An Outdoor Evening at Katch Astoria

In the few short years its been open, Katch Astoria has morphed into a venue that works for many occasions. It can serve as a sports bar to watch Sunday football, a solid bottomless brunch spot, and a go-to bar for outdoor drinks. Recently, they’ve hired a new Executive Chef to take the food menu to a whole new level, and the special occasion-worthy entree list now puts it on the map as a serious dining destination.

We stopped by on a lovely Tuesday evening to enjoy the weather and sample some of these new dishes. A very special thank you to Marielle Solan for the photos on this one, since we lost sunlight halfway through. (Enjoying the summer evening outside was worth the loss of natural light!) This woman takes awesome shots, no matter the conditions.

We started with the Shrimp Ceviche, which was the perfect beginning to the meal. Cool, light, and packing a nice flavorful punch (and crunch!)

It’s pretty much a given (unless you’re a vegetarian, of course) that when you visit a sports bar, you order chicken wings. Katch Astoria serves what they claim to be the spiciest in town. So spicy, in fact, that you need to sign a waiver before they serve you. They’re called the Really F’in Hot Wings, and they are not for the faint of heart. However, this spiciness wimp tried the regular Buffalo Wings, and really enjoyed them. Nice sauce, crispy, and well-prepared. No brainer.

If you’re looking to go healthy-ish, the Chicken Lettuce Wraps provide a nice alternative to all things fried. Chicken breast strips, cashews, carrots, celery, ginger, and a very satisfying peanut sauce combine to create a starter that you can feel pretty good about eating. Or use to justify drinking more Singlecut beer.

 

Now, for the entrees–the real stars of the show.

The Grilled Marinated Skirt Steak was just as good as it looks below. It was served with guacamole, grilled red onion, salsa, and a few tortillas. I enjoyed assembling the ingredients for a few small tacos, but the meat was good enough to eat on its own.

Now, for our favorite of the evening: Braised Guinness Short Rib. Let me repeat that; just reading those four words combines evokes deliciousness. Braised. Guinness. Short. Rib. Cooked low and slow, this beef was melt-in-your-mouth tender, while the peppery arugula and queso fresco added a nice touch. There’s also a tasty tater tot cake hidden in there, to add some starchy goodness.

For a clean, simple dish, you could also try the Adobo Chicken. It’s a boneless, free-range half chicken served with spinach, chorizo, potato, and lemon-garlic juice. I appreciated the brightness of the lemon sauce after some of the heaviness earlier in the meal.

I think the best endorsement of the Seared Wild Salmon is this: even though it was the last dish our very full bellies sampled, it was good enough for me to go back for multiple bites. I’m not normally a fish fan (it’s not something I would order in place of steak or a different seafood like shrimp or lobster) but I really enjoyed this. It was light, prepared well, and another nice alternative from the beefy meat dishes.

Thank you to Katch for treating us to a lovely dinner!

Have you checked out any of Katch’s new menu items? Be sure to let us know what you think!

Katch Astoria  (31-19 Newtown Ave, Astoria) | (718) 777-2230
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This post is sponsored by Katch Astoria. Thanks for supporting the brands that support We Heart Astoria.