Catene..9th street and 4th Ave

veets · April 2007

Catene is an Italian take out place. They serve breakfast and lunch and close by 3pm. There was a time (over 25 years ago) when the family also ran a restaurant from the space. I go in to get lunch. Thefried Calmari is some of the best you will find in the City. they fry each batch as you wait for it. The eggplant Parm and baked Ziti are great. The meatballs are moist and flavorful. Hey everything that you order is great. The cops and firemen and City workers are regulars in this place. hanging out on line I have heard stories about "old Brooklyn" from the old time customers that sound like they are out of a movie script.

The first time I posted here it was about a Restaurant and I got slammed so I feel I need to attach a disclaimer..I don't own this place and have no affiliation with it. It is a neighborhood treasure that should not be kept a secret.

dw438 · April 2007

Catene is killer for lunch. Old school sandweeeeges.

MOD · April 2007

I can't find their menu online anywhere. What are their weekend hours? How are their prices? I loooove calamari!

manu08 · April 2007

I never noticed this place. Which corner is it on?

ljnd · April 2007

They've got a huge sign that says "Fried Calimari" - they're on 9th between 4th and 3rd, really close to 4th. If you use the 4th Avenue subway stop, you've seen it...it just blends in really well with the rest of the decor around there, which is probably why it's such a hidden treasure, because the street has a shady look about it.

violet · April 2007

Subject: Catene

I used to live right next door to them, before I moved to Bed Stuy. I called the store "Catene Fried Calamari" because the "fried calamari" on the sign is bigger than the name of the place. Very nice folks run the place. I'm a vegetarian so I've never had their squid, nor the popular meatballs (it seems like someone would always be ordering a meatball sub when I was there). I don't know where they get their giardniera from but it's much yummier than the kind I get from grocery stores in a bottle. If I remember correctly they are not open on the weekends at all, and they close pretty early in the day (like the op said) so it's sometimes hard to find them open. But worth it!

veets · April 2007

They are open on Saturdays now (as far as I know) but for limited hours.
This is an old world family business and no way are they on the net... The charm is they are so old slope and so not savy of what they would need to do to send out publicity for themselves. Doing so is totally unecesssary to conduct business for them. How can I say it?... Anyone who needs to know who supports their business already knows!! To all you young people... if you are in the neighborhood as new comers and here is the gift... Mon thru Fri just drop by (before 3pm) and sat before 1pm stop by. You will experience the taste of the OLD slope and beautiful food. If you need delivery Fagettaboutit! If you stop by afew times and they get to know you ( I am the young lady who stopped by wearing the red tank top who ordered a baked ziti with the cream soda) you can call and say you will be there in 20 minutes and this is whatI want for lunch and they will happily have it ready for you... I am so happy to share this find (that I have known about since I moved here 27 years ago) with many other people.

sennheiserz · April 2007

Sounds great, I can't wait to try it on a saturday...wish I could make it there for lunch today...but I work in Midtown...

diane · April 2007

Thanks for the tip -especially since I see it so often getting off the train
at 4th and 9th street and always wondered about the place. It is never open when I get home from work but now I'll definitely go over there on a Saturday before one and pick up some take out.

Catene..9th street and 4th Ave

Comments

Howdy, Stranger!

Categories