March 28, 2024

Catch: A taste of the Caribbean

June 8, 2008
Harnessing the pulse of the Caribbean, Catch Island Grill offers a fusion of island flavors.
Since it opened February 25, the downtown Traverse City restaurant has carved a niche of fine dining underlined by exotic tastes, spices and scents. A downtown hangout that has proven especially popular with women, especially on Friday’s Ladies Nights, Catch Island Grill is smoke free.
Featuring mostly ocean fish – parrot fish, grouper, Mahi-Mahi, among others on an ever-evolving menu -- you’ll also find that pork, chicken and even goat (in what proved to be a popular curry) have graced the menu.
“I think a lot of people tried it to say they tried it and then they liked it,” said chef Randy Chamberlain of the goat curry, a traditional island dish.

ROCK STAR
Beef is carne non grata as “rock star” Chamberlain seamlessly adapted his decades of fine dining and French cuisine training to an island feel.
A veteran chef who grew up in the restaurant business, Chamberlain’s previous gigs have been at Windows Restaurant in Traverse City, Windows at LeBear in Glen Arbor and the Boathouse Restaurant on the Old Mission Peninsula. He jumped into Catch Island Grill ready to explore and master a new genre.
“It was initially a shock – can I do this?” he recalled. “But the more I read and researched, it came together in a few weeks.”
Offering an ever-evolving array of mostly ocean fish, Chamberlain has not served a perch or a walleye since he began at Catch Island Grill.
“There’s enough people in town that do that,” he said.
Another major shift is that instead of reaching for cream and butter these days, Chamberlain uses: “A lot of broths and fruit chutneys – lots of bright flavors and colors.”
Chamberlain tapped the expertise of his wife, Mari, a certified sommelier, for help compiling a wine list to accompany the array of different flavors offered. He wanted wines that would blend with and enhance the different spicing and fruits.
“Somebody’s eating something they’ve never heard of and how do you compliment it,” he said.

A FAMILY AFFAIR
The Caribbean island theme driving Catch Island Grill is the brainchild of the Kelly family: co-owners including patriarch Joe Kelly, two sons, a brother and a nephew. They formulated the focus and price point five years ago and kept an eye out for the right location.
Joe’s son Paul initially was going to run the restaurant with four friends but when that didn’t work out the family jumped in. Now of the 34 members on staff, 11 are relatives.
“The concept came first and when this [building] became available we were very aggressive,” said Paul Kelly, who is Joe’s business partner in a nationwide, professional fundraising business for the Catholic Church. “We knew we wanted to focus on seafood but we wouldn’t know we’d get that lucky with Randy.”
Last June, many members of the Kelly family began eight months of scrubbing, remodeling and painting, decorating and furnishing. The resulting dining room and bar, which can seat 134 patrons, features bright murals, light wooden furniture, bamboo and boating accessories and bright island paint colors.
Looking long term, Paul Kelly sees the Traverse City location as the working model for future Caribbean-theme restaurants. They believe this slice of the culinary world has been unexplored in northern Michigan and beyond.
“We’ll work out all the kinks and definitely want to take it on the road to places similar in size to Traverse City,” said Kelly.
Catch Island Grill is located at 120 Park Street in downtown Traverse City, phone 933-7200 or see www.catchislandgrill.com. Hours are 11 a.m.-10 p.m. Monday through Thursday, 11 a.m.-midnight Friday and Saturday and 4 p.m.-10 p.m. Sunday.

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