I'm baaaaackkkkk

So, have you missed me?

Well, you're in luck, I'm back, so is the blog and hopefully you'll enjoy following my adventures as I try and seek out the greatest fish fry available.  This fall/winter I'm hoping to have a bigger and better variety of restaurants for you to choose from in greater Southeast Wisconsin.  It's only fair to all of us that I spread my wings and see what this great state has to offer in the realm of Fish Fry.

During the summer I took a break, blogged about some other restaurants, but in my heart I was missing out on the traditional Friday Wisconsin Fare.  I don't think I could possibly abandon a blog that seems to have touched a few people outside my immediate circle of friends. I've received a few e-mails from strangers asking my opinion on where to go and my blog reviewing the Cornerstone Pub and Grill happens to be ON their website.  How cool is that?  I think it is, and really, that's all that matters!

Let's review shall we?

This past weekend I had the opportunity to hang out with my great friend, and former bandmate Scott, (who happens to live in Tennessee).  After countless times of trying to get together, we finally were able to make plans and stick to them.  I met up with him, his friends Rachelle, Mike and their son Michael. We headed to (of all places) the local bowling center, Prairie Lanes, 430 Clarmar Drive, Sun Prairie, WI, (608) 837-2586, www.prairielanes.com. 

Imagine my skepticism when I heard we were headed the bowl, while I've had some of the best fish frys at bowling centers (Ledgeview Lanes, Fond du Lac, WI) I've also had some really crappy food in those establishments.

I left Prairie Lanes anything but disappointed, bottom line, the fish fry was pretty good and the company was extraordinaire. The bowl features an all-you-can eat fish fry for $9.95, with that you get all the deep fried cod your heart desires, along with an unlimited amount of trips to a soup and salad bar.  Mike ordered this, while Scott, Rachelle and I decided to go a little lighter.  We had the baked cod ($10.95) which also included the S/S bar.  Yes, Cabby, I ate baked cod and I will continue to try and mix in healthier dinners into this fish fry blog, after all I am training for a sprint tri, but I will always give a taste to the fried crap, I owe it to you! :-)

The soup and salad bar is average, while it's a nice option in a meal, it was certainly limited in its presentation and amenities, you had your typical iceberg lettuce, traditional salad dressings and limited options for toppings.  They featured three soup flavors, I opted for a 1/2 cup of the california vegetable medly, it was good, hot and left me thinking they could have done a little better, I had a bit of the creamy cole slaw, which also was, well, average.

However, the tune changed when the main entrees arrived.  My baked cod was very light, flaky and well-prepared, the seasonings were lacking a bit, but that's nothing a little drawn butter can't take care of, and I did just that!  I believe Scott and Rachelle echoed my sentiments as between the three of us, I think we may nearly finished our plates.  My meal was accompanied by a fair sized portion of butter-infested red potatoes and a sour dough roll.

I was offered a tasting portion of Mike's fried cod, and much to my delight it was battered perfectly (beer batter) a nice light crust on the outside and scrumptiously cooked fish on the inside, it was a nice entree and for $9.95 and all you can eat, it's a huge bargain.  Mike did try the potato pancakes (as they were described on the menu) but they reminded me of the Burger King hash browns you get for breakfast, they're better off consumed while either really drunk, or really hungover, not at dinner.

Last, I will have to admit, as much as I liked our server, she was a little slow, however, it was closer to the end of the night when we sat down, so who only knows where her tables were scattered throughout that place.  I didn't go hungry, OR thirsty, so I'm not going to complain much on this front.

All in all I would rate Prairie Lanes a 7 out of 10, parts of this meal were excellent while a few others fell short of my expectations as a diner.  I'd totally recommend this place to anyone in the Sun Prairie/Madison area and I'd go back there again, especially if it was the same table of five!  It was so great meeting Rachelle & Mike, and words cannot express how wonderful it was to catch up with my dear friend Scott.

Oh yeah, Rachelle is from Rachelle and the Red Hot Rattlers, I was able to check out the gang on Saturday at their show in Sun Praire the next evening.  If you like country music (or even if you don't) and you like to be entertained by fabulous musicians and amazing vocals, I highly suggest you check them out, either on facebook or their website www.redhotrattlers.com.  I was impressed, and it was even better to see two people I used to jam with on stage.  I miss you guys (Dave & Scott) and I'm so glad you found a new "home."

I hope you all enjoyed this entry into the 2010-11 "fish fry season" -- I can't wait to rattle off another one of these...


In the meantime, don't forget to hug the ones you love!


Peace.