Dinner At Top Catch

It was a beautiful summer night in Boston when I made my way from the Navy Yard to the North End waterfront for a bloggers only dinner at Top Catch, a new restaurant room atop Joe's American Bar & Grill on the fringe of Christopher Columbus Park.  

The story was interesting.  Joe's had a top floor function room with a spectacular view that was being underutilized.  So, they changed it into a new brand, a separate restaurant with a focus on fresh seafood.

And the view is, without a doubt, great, especially as the sun sets over the city.  

We began with this basket of Cheddar Biscuits with Tangerine Butter, which they hope will become a signature starter and constantly baked up fresh.  Very nice and I predict that they will, indeed, be a hit with the public.

My White Sangria seemed the perfect choice for a bright and airy evening.  Of course they also have Red and Rosé.  I loved the Rosé, too, and highly recommend you try one.

The Mussels are from Maine.  In fact a special note was made that they do not use P. E. I. mussels, a favorite with many local Chefs. Although I have always liked P. E. I. mussels, I found these to be as good as any I have had.

The Tuna Tartare, served with crispy crackers was also very good.

I asked to sample the Lobster Bisque and found it be much lighter than others I have tried with loads of lobster meat in a brothier base.  Sometimes a Bisque can be too heavy on the cream and butter.  I liked this version.

My main course was the Grilled Scallops With Pea Sauce.  This was excellent, light but with the unmistakable taste of the sea and the delicate sweetness of the fresh peas.  Nice job.

Although I didn't sample it on this visit the Lobster Roll looked very good with loads of meat, obviously a mayonnaise version.  I'll try that next time.

And, of course, what would a blogger dinner be without photos?  I was glad to be the only male blogger at the event.  The conversation was lively and interesting.

Then there was Chocolate Cake.  This is a phenomenal dessert and not to be missed.  I was most taken with the texture, perfectly cakey but also as if there was a ribbon of pudding mixed in without being overly dense.  Remarkable.

For great views, good seafood and professional service we'd definitely visit again.  The crowd was very diverse, all ages, and seemed a 50/50 mix of locals and travelers visiting Boston in this somewhat touristy area of the city, a stone's throw from Faneuil Hall.  It did make me wonder why I don't get to this beautiful part of the city more often.  A great spot for everyone, dates, friends and family.

Top Catch
100 Atlantic Avenue
Boston, MA  02110
Telephone:  617.367.8700

Instagrams:
@topcatchatjoes
@TBFwilliam


So here we go, again, with the disclosure that this was a media dinner and not for the public. As such, as most people will understand, there was no cost to the food writers and/or reporters, kinda like all those TV segments you see only the F. T. C. doesn't seem to mind that they don't disclose that.  Our views are in no way influenced by that, however.  We call 'em as we see 'em, folks.