Catch & Release is really the story of two tremendous L.A. chefs who've had to shuffle their way through the city. Formerly Paiche, the new seafood restaurant debuts this Thursday in Marina Del Rey. Instead of Ricardo Zarate, who had built this third restaurant here, you have Jason Neroni, who splashed into L.A. at Osteria La Buca before launching Superba Snack Bar.
Neroni conjures up the New England of his youth at Catch & Release, a sizable 120 seater just steps from the ocean. With summers spent in Maine, the younger Neroni gorged on lobster rolls, clams, and trout. He was adept at finding sea urchins (that's an adventurous eater), peekytoe crab (woah), and haddock (ideal for chowder). The fish-crazed Neroni brings that same obsession to Catch & Release, along with the Michelin-trained mentality that helped him succeed at New York's 10 Downing Food & Wine back in 2009.
The menu touts a massive raw bar with seasonal oysters and "bread & butter" mignonette; a burrata "everything" bagel with trout roe; uni carbonara with bacons (Neroni is the master of all things carbonara); striped wild seabass wiith Rancho Gordo beans and sherry beef jus; and "Ho Jo" style clam strips for anyone that remembers those Howard Johnson fried clams. To drink, Julian Cox has created a negroni variant dubbed the Neroni (ha), and another gin-based intoxicant called the Surf Report, with a sea-salt foam on top.
Hours will run 6 p.m. to 10 p.m. until next week, when things stretch to 10:30 p.m. Tuesday to Saturday. Lunch and brunch are slated for later in the summer.
Catch & Release
13488 Maxella Avenue
Marina Del Rey, CA
310-893-6100
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