Southern heritage, global flavors: This Wilmington restaurant made USA TODAY's best list
Allison BallardCatch restaurant, from twice-nominated James Beard Award contender chef Keith Rhodes, has earned another accolade. It's one of 47 restaurants included in the 2024 USA TODAY Restaurants of the Year list.
Rhodes said it's an honor to be included on the list, especially considering that Catch has been a Wilmington favorite for 17 years.
“We owe our longevity to our loving community, family and our dedicated restaurant 'family,'" he said. "We hope that our blueprint inspires many to dream big, because dreams come true."
Read the big list:Check out USA TODAY's 2024 Restaurants of the Year.
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What makes Catch stand out
Rhodes is a Wilmington native who started working in local kitchens as a teenager — learning from some of the area’s best chefs before becoming the executive chef at Deluxe, an early adopter of farm-to-table cooking.
When he and his wife, Angela Rhodes, opened Catch in 2006, his signature style continued to develop into one that is influenced by his Southern heritage, as well as global flavors. He's a proponent of local seafood and often admits that Asian dishes are among his favorite to cook.
It wasn't long before Rhodes started to earn a lot of “firsts.”
He was the first Black male chef in North Carolina to be nominated for a James Beard award. The nomination came in 2011, around the same time he was on season 9 of Bravo TV’s "Top Chef" and became the first Wilmington-area chef to appear on such a national stage.
Rhodes was soon one of the area's most recognizable chefs. While the limelight might have faded a little bit since then, he has maintained his commitment to his craft. He’s also consistently been embraced by the community — while supporting the local dining scene and several nonprofits in return.
“We believe in doing things that help the community grow,” he said. “We’re big on giving and not just asking.”
In 2023, Catch was still appearing on must-try lists and Rhodes earned his second James Beard nomination for Best Chef: Southeast. This time, it came at a time when the culinary scene has changed, More people of color and more women are represented in such awards, he said. And expectations are often higher.
“This kind of dining, it takes a lot,” he said. “It takes so much of me... What we do hinges on the food experience, or the anticipated food experience. But I think that front-of-the-house hospitality is what brings people back."
Catch was also just included in a list of "Amazing Black-owned restaurants around America" from acclaimed chef José Andrés and Rhodes was also named Restaurateur of the Year by the N.C. Restaurant & Lodging Association.
What to order at Catch
Dirty South Oysters. North Carolina oysters are always on the menu at Catch. They're often served raw, or fried. They are menu mainstays that are baked with jerk-seasoned collards, bacon and pimento cheese with a Panko crunch.
Jumbo Lump Crab Cakes: These are the No. 1 best seller at Catch. Rhodes uses North Carolina crabmeat, along with oyster mushrooms and a cognac sauce.
Gullah-inspired seafood stew: Rhodes also holds the culinarian position for the North Carolina Rice Festival and often prepares Gullah Geechee-inspired dishes. When you can find this, it's usually a mix of local seafood in a rich sauce served over Carolina Gold rice.
The burger: Despite his focus on local seafood, Rhodes also believes in giving diners what they want. That's why you can find lobster and salmon on the menu, as well as something for the meat lovers. He's recently started offering a Wagyu cheeseburger special with hand-cut fries and truffle ketchup.
What's on special. It’s worth following Catch and Rhodes on social media, so you can keep up with daily specials. One day, it might be a pickled beet salad with praline pecans, blue cheese and Valencia oranges and another, it could be Korean-style grilled octopus with a scallion cake.
Did you know?
Rhodes is a chef with new — often big — ideas.
“It’s a constant evolution," he said. "And I hope to still be contributing for years to come."
Looking ahead to 2024, he wants to make sure Catch stays accessible. He's thinking about reintroducing lunch service and adding some new dishes to the menu.
The Rhodes family also operates two food trucks and in 2023, they introduced their casual Tackle Box Kitchen concept to the campus of the University of North Carolina Wilmington. He might add another in 2024. Or maybe he'll revisit his Asian Phun Seafood Bar idea. He said he's also in the planning stages for another new restaurant.
Details: Catch, 6623 Market St., Wilmington, NC; 910-799-3847, catchwilmington.com.
Allison Ballard is the food and dining reporter at the StarNews in Wilmington, N.C. You can reach her at aballard@gannett.com.