Catch 22, an upmarket Southern seafood and brunch restaurant in Brightwood, is all about keeping things simple.
Instead of using a bunch of different ingredients to complicate their dishes, co-owner and managing partner Monique Rose Simms and executive chef Sammy Davis, a 2012 winner of Food Network’s Chopped, rely on the food’s freshness and flavors.
“The quality of our product is what makes it good,” Simms says.
Its whole red snapper, for example, is flown in fresh daily from Chile—Chef Davis learned the importance of using fresh fish when he was working at Nobu in New York City.
And instead of making a big splash right away, the upscale restaurant that replaces Imm Thai on 5832 Georgia Ave. NW opened quietly in November, allowing people to gradually trickle in.
“It’s important when opening a restaurant to make sure that you get it right,” Simms says. “And if you announce it and you’re slammed and waves of people come in and your servers are not trained, the kitchen’s not all the way together, that first experience may not be the best for all of our guests.”
Now Catch 22 is ready to shine. Not only are the partners launching with a private grand opening on Friday, but the restaurant is also participating in Winter Restaurant Week next week. Beyond that, the duo plans on opening another Catch 22 on the H Street Corridor in June, Simms says.
“We’re ready now. We’re ready to take in everyone now,” Simms says.
With its wooden walls, large blue booths, fish tank (with three betas), and maritime accents, Catch 22 strikes a decidedly nautical tone and comfortably seats between 65 and 70 guests.
The duo may be new to D.C., but they’ve been in the restaurant business together for a decade. They helm the popular all-day brunch spot Milk & Honey Café, with locations in Bowie, Md., College Park, and Atlanta, Georgia. They plan to open another one in Silver Spring in April.
“It was just time to grow beyond Maryland and we had so many visitors to Milk & Honey from D.C. that were driving from D.C. to visit us there,” Simms says of opening Catch 22 in D.C., adding that Brightwood’s redevelopment was another draw. “And we just wanted to give them … a place where they can go where they could have great food.”
Milk & Honey regulars may recognize alternate takes of their favorites on Catch 22’s menu.
Instead of the café’s shrimp and grits for example, Catch 22 serves up mixed seafood and grits with fried okra, tomatoes, and creamy Cajun sauce. The deep-fried lobster egg and cheese sandwich is reborn on a biscuit with avocado instead of a croissant.
“Even if you are used to Milk & Honey, they’ll still enjoy something new if you visit here,” Simms says.
Besides a super seafood platter and lobster tail mac & cheese, the menu includes crab ravioli, lobster pot stickers, BBQ, and lemon-smothered catfish and grits. Brunch selections include vanilla and brandy brioche, crab cake benedict and waffles with your selection of salmon, shrimp, oysters, and lobster.
Several cocktails get the maritime treatment.
Watch out for the Instagram-ready Shark Bite, a layered cocktail that looks like the scene of a shark attack. It’s got blood (grenadine) at the bottom of the ocean (blue Curacao, vodka, gin, rum, tequila, and Sprite) and it’s topped with candy fish that sink to the bottom. You’re supposed to sip it from the bottom instead of stirring it. The Ocean Water Breeze Martini includes vodka, peach schnapps, and Hpnotiq. Catch 22 mixes its version of a Sea Breeze with rum and cranberry and grapefruit juices. Entrées range between $13 and $32, while cocktails cost between $8 and $13.
There are several options for your palate even if seafood isn’t your jam, including buttermilk fried chicken, fettuccine Alfredo served with chicken, and jerk lamb.
“We get flack all the time especially at Milk & Honey, about not having vegan options not having gluten free options, Simms said. “So we felt, ‘Ok we can’t go that far but we’ll at least offer something to those that are either allergic to seafood or don’t enjoy seafood so we wanted to have something for everybody.”
Catch 22 is located at 5832 Georgia Ave. NW. Open Tuesday-Saturday 12 p.m.-9 p.m., Sunday 11 a.m.-5 p.m.
