Woody's Bar and Grill, North Lake – Part Deux

Have you ever had one of those days that you didn't feel like waiting?  You were just too tired, or too hungry or perhaps a bit too crabby to deal with a crowd of people? If you answered yes to those questions, you will identify with how I was feeling Friday night.  So, you can imagine my disdain when I made the short drive to North Lake from Hartland and saw the North Lake Inn was completely packed, or at least that was the impression with the cars in the street and the full parking lot.

Now I realize that's all a part of a Friday Fish Fry and usually I'm all for sitting around, having a couple of drinks, laughing and engaging in fun conversation, but this past Friday night, I wanted to hang out with a friend, get my food and get on to the next part of the evening. So, while I'm sure you're disappointed in my lack of commitment to blogging on the NL Inn, I decided to drive the half block to the next best thing -- Woody's Bar & Grill, W314n7788 Kilbourne Rd., North Lake, WI 53064.

I'm familiar with Woody's, I'm comfortable with Woody's and I knew I wouldn't be disappointed, and I wasn't.  Fortunately for my friend Shannon and myself, as soon as we walked in, we saw an open table in the very small dining room adjacent to the bar in the front of the building.  We grabbed it, and within seconds the waitress was at our table taking our drink order.  I even think this might have been the same waitress we had the last time we visited Woody's in November, 2009.  

We glanced over the menu, although I knew what I was going to have before I even walked in, it was the bluegill plate ($12.00).  I ordered the homemade potato chips as my side and as always, just waited on the coleslaw and bread that came with my dinner.  Shannon picked the Cod Diablo (the exact entree I had in 2009).  

My bluegill was delicious, it was lightly breaded in a breadcrumb/cracker coating and most of my pieces were done perfectly.  Although the breading could have used a tad more seasoning (but again, I like heavy seasoning, and I also dig salt) the fish itself was done well -- there were a few straggling small pieces that were rubbery, but that's sometimes the problem with bluegill, you have to be aware of the size of the fillets, because when you're cooking them, the smaller ones will be overdone.  That was the case for me, but it wasn't hard for me to just put them aside as the portion size was more than enough.  My homemade potato chips were a tad soggy, but I've had them numerous times before with a better outcome. 


Shannon's cod diablo was fantastic  -- see blog 2009 http://fishfryblog.blogspot.com/2009/11/lake-country-fish-fry-week-1-woodys.html -- as her comments were very much the same as the ones I made over a year ago! 


I'm going to give Woody's a slightly lower rating (7.5 out of 10) than last year, just because my bluegill could have been better, but to be honest, overall Woody's has a great little thing going and it shocks me there aren't more people taking advantage of it.  Their service is BEYOND amazing, each and every one of the wait/bar staff people are incredibly easy to get along with and super friendly.  I've only been there a handful of times, but each experience has been pleasant and I love going there.  I really think that if you plan on going to the North Lake Inn one night, that you drive about a block and a half to the north on 83 and stop at Woody's instead.  I don't think you'll be disappointed.

Well, until the next time, I hope you enjoy the blog.  For obvious reasons we will be taking a few weeks off, but cannot wait to continue the journey to find the best Fish Fry in Lake Country.  Don't forget to check out www.lakecountrynightout.com for other fun things to do in Lake Country as well. 


Can you believe 2010 is almost over?  It's mind-boggling to me how fast time flies as I get older (and wiser, of course).  Another fish fry blog year is in the books and I couldn't have had a better time, it's so fun to put my opinion out there and for the enormous response I've got in 2010. Thank you for that.

Merry Christmas and the happiest of Holidays.  I wish you all a very healthy and prosperous 2011. 


Peace.

Coyote Canyon, Eagle

What is Eagle?

It's the question I asked when someone suggested the location for our next fish fry. Remember, I'm not from the area, so when I moved to Hartland, I was very limited in my knowledge of Lake Country, which is why I started this blog.  I have become more acclimated to the parts of Lake Country, but have never traveled south of Dousman, however, I'll definitely be making the trip again.

Eagle is a quaint little town, which was hit hard by a devastating tornado this past Summer, that's really all I knew, and while we didn't get much time to talk to many people about the town itself, our visit to Coyote Canyon, 105 Main Street, Eagle, WI, was indicative of what a village like this is, it's family.  And I love that about small towns!

The typical fish fry foursome (Ann, myself, Dave & Mike) decided to take the trek to Eagle, we had not decided on our location, but as we found a parking spot, we realized we were closer to Coyote Canyon, the place seemed to have some open seating, so we walked in.  We were greeted warmly by a server who explained to us if we wanted to eat in the small dining room we'd have to wait, but if we chose to eat in the bar we could order right away. We opted for the second choice.

A second server immediately came to our table in the bar, handed us the menus and then took our drink order.  The fish fry was not on the menu, but they had the special advertised on a chalkboard as you walked in.  $8.85 for two pieces of cod, $9.95 for three, very reasonable and very convenient, because when I asked if I could have one piece of baked and one of fried, the waitress smiled politely and said "yes" -- I was thrilled, I could do a full review without posting up on one of my friends' plates.

The fish fry at the Canyon includes your choice of potato, soup or salad along with the normal friday staples (coleslaw, bread, etc.).  Ann and Mike ordered the clam chowder, and it was supreme. I had the cheesy tortilla soup, and it was equally as impressive, both were homemade (we asked).  After this teaser, I was anxiously anticipating my dinner, and I was not disappointed.

The fried cod was lightly covered in a delicious beer batter (my favorite) full of flavor, the slight crunch on the outside gave way to a soft, flaky, melt-in-your-mouth inside.  The baked fish was a strong competitor to it's fried brother, but I'll have to give the nod to the fried on this particular entree.  However, the baked was seasoned and prepared well and I would definitely recommend it to anyone looking for a lighter option on Friday night.

Here's the best part, everything at the Canyon is homemade, so I was treated to a fresh batch of potato pancakes, the best applesauce I have ever tasted and a creamy coleslaw that stands up to any of the best restaurants I've visited thus far.  And, I even indulged in the tartar sauce, it was one of those scrumptious combinations of mayo, pickle relish and dill, and though I didn't use it for my fish (fish was too good, didn't need tartar) it was great for french fry dipping!

Unfortunately, the rye bread was an afterthought at Canyon (not homemade), but the other components were so beyond amazing, it's tough to care about that, but if you're a bread connoisseur, you would not be impressed.

Between great service, friendly patrons and fantastic food, I'm going to give the Canyon a 9 out of 10 on the visit.  If you're in the neighborhood, or even if you're not -- I suggest the drive out to Eagle, you won't be disappointed, actually you'll be pleasantly surprised.  I know I was.

Have a wonderful week and during this busy time, make sure you take a moment to stop and be thankful for the greatness of life.  And as always, don't forget to let those important to you know how important they are!