as long as I can remember. I remember my parents telling me that the Catch is where the Angel players go after the games, so it always had this cool aura around it. When I was finally old enough to go there, I remember it being dark and crowded after games. There were some player sightings and some good times at the bar.

The Catch recently moved into their new building, a few blocks from the old one. This whole area of Anaheim is trying to get that big city vibe with high-rise apartments, concert venues, and restaurants. The Catch is located on the ground floor of one of these high rises, the AvalorBay building. This version of the Catch restaurant is anything but dark. The bar area is wide open, and there are windows everywhere. We arrived on a Sunday at 5, and there was still a good-sized crowd left over from the baseball game in the bar area. There was even a baseball player sighting Angel's first baseman, Mike Napoli. But enough with baseball player stalking. How about the food.

Here are some random pictures of the dining room, the iced tea, and the bread they serve. The dining room was nice and cozy. Lots of windows in here as well. It was empty on this night. All of the action was in the bar. I was wondering how busy this place would be on a non-game day. The iced teas we ordered were accompanied by their carafes for each of us. I liked this touch because you never had to ask for more tea. The rolls that they had were sourdough rolls, and they were adequate.

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Now on to the salads. Above is Katie's salad, the Caprese. Tomatoes, basil, mozzarella, olive oil, and balsamic vinegar made this salad. I liked this presentation, and my parents and Katie raved about the flavor of this salad. I did not try this, though.

For my salad, I got the Slice of Ice. This cool salad (ahh, get it, because of the name, wow I am so sorry, my sense of humor is awful), anyways, this salad was half an iceberg lettuce, with Point Reyes blue cheese, red onions, grape tomatoes, bacon, and blue cheese dressing. I liked this salad, the flavors were big, and it came out cold.  The dressing-to-salad ratio on this was good as well.

The winner of the salad portion of this meal has to go to this one, the Vermont Maple Salad. Mixed greens with maple vinaigrette dressing, Cotija cheese, sliced apples, candied black pepper bacon, and toasted pecans. Yes, I said candied bacon! Also, the unusual maple dressing was killer on this. I am not big on salads with fruit in them, but this one worked. I would for sure get this salad next time.

Our appetizer arrived at the same time as our salads, so the Teriyaki Dragon Rolls were made to wait. The dragon roll consisted of marinated pork and shrimp, with vegetables in a spring roll and flash fried. These were served with a black bean sauce with a little kick. They were delicious, and we all liked these.

Now we move on to the entree portion of the meal. Katie got the Shrimp, Christopher. Large shrimp are butterflied and stuffed with crab, scallops, and fish. It was like a mini crab cake on top of a shrimp, not what I had pictured when she ordered this. It was okay, not excellent. With all of these killer items in this dish, I would have thought it would have tasted better. The garlic mashed potatoes that came with this were pretty good, though. The rainbow chard was sauteed perfectly but got lost under all the potatoes.

My Mom chose to get Victor's Fish and Chips. Cod dipped in beer batter, then fried and served with a tarter sauce. This is served with garlic fries, which did not seem too garlicky, and Louisiana hot slaw, which definitely had a kick. I liked the fish but again was not wowed by it. It was not oily and was flaky on the inside. I usually like more dressing for my slaw, but this was good slaw.

The winner in the main dish category was again chosen by my Dad. He opted for the Drunken Mahi-Mahi. Blackened fish, splashed with tequila, over tomato risotto. The fish was done perfectly, and it was hard for me to get a bite from my Dad because he liked this so much. The fish was presented well and paired with crab tostadas (which were more the size of a nacho). The tostadas were topped with tomatillo-avocado salsa and Cotija cheese. Delicious, solid dish here.

I was the only one that did not go for fish at the table. I saw the Double Header on the menu and knew that was what I would have. Two filets, one with shrimp scampi over it, and the other were prepared Oscar style, with hollandaise sauce and crab. I loved that they offered this on the menu, but that is where my love ended for this dish. The hollandaise sauce was too thick, and the crab was unnoticeable. One of the filets was overcooked (the other was cooked perfectly the way I ordered it, medium rare). The scampi steak was okay, and they did not shortchange you on the shrimp with this one. The flavor just did not pop out at me.

I had mixed feelings about the Catch. I really liked the salads and appetizers. I felt the entrees were not the best, but they seemed to be trying hard. The service was good, but there were only two tables in the dining room, so it might be different on busier nights. The bar seemed like the place to be, and I am looking forward to trying their huge, four-pound burger (with friends, of course) and some of their different appetizers.

Out of five Willie Mays gold gloves, (because he was the one who had, "The Catch"), five being best to zero being worst, The Catch  gets 3 gold gloves.

For more information on The Catch, check them out here: http://www.catchanaheim.com/