After 14 months at St. Clair West’s acclaimed seafood restaurant Catch, chef Nigel Finley has been lured to a new opportunity as chef de cuisine at The Chase Fish & Oyster, an upcoming restaurant in the financial district.
The Chase Fish & Oyster and The Chase are two new restaurants set to open in the Dineen Building this summer from owner Steven Salm, with Michael Steh as executive chef at both. As expected, The Chase Fish & Oyster will be seafood-oriented, while The Chase will serve a wider-range of cuisine.
“It was a bigger project, newer, more exciting,” Finley says. “I wanted to work with Michael Steh and Steven Salm.”
Expect Finley in the new kitchen by first week of May, soon after he finishes at Catch. He says there will be some differences in his cooking style at the new venture, but what will remain the same is his focus on quality.
“There will still be relentless standards for high quality seafood and in bringing all the best fish to the restaurant.”
When asked why he’s decided to work primarily with seafood, Finley says, “It’s something I grew up with. I grew up in Nova Scotia. It has been a major component of my training.”
There is no word yet on who will replace Finley at Catch. We’ll update as we learn more.