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The only thing more surprising than a high-quality seafood restaurant, Catch 25, appearing in Hollister is the speed at which it was accomplished. In a city where delayed openings are standard, like those faced by Wendy’s and Panera, owner Daniel Zubizarreta was able to sign the lease on May 31st, the day after his 35th birthday, and open on July 4, a mere 35 days later.
Having co-owned three restaurants already—The City Fish restaurants in San Jose, Cupertino, and Morgan Hill—taking over the former location of the Capo Signora Italian restaurant was a relatively easy task. However, the journey to his own upscale fish and chip shop was a longer and more complex one.
“Nobody really thought I could do it,” Zubizarreta said, “It was just pushing myself to the limits, a non-stop work grind, a lot of planning and the great support of my wife, Laura.”
Zubizarreta began his career in the food business at 16, at Muchos! Taqueria in San Jose, owned by his father, Nestor. Nestor had given up his 30-year job as a disk jockey for Radio KAZA, discouraged by the technology moving beyond cassettes and CDs to computerization.
“He thought, ‘Man, this isn’t for me,’” Zubizarreta said. “As a radio guy, he was constantly being invited to restaurants, and he loved Mexican food, so he opened one of his own. It’s a pretty cool story.”
While working in his father’s restaurant and attending classes in hospitality at Oak Grove High School in San Jose, he discovered a passion for the industry: “providing goods, putting plates on the tables and making people happy.”
He founded City Fish on December 4, 2012, with his business partner, Alberto Alvarez, and with some guidance from his father, who had spotted the first location, just a half a block from his restaurant.
It was intended as a cross between two family-owned San Jose businesses: the Fish Market on Blossom Hill and Race Street Seafood, combining their offerings into an inclusive menu that featured fish and chips alongside fine-dining items, such as grilled salmon.
“My dad was the genius behind the concept,” he said. “He’s a big seafood lover and, growing up in a family where we’re carnivores—my dad’s from Argentina and they definitely eat meat—having seafood was always a treat.”
Zubizarreta moved to Hollister six years ago. Quickly tiring of the commute and wanting to work in his new hometown, he started looking for a Hollister City Fish location.
“The lease was up on the San Jose store,” he said. “It was costly, there was no parking, and there was nothing in Hollister like our menu. They were not having it, so I said, ‘If you don’t want to do it, I will.’”
In an amicable parting of the ways, Zubizarreta sold his share of the business back to his partner. At one point, while his current location was still Mangia’s Italian Restaurant, he discussed buying it from owner Raul Escareno but held off because of the high asking price.
“After that,” Zubizarreta said, “every time I would set eyes on this spot, I would tell my wife, ‘That place is going to be mine one day. I just manifested it, knowing that my time would come.”
The manifestation clearly worked: when Mangia’s successor, Capo Signora, closed, he was surprised when the property management company contacted him about opening a City Fish location there.
“I came by,” Zubizarreta said, “and everything was gone: the kitchen stuff, the tables, the chairs. But I thought, ‘I want this spot and I am not going to let this opportunity pass me by.’”
With his previous restaurant experience, he knew exactly how to obtain the necessary permits, deal with the health department, schedule inspections, source suppliers, and outfit the kitchen. Even the property managers were amazed, asking him, “Holy moly, how did you do it?”
In a callback to his first job at his father’s taqueria, Zubizarreta has hired and trained several high school students as part of his staff, an idea he said he found “fascinating.”
“I think a restaurant is a good first job,” he said. “We threw them into the water and made them learn to swim. I am proud of them. They are getting better every day, and I hope that is something our customers will understand.”
The restaurant’s opening received an immediate response from the community as word quickly spread online. Glenna Portier, who ordered the scallops, prawns, and fish combo on her first visit, is already an enthusiastic ambassador, having recently met with four first-time friends for lunch.
“The service was wonderful,” she said, “and the food was even better and very, very fresh. It looked awesome when Daniel brought it to the table—he was working the cash register, waiting on tables, and keeping everybody happy all by himself.”
“We’ve been rocking and rolling from the start,” Zubizarreta said. “We are blessed by all the people who have come to support us. It’s nothing close to what I had imagined it would be, to be honest.”
The Food of Catch 25
Fish and Chips – The signature dish of Catch 25 and, so far, it’s most popular. Unlike many restaurants, Catch 25 uses whole, not sectioned, wild-caught Alaskan pollock fillets, which are then beer-battered to order. Zubizarreta said that any fish on the menu, including salmon, mahi mahi, snapper, trout and catfish, can be substituted for the pollock upon request.
This is as perfect as this dish can be made, reminding me of the version I used to get from an authentic British shop in Berkeley in my youth. The fish is light and flaky, and the batter is thin enough not to overwhelm. I ordered a three-piece on my first visit and was not expecting such huge portions—it was enough to share.
“We found the right fish,” Zubizarreta said, “It is straight up USA pollock, nothing from overseas, like China, because those are double frozen and we want to bring things in fresh. And I think our batter is what rocks it.”
Fish Tacos – A good second choice for a light lunch, portions of either grilled or fried fish are topped with cabbage, tomatoes, onions and a Catch 25 sauce that is a combination of tartar sauce and spicy ranch, giving it a creamy and tart edge with a little kick. I had the grilled version, and these are easily the best fish tacos I have ever had. The fish has an exceptional firmness and flavor, and the veggies and sauce offer delightful counterpoints. It’s a great appetizer, likely enough for a light lunch, and would pair well with the house-made clam chowder, which is made-from-scratch New England-style, with sweet sea clams, potatoes, celery and onion.
Grilled Fish Plates – As with the fish and chips, a variety of grilled fish options are available, including salmon, catfish, rainbow trout, red snapper and tilapia. All the fish are fresh and wild-caught except the tilapia and salmon, which are farm-raised. The preparation is simple: a little vegetable oil, some light garlic butter, and a coating of house-made seasoning, a secret mix that Zubizarreta guards carefully. The grilled mahi-mahi that I tried was amazing: the large fillet was firm, but still flaked easily, and the seasoning gave it a rich, easy heat. The plates include a choice of two sides, such as vegetables, coleslaw, tomatoes and basil, mashed potatoes, rice, or fries. For those looking for something other than seafood, Catch 25 also offers plates with rib-eye steak, rib-eye steak with prawns, boneless chicken breast and even burgers.
Catch 25
1709 Airline Hwy, Ste A, Hollister
(831) 297-7222
Hours:
Sunday – Wednesday 11 a.m. – 9 p.m.
Thursday – Saturday 11 a.m. – 10 p.m.
Catch 25 online- Instagram, Facebook,
Explore online menu
Recommendations for future Eat, Drink, Savor articles can be emailed to roberteliason@benitolink.com.
BenitoLink thanks our underwriters, Hollister Super and Windmill Market, for helping to expand the Eat, Drink, Savor series and give our readers the stories that interest them. Hollister Super (two stores in Hollister) and Windmill Market (in San Juan Bautista) support reporting on the inspired and creative people behind the many delicious food and drink products made in San Benito County. All editorial decisions are made by BenitoLink.
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