Katch Twenty-Two — Restaurant in Homosassa Springs

So many restaurants were listed near our Inverness hotel according to GoogleMap that I had identified two interesting ones. While doing this on my computer, my wife was reading the area tourism magazine found in our hotel room. A beautiful photo of an appetizing salmon filet got her attention. This is her favorite meal but it's rarely as good as expected. Minded to going out for a quality sit down dinner and get our money’s worth experience, our dilemma remained full because we had to drive quite a distance to get there. Thank God we had our GPS to guide us because this restaurant was easily missed. Pushed as we were by 50 mph rush hour traffic, we drove right by it without noticing it and had to turn around and come back a mile.

The restaurant parking lot was almost empty but it was only 5 pm. We were greeted well but told they were fully booked for dinner, except for a small table in a corner. We accepted this table considering how deceived we would have been after driving so far uselessly. A lovely Jayme introduced herself as our server and initiated our tasteful journey. While enjoying drinks she brought us homemade bread that was so good, we had to hold ourselves back from asking for more.

My wife has had salmon filets for dinner so many times but only a few restaurants serve it to her liking. The one she got here looked exactly like the magazine photo and was so perfect that she marveled at every bite. Poached to perfection, then probably broiled with a topping of pistachio sparkles, it nested on steamed spinach with goat cheese kale salad, roasted beets surrounded and emphasized by a delicious orange colored carrot puree. For my part, I used to have scallops regularly but hadn't for years. Strangely, I felt that tonight was the night. Scallops were offered as an appetizer, not as a main course, but Jayme fixed it. She offered to serve them on pasta and I accepted. What she delivered was outstanding. The creamy sauce was sublimely seasoned and generously garnished with mushrooms, garlic, peas, spinach, tomatoes and parmigiano reggiano. Tender scallops, cooked just right, rested on top of this exquisite homemade fettuccini.

We were so charmed by our meal that we treated ourselves with homemade sorbet and succulent chocolate mousse cake. While we topped it all with excellent coffee, we noticed that all tables were now filled and that their fully booked statement was no joke. We were sorry to leave, knowing that this place is so out of our way that we may never return. Still we're glad we found it and will give it good reviews to friends and on the internet.

So our dilemma remains full. Should we be satisfied with local meals that we dislike or drive from our Florida retreat, a five hour return trip for a heavenly delight? No wonder the owners selected to name their out of the ordinary restaurant as: Katch Twenty-Two.

By : Alain Brunet on the morning of March 14, 2019 Author of : Good As News ...

We visited the restaurant recently for a dinner: finding the restaurant was easy because I drive by it often, but maybe a banner of some kind by the road would help people find it since it doesn't say that it's a restaurant anywhere. Inside it's very well decorated, and the place has an elevated city cafe vibe, it's fair to say it's probably the best restaurant interior in the 50 mile radius. Unfortunately you cannot say the same about food. As for the food: we ordered pork belly appetizer, salmon with veggies, and pork tenderloin on the bed of rice. The pork belly itself is very well made and has the right kind of texture and fattiness, and the sauce is not terrible but in a place that presents itself as a higher-end gastronomical establishment one would expect a more sophisticated sauce made from scratch, and not a couple of store bought sauces mixed together. The pork is good, but the sauce is just not on the same level. Same goes for the pork tenderloin: the meat is very good and reminds me of Caucasus style Shashlik, marinated grilled pork dish. However, the rice that it's served with is kind of unacceptable. It appears to be a store bought frozen rice mixed with teriyaki or similar sauce, so the rice was quite bad. The flavor is very strong, but flat: no refinement. The rice is hard and feels old and processed, and tangy teriyaki flavor is very strong and excessively sweet. Since the pork resembles shashlik so much, it would pair much better with middle eastern style thyme rice or even with a basic Plov. The salmon was alright, it came with mashed sweet potato and some grilled veggies. In the end, we ordered creme brulee, which was quite good, pretty much spot on. Also, they made it on the house since they saw that I didn't like the rice, so that's a pretty good service. Overall, the service is pretty good, and you can see that they're trying, but it could use some refinement. In conclusion, I'd say the place is 80% there. I understand the challenges of operating a business such as a restaurant in this area, but if you're aiming for a gastro city café wibe, a little refinement will go a long way. A restaurant with interior and prices like that is certainly aiming for a target audience that has a more spoiled and traveled taste, so it's important to not cut corners on things like sauces and...

WOW restaurant!

The décor of Katch Twenty-two immediately tells the guests what to expect: elegant, simple, with a purpose. Guests are greeted by the cheerful co-owner, Ms. Tiffany, with a genuinely warm smile that announces, “We’re happy you came to dine with us tonight!”

The menu is relatively short, indicative that the chef has picked out a few dishes to share with the clientele, and these dishes are prepared to perfection, with fresh ingredients. There is no sense of melodrama in the menu. It is straight and to the point. Some of the combinations on the menu may seem odd at first sight. Reading carefully, the dining guest comes to the realization that these unique combinations play well together. Take for example the lobster and shrimp ravioli with mango butter. The slight acidity of the mango cuts right into the alkalinity of the shrimp and lobster, tingling the palate.

Every dish we tasted had a similar play on the yin-and-yang of flavors and textures. Colorful presentations feast the eyes before the guest delves into the plate.

A simple dessert like homemade butter pecan ice cream speaks volumes about the chef and kitchen team. The ice cream is stored and served at what seems like a perfect 5degrees F, making it cold yet creamy-smooth. The pecans were toasted separately, thus retaining their sensorial identity and crunch.

Service is serious, courteous, and professional. Tableware and its placement are impeccable. The food portions are relatively large, which came somewhat as a surprise.

Michelin has a rating on its tour guide books: one star; worth visiting. Two stars: worth the detour. Three stars: worth the trip.

Yes, of course Katch Twenty-Two merits three stars, worth the trip for a memorable dinner.

Bravo, Chef Richard and...