Catch New York — the sexy seafood hotspot known as much for its party scene as its celebrity clientele — is in the midst of a renaissance.
To mark the restaurant’s 15th anniversary, Catch Hospitality Group co-founder Eugene Remm gave Page Six an exclusive first look at the iconic Meatpacking eatery’s revitalized menu and renovated space.
“We’re celebrating our 15-year anniversary by introducing 15 new food items, an entirely new cocktail program, and an entirely refreshed design of the entire space,” Remm said.
Since opening in 2011, Catch New York has drawn an A-list crowd, instantly cementing its status as a see-and-be-seen destination for the city’s elite.
“A good friend of the brand, Nas, celebrated his birthday for the opening night,” Remm recalled, adding that he brought “a lot of great people” including Jay-Z, Carmelo Anthony and Common.
“So from that first night … that lit the spark of what Catch is today, and that created the hype and some of the sizzle around the space,” Remm said.
Nearly every big name has walked through the eatery’s landmark front door — from Justin and Hailey Bieber to Mariah Carey, as well as Steven Tyler, Ja Rule and countless others.
As the “clubstaurant” trend cooled in the wake of the pandemic, Catch’s momentum began to taper — presenting Remm and his team the opportunity to shift their focus onto three new ventures that have since become some of the hardest reservations in town: The Corner Store, The Eighty Six and Or’esh.
Inspired by the mammoth success of his team’s latest gastronomic endeavors, Remm seized the cultural moment by shifting Catch toward a more “food-first focus.”
“We’re really just focusing on creating amazing experiences with a food-first lens, whilst keeping true to the culture of what Catch has been for the last 15 years — which is a place to get together and a place to celebrate.”
The space — once a 400-person dining room — now seats just 240 patrons. The re-design, dreamed up by Catch’s longtime architectural collaborator, Rockwell Group, allows for spacious leather banquettes and more breathing room between tables.
“We wanted to create an element of luxury and design within the space, as opposed to something that just crammed in a lot of tables,” Remm said.
Catch Hospitality Group’s director of culinary, Chef Michael Vignola, dreamed up innovative dishes that play off their original menu. New appetizers include a crunchy croissant pretzel bread, chicken Bao buns topped with caviar, bok choy salad with shaved grapes, crispy sunflower seeds and sesame dressing, and a mosaic Crudo di Catch.
Scene-stealing entrées include a lobster mac ‘n cheese topped with a cartoon-like claw and a Stone Axe Wagyu fillet gently tossed in a miso mushroom crust — the latter of which Bethenny Frankel declared her “death row meal” during Friends and Family week.
“The feedback has been fantastic,” Remm said, before divulging that a few New York Knicks players recently came in and devoured the caviar bao buns.
Already popping up all over Instagram Reels is executive pastry chef Michael Romano’s strawberry shortcake shaved ice, which is comprised of a crushed strawberry compote and lemon cookie crumble drizzled with a mascarpone mousse and condensed milk.
Adjacent to the stylish second-floor dining room is the moody bar area, where thirsty city slickers are invited to sip on craft cocktails like Catch’s filthy martini garnished with furikake-mascarpone olives, a matcha-macadamia white negroni and a fluffy margarita.
“We’ve had a lot of exciting moments here at the bar, and you never know who you’re going to run into,” Remm said, recalling the hilarious time he spotted Axl Rose having a casual drink with a friend.
“No one on our team knew who he was … because they were too young to know who Guns N’ Roses is,” Remm laughed.
Brad Pitt chilled in the bar area while celebrating the premiere of his 2013 movie, “World War Z.” Remm also recalled bringing in food from nearby Mexican restaurant Dos Caminos for an anonymous A-lister who was craving tacos.
“You never know what people are going to ask for, and our job is to take care of them,” Remm said.
For a more private dining experience, patrons have the option to tuck themselves away in the semi-private dining room on the third floor across from the bustling blue-tiled open kitchen.
“We have these retractable walls that can completely close the space out,” Remm said. “It’s good for two people all the way up to 30. And it’s a great opportunity for people to come have a quiet meal, not be interrupted by anyone, and have a great experience.”
Since the revamp, reservations have doubled, and there are even waitlists for Sunday and Monday nights, Remm said.
“It’s been electric to see the sheer joy out of people who are coming here and appreciating it and posting it and sharing it with their friends,” Remm gushed. “It’s been amazing to watch. I’m unaware of anyone who’s ever been able to do it before, and I’m just excited that people love the food, that people love the room, and [I’m] just grateful for the team I have around me that can execute it on a day-to-day basis.”
Ever humble, Remm credits Catch New York as the foundation for everything his team has achieved, pointing to the original outpost as the springboard for the 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, Or’Esh,” he said.
“So these four walls are incredibly meaningful to me personally, and I’m excited that they will continue to shine and give guests great experiences for the next 15 years.”
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