Go Fish reopens smaller but brighter
New outdoor dining area added to local eatery
— The Olde Mistick Village Mystic restaurant Go Fish is open after six months of renovations, with highlights including the addition of outdoor seating and windows that give the dining room a lighter vibe.
The renovation separated the part of the building closest to Coogan Boulevard, and a financial services company will be moving into the space, which is under construction, according to property manager Chris Regan.
But 1,900 square feet, which includes an outdoor porch, was added to the other side of the restaurant, and the net result is that the restaurant shrunk from 13,200 square feet to 5,817 square feet.
“I think it’s going to be great,” Regan said. “I think it breathes new life into the restaurant, and it’s evolving, like all the restaurants we have in the Village.”
Renovations began on Jan. 2 and Go Fish reopened on July 1, albeit at first offering only dinner and a limited menu. The restaurant is now open 11:30 a.m. to 9 p.m. seven days a week.
Regan estimates the cost of the renovations at $900,000.
Go Fish is one of four local restaurants under restaurateur Jon Kodama’s company JTK Management Restaurants, along with Steak Loft, Breakwater and Dock & Dine. Go Fish opened in 1996, moving into what was previously an IGA supermarket.
“The good news was it came out nice but the bad news was it had no windows, which was always something that we regretted,” Kodama said.
Another issue was that the building was larger than what the restaurant needed. Kodama said it felt great when it was busy — primarily on weekends and in the summer — but that it felt “cavernous” when it wasn’t.
The restaurant has gone from seating 350 to a little over 200, he said. The decision to renovate came as the expiration date for Go Fish’s 20-year lease was approaching.
Much of the furniture and art is the same from the old iteration, though management is still working on the finishing touches. One of local artist Heather Rhodes’ brightly colored fish paintings is going back up, as is a neon and stainless steel mural.
The new outdoor seating area features four lime-green chairs at each of seven grey tables on the porch. Design help for the interior, which is now more colorful, came from Thayne Emrich Design, LLC.
The kitchen has been moved from the area where the financial services company will go to the back, while the sushi bar has remained in the same spot.
Menu options include littlenecks, fish tacos, apple cider brined pork belly, shellfish paella, and yellowfin tuna with roasted shiitake and gingered spinach.
On Thursday just before noon, Lois Peckham was excited to get a salmon burger, an item she had missed during Go Fish’s renovations, while her friend Linda Swirski had ordered a hot lobster roll.
Swirski said she has been coming to Go Fish for 15-20 years, while Peckham recalled visiting the restaurant for her mother’s 100th birthday in 2012.
“I think mostly it’s in a good spot, right here in Mistick Village,” Swirski said of why she enjoys coming to Go Fish. “It’s always clean; the food is always good.”
Both agreed that they liked the changes, saying the space is much lighter than before.
Peckham commented, “I think they’re very open, and they look very seashore-ish.”
e.moser@theday.com