Happy Monday to all of my Fish Fry friends. If any of you are like me, getting into the swing of the work week has been a slow one, after an extra long weekend of gluttony, family and friends it was hard for me to wake up to "reality" this morning after all Thanksgiving madness. With that said, I hope all of you had a wonderful Thanksgiving. Mine was incredible, full of amazing family, great friends and scrumptious food! Which brings us to Friday -- and instead of shopping with the crazies, I decided to bring the fish fry blog back to life after a week-long hiatus.
My Thanksgiving holiday continued with a Friday afternoon trip to downtown Milwaukee to see the matinee showing of "Rent" -- what a fabulous musical, the singing was impeccable, music was moving and the entire production was incredible. Following the show, we decided to head out to Pewaukee to continue this fish fry madness we blog about each week. Destination: Butler Inn and so far (I know, we're only three weeks in) this was the best fry we've had, hands down. I know our goal was to find the "hole in the wall" fish dinner, but we decided to "Supper Club" it, mostly because my mom was with us, it seemed appropriate and we were all dressed up! Below you will see the thoughts from fellow Blogger, Ann Grevenkamp.
Black Friday was our third attempt at finding the best Fish Fry in Southeastern, WI. After going to see Rent we could not have picked a nicer establishment to conclude our evening. We started out our meal at Butler Inn with a nice bottle of wine shared between Beth, Dave and myself. I decided to venture out of the box and try the Greek Style baked Cod………..I am typically a Beer Battered Cod girl. I ordered the homemade potato pancakes to go with my meal. When the meal arrived my Greek style fish was served with a charitable size of green peas. Since this was new for me I took a breath and dove in and WOW was it incredible. The baking of the fish really gave it a different feel and taste for me. And, I felt that the green peas were a pleasantly appropriate side dish to be served with it. The potato pancakes had incredible flavor. I also had a chance to nibble off of Beth and Dave’s plates and can tell you that breading on the fish they had was to die for!!! I would give Butler Inn’s Friday night fish fry a 9 out of 10!!!!!!
I have to wholeheartedly agree with Ann, this was a phenomenal meal for all of us. I had the special beer battered walleye ($15.95) along with a loaded baked potato and chicken dumpling soup. I have to admit, and this is pretty difficult, that the walleye I had is equal to or better than some of the best fish frys I've ever had. The breading was light and flavorful and the fish itself was fresh and flaky. A big thumbs up to the kitchen on this plate!
My mother decided to go a more healthy route with a broiled salmon (15.95) and she was equally as impressed with her dinner. The Greek-style baked cod (12.95) was very a very unique choice of menu items, nothing that I would expect at your "typical" Wisconsin fish fry, but I was delighted by the change of pace. I tasted a part of Ann's dinner and the fish along with the sauce and side of peas was just an overall superb balance of flavor and variety. An original dish, which you rarely run into at places like this and it was a welcome surprise.
Dave ordered the traditional beer-battered cod (11.95) and from the looks of his plate, he was just as happy with his meal as the rest of us! Nobody went home hungry on Friday, November 27! Mom and I both commented that the Butler Inn would hold up against some of the best supper clubs in Fond du Lac/Calumet counties (yes, even Blanck's). A true down-home atmosphere, great food/flavors and wonderful service. We all know how hard that is to find in one place... I am going to be a bit more generous with my scoring for the Butler Inn than Ann, as I believe that place deserves a 10 out of 10. From beginning to end our dining experience at this very quaint, beautiful restaurant was lovely and enjoyable! Next week we will be trying the Hartland Inn, the bar has been set in my opinion, so let's hope they can meet it!
Monday, November 30, 2009
Monday, November 16, 2009
Fish Fry Week 2 -- Andrea's Red Rooster, Waukesha, WI
Hello everyone. I hope this little blog finds each and every one of you very, very happy after a much-needed Packers victory. I was fortunate enough to go to the game and I have to say, after a few yawns (well, maybe more than a few) in the first half, things picked up in the 2nd half and we pulled it out. My mom, Paula, Amy and I had a great time. Now, onto Fish... Week 2 found us going to Andrea's Red Rooster in Waukesha. There are pretty mixed feelings about the fry this week and I will be posting Ann's thoughts first.
ANN -- We sat in the bar (kind of) where we set off on our 2nd fish fry, to be followed up by many, many more. As we ordered our meal I thought I would try a baked cod. Last week I had the Beer Battered Cod, as I usually do, and thought this week I would venture into something a bit healthier. Well, much to my dismay they were OUT of baked cod. It was about 8:15 at the time of ordering, which as we all discussed after placing the order means 1 of 2 things…..1) the baked cod is UNBELIEVALBE or 2) they just didn’t make enough baked cod?????? Everyone at the table ordered something different to spice up our blog……we hope they all add their input!!! So, needless to say, I had Beer Battered Cod. Next fish fry I will not be eating cod (note to all!!) My beer battered cod tasted very similar to the beer battered cod I am used to. The breading was good (I thought) and I was full after two of the three pieces. I chose to get my meal with “potato pancakes”. The potato pancakes were not really potato pancakes but were potato coins. Although not being real potato pancakes they were pretty tasty. They had a little bit of pepper on them that gave them a mild kick. I ate them with apple sauce which added some flavor to them. I will say that I did enjoy the fish fry, but I LOVE FOOD, so it hard for me not to enjoy it. But, since we are in the pursuit of the BEST fish fry I must rate my meal. I would give Andrea’s Red Rooster a 6.5 out of 10 for their fish fry.
I'd like to thank Ann for her great comments: I'm going to wager that Andrea's probably didn't expect too many for baked cod and they ran out early in the evening, because unlike Ann, my experience food-wise kinda sucked. I feel like the Red Rooster fish fry fell short of pleasing the palette.
First things first, we walked in and the place was fairly busy, we sought out a high-top table and were immediately greeted by a friendly face who quickly brought us back the mandatory first-round. Conversation was flowing and we (JZ, Dave, Ann and myself) were all having a great time mulling over the myriad of choices Andrea had on her menu. The Deep Fried Cod was $8.95 for two pieces & $9.95 for three. Blue Gill was $12.95 as was the perch and pike. I was so excited to try the Blue Gill, but that excitement waned pretty quickly.
My meal was a bust. Bottom line. My first bite into the fish was a tough one, literally, and while I was willing to give the restaurant the benefit of the doubt by moving over to another fillet, I was disappointed to have the same result. The blue gill was not fresh and I'm pretty positive this was a frozen filet thrown in a deep fryer for way too long. The highlight of my meal were the haystack onion rings, the whiskey old-fashioned and the few bites that JZ gave me of his walleye. THAT was freshly battered and deep-fried perfectly and regrettably I did not order that entree. Thanks JZ for sharing!
In conclusion, I probably would not go to Andrea's Red Rooster for a fish fry anytime soon. Mostly, because I'm going to be traveling all over Waukesha County for the next few months to find more Friday goodies! However, if you're going to Andrea's, order the Cod or the Walleye, heck, even order an old fashioned, but DO NOT get the Blue Gill, unless you want fish taffy... I will give probably 5 stars out of 10. It's average, but we're not looking for average, so onto the next establishment! Next week we will be taking a break, but coming up in for the end of November, is the Butler Inn in Pewaukee. I hope you all have a wonderful Thanksgiving. Thanks for reading!
ANN -- We sat in the bar (kind of) where we set off on our 2nd fish fry, to be followed up by many, many more. As we ordered our meal I thought I would try a baked cod. Last week I had the Beer Battered Cod, as I usually do, and thought this week I would venture into something a bit healthier. Well, much to my dismay they were OUT of baked cod. It was about 8:15 at the time of ordering, which as we all discussed after placing the order means 1 of 2 things…..1) the baked cod is UNBELIEVALBE or 2) they just didn’t make enough baked cod?????? Everyone at the table ordered something different to spice up our blog……we hope they all add their input!!! So, needless to say, I had Beer Battered Cod. Next fish fry I will not be eating cod (note to all!!) My beer battered cod tasted very similar to the beer battered cod I am used to. The breading was good (I thought) and I was full after two of the three pieces. I chose to get my meal with “potato pancakes”. The potato pancakes were not really potato pancakes but were potato coins. Although not being real potato pancakes they were pretty tasty. They had a little bit of pepper on them that gave them a mild kick. I ate them with apple sauce which added some flavor to them. I will say that I did enjoy the fish fry, but I LOVE FOOD, so it hard for me not to enjoy it. But, since we are in the pursuit of the BEST fish fry I must rate my meal. I would give Andrea’s Red Rooster a 6.5 out of 10 for their fish fry.
I'd like to thank Ann for her great comments: I'm going to wager that Andrea's probably didn't expect too many for baked cod and they ran out early in the evening, because unlike Ann, my experience food-wise kinda sucked. I feel like the Red Rooster fish fry fell short of pleasing the palette.
First things first, we walked in and the place was fairly busy, we sought out a high-top table and were immediately greeted by a friendly face who quickly brought us back the mandatory first-round. Conversation was flowing and we (JZ, Dave, Ann and myself) were all having a great time mulling over the myriad of choices Andrea had on her menu. The Deep Fried Cod was $8.95 for two pieces & $9.95 for three. Blue Gill was $12.95 as was the perch and pike. I was so excited to try the Blue Gill, but that excitement waned pretty quickly.
My meal was a bust. Bottom line. My first bite into the fish was a tough one, literally, and while I was willing to give the restaurant the benefit of the doubt by moving over to another fillet, I was disappointed to have the same result. The blue gill was not fresh and I'm pretty positive this was a frozen filet thrown in a deep fryer for way too long. The highlight of my meal were the haystack onion rings, the whiskey old-fashioned and the few bites that JZ gave me of his walleye. THAT was freshly battered and deep-fried perfectly and regrettably I did not order that entree. Thanks JZ for sharing!
In conclusion, I probably would not go to Andrea's Red Rooster for a fish fry anytime soon. Mostly, because I'm going to be traveling all over Waukesha County for the next few months to find more Friday goodies! However, if you're going to Andrea's, order the Cod or the Walleye, heck, even order an old fashioned, but DO NOT get the Blue Gill, unless you want fish taffy... I will give probably 5 stars out of 10. It's average, but we're not looking for average, so onto the next establishment! Next week we will be taking a break, but coming up in for the end of November, is the Butler Inn in Pewaukee. I hope you all have a wonderful Thanksgiving. Thanks for reading!
Monday, November 9, 2009
Lake Country Fish Fry -- Week 1 -- Woody's, North Lake, WI
Ok, ok, so on a recent trip to the gym, my friend Ann and I decided that instead of taking people's advice, or reading reviews, we were going to find the best Fish Fry in Lake Country by ourselves. Blog about it and see where it goes from there. A little background on our first week. I'm not originally from the Lake Country area,
I'm from Fond du Lac, WI and in my mind, there is not a better area in the world for a fish fry than the greater Fondy Metroplex (LOL). I grew up with a family business down the street and was fortunate enough to have the best food about 10 steps-away. If you haven't been to Blanck's Supper Club in Johnsburg, WI, I suggest you try it. Not only is it home to some of the best steaks in the county, they also have a great fish fry and I'm still convinced nobody, can duplicate the German Potato Salad recipe my great-grandmother perfected nearly 60 years ago. My cousin Mike and his wife Kris (along with cousins Vicki and Ashley) have become the faces of that restaurant now and I am still proud to have had some part of it! Love to you all (my shameless plug and shout-out).
I was fortunate to "grow-up" dining on Friday evenings at places like Jim & Linda's, Schwartz's, Wendt's on the Lake, Ledgeview, Cedar Lodge, Roepke's, Trepaniers, Sunset Supper Club, etc. You get the gist. I was spoiled, we were a restaurant family and the closest I came to fast food in my youth was the weekly trip to Schreiner's on Monday nights when the restaurant (& my parents tavern) was closed. We didn't go out to eat for burgers and fries, we got steak, my parents threatened us with burgers/fries if we didn't behave! LOL.
While looking back, I realize how GREAT that was! I feel as though with nearly 38 years of food and beverage experience, it was time for me to actually make something of it -- no matter how ridiculous or insignificant! So, each and every Friday, Ann and I will meet at the gym (yes, the gym) -- workout for an hour and then indulge in the great Wisconsin Friday Night Tradition! We are going to eat the fish fry and still manage to lose weight! HA! OK, now, for the good stuff.
Friday, November 6, 2009 - Woody's in North Lake, WI. For those of you not familiar with the area, it's just outside Hartland to the North on Hwy 83. It's a small bar/restaurant, just a handful of tables grace the tiny dining area located in the front of the establishment. Our waitress, greeted us warmly right away and within a matter of minutes we had our first drink in hand and were glancing over the menu.
I decided to go the non-traditional route (as I will be doing for each week) and ordered a baked cod topped with mock crab meat, mushrooms and cheese. The entree came with a side of cole slaw, baby red potatoes and rye bread. The sides were typical, and to be honest, I am not a fan of cream cole-slaw, so I only ate a few bites. The cod, however, was delicious. It was recommended by the waitress (I cannot remember this nice person's name) and she was spot-on about how yummy this little number was. And...for ONLY $9.95
This week I will be posting for my good friend Ann -- but in later weeks, she will be chiming in on her rendition of the Friday events. She went with the deep fried Cod and french fry options. While, she said her dinner was very good -- it was not anything spectacular. Her meal was a very reasonable $7.95. We did have an option for Blue Gill, which was recommended by a customer, but we opted for the other entrees instead. There was no perch or pike option. I've realized from going to a few restaurants in this area, they consider a "traditional" fish fry deep fried cod. So, as our meals did not disappoint our taste buds, we were not overwhelmed by the Fish Fry at Woody's in North Lake.
I will, however, give a shout to the outstanding customer service we got -- and also, incredible burgers they serve 7 days a week. First week is in the books, Woody's was a pleasure and we enjoyed our dinners immensely and the company was superior! Have a great week!
I'm from Fond du Lac, WI and in my mind, there is not a better area in the world for a fish fry than the greater Fondy Metroplex (LOL). I grew up with a family business down the street and was fortunate enough to have the best food about 10 steps-away. If you haven't been to Blanck's Supper Club in Johnsburg, WI, I suggest you try it. Not only is it home to some of the best steaks in the county, they also have a great fish fry and I'm still convinced nobody, can duplicate the German Potato Salad recipe my great-grandmother perfected nearly 60 years ago. My cousin Mike and his wife Kris (along with cousins Vicki and Ashley) have become the faces of that restaurant now and I am still proud to have had some part of it! Love to you all (my shameless plug and shout-out).
I was fortunate to "grow-up" dining on Friday evenings at places like Jim & Linda's, Schwartz's, Wendt's on the Lake, Ledgeview, Cedar Lodge, Roepke's, Trepaniers, Sunset Supper Club, etc. You get the gist. I was spoiled, we were a restaurant family and the closest I came to fast food in my youth was the weekly trip to Schreiner's on Monday nights when the restaurant (& my parents tavern) was closed. We didn't go out to eat for burgers and fries, we got steak, my parents threatened us with burgers/fries if we didn't behave! LOL.
While looking back, I realize how GREAT that was! I feel as though with nearly 38 years of food and beverage experience, it was time for me to actually make something of it -- no matter how ridiculous or insignificant! So, each and every Friday, Ann and I will meet at the gym (yes, the gym) -- workout for an hour and then indulge in the great Wisconsin Friday Night Tradition! We are going to eat the fish fry and still manage to lose weight! HA! OK, now, for the good stuff.
Friday, November 6, 2009 - Woody's in North Lake, WI. For those of you not familiar with the area, it's just outside Hartland to the North on Hwy 83. It's a small bar/restaurant, just a handful of tables grace the tiny dining area located in the front of the establishment. Our waitress, greeted us warmly right away and within a matter of minutes we had our first drink in hand and were glancing over the menu.
I decided to go the non-traditional route (as I will be doing for each week) and ordered a baked cod topped with mock crab meat, mushrooms and cheese. The entree came with a side of cole slaw, baby red potatoes and rye bread. The sides were typical, and to be honest, I am not a fan of cream cole-slaw, so I only ate a few bites. The cod, however, was delicious. It was recommended by the waitress (I cannot remember this nice person's name) and she was spot-on about how yummy this little number was. And...for ONLY $9.95
This week I will be posting for my good friend Ann -- but in later weeks, she will be chiming in on her rendition of the Friday events. She went with the deep fried Cod and french fry options. While, she said her dinner was very good -- it was not anything spectacular. Her meal was a very reasonable $7.95. We did have an option for Blue Gill, which was recommended by a customer, but we opted for the other entrees instead. There was no perch or pike option. I've realized from going to a few restaurants in this area, they consider a "traditional" fish fry deep fried cod. So, as our meals did not disappoint our taste buds, we were not overwhelmed by the Fish Fry at Woody's in North Lake.
I will, however, give a shout to the outstanding customer service we got -- and also, incredible burgers they serve 7 days a week. First week is in the books, Woody's was a pleasure and we enjoyed our dinners immensely and the company was superior! Have a great week!
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