I wonder how many restaurateurs embarking on a voyage of opening a seafood restaurant have thought of using the name Catch 22? Paul Dooley and Padraig McLaughlin, two landlubbers from Offaly with experience in Dublin’s restaurant and hospitality trade, took the plunge when they opened their maritime-themed seafood spot on South Anne Street this summer.
When I first passed by this cool blue and bright yellow infused restaurant six weeks ago shortly after its opening, I was unsure of the provenance of Catch 22. Was it a giant chain masquerading as a small business? The prime tourist location and the almost self-consciously ‘cool’ casual dining design details of Falcon enamel plates and the ubiquitous silver BBQ-style serving trays had my suspicions raised. From the outside, I questioned its authenticity. But I was happy, too. ‘We felt there was a gap in the seafood market, in terms of value,’ Dooley tells me, after my visit. ‘We have found fish to be way over, to see another affordable seafood restaurant opening up in the city centre -priced in restaurants and we’re trying to find a sensible middle ground.’
Things start out well, with a complimentary cup of lightly coated and subtly fried whiting, dipped into a lemon-tinged mayo. Crispy, bread-crumbed fish cakes (€7.50) offer a perfect proportion of fleshy fish to creamy spuds. The seafood chowder (€7.50) is thoroughly satisfying. It’s served with treacle-sweet brown bread and is light and creamy rather than flour-heavy and cloying. I feel I’ve under-estimated the place.
My Shellfish Pot (€16.50) arrives and throws a bit of a spanner in the works. It’s a large, enamel pot with a lid that is lifted upon arrival for a big reveal. There’s an almost overwhelmingly generous amount of shellfish in this pot, but it all seems to have lost its vibrancy. Gone is the beautiful orange glow of the mussels, and the small bits of chorizo floating in an anaemic broth, way down at the bottom of the pot, are frightfully over-cooked. There are also de-shelled Tiger Prawns with an unpleasant, almost crunchy texture. A large baguette, served on the side, doesn’t get much action, as that broth isn’t worth soaking up. The whole dish is a bit of a maritime mishap. My friend’s Herb Crusted Hake (€15.50) fares better. It’s a light main, served with salsa verde crust and side salad. Our sweet potato fries, minty mushy peas and hand cut chips (all €3.50 and found in the C-Sides section – geddit?) are a success.
The desserts we try are bought in rather than made in-house. Our three scoops of ice-cream (€6.50) are from Gathabawn, a farm twelve miles away from where Dooley and McLaughlin come from in Offaly. It’s lovely ice-cream, and I like that it reflects where the owners are from. I’m told that Aunt Libby’s Tollhouse Pie (€6.50), an unmemorable short crust pastry pie with a dry chocolate chip cookie filling, is made for the restaurant by a Texan in Meath but I forget to ask why. Does it have a connection to the maritime theme?
Our bill, which included a large sparkling San Pelligrino (€4.50), a blood orange San Pellegrino soda (€2.75) and a tea (€2.50) came to an unexpectedly high €80.25, considering that we didn’t have any wine. Throughout, the service is friendly and efficient, perfectly pitched for casual dining. Catch 22 should do well in the largely tourist and family trade of South Anne Street, though proper seafood enthusiasts used to shucking their own oysters and hammering crab claws may find the menu a little pedestrian.
Catch 22
28 South Anne Street, Dublin 2
t: 01-6139018
w: www.catch-22.ie
Words: Aoife McElwain
Photos: Catch 22
