So, lent is finally over. I can eat meat on Friday's...Whew!!!!
For this final fish fry of the season, I have to admit, I was excited to visit the Five O'Clock Club in Pewaukee. I have never participated in their Friday cuisine, but have heard great things about it -- and I've eaten there before and their menu is fantastic. The owner also generously sponsors our bowling team, so it was only fitting the last fry would be there. However, there was one small problem. The wait was over 2 hours and this was at 8pm. The hostess was frazzled, fried, confused, sweaty and above all a little rude when she told us about this unfortunate predicament. I realize it was Good Friday, but at 8pm, I was hoping we'd be shown a table before 9. Not the case, so...because our bellies could not handle the 2 hour wait (and I'm sure our livers would have been a little bruised too), we decided to saunter down the road to the Waterfront, which is located just off Hwy SS on beautiful Pewaukee lake.
Ann and I had been to Waterfront before for fish, it was well before the blog started, but it was one of our first outings since I had moved to Lake Country.
The most refreshing thing about walking into the Waterfront last Friday was the beautiful sight of open tables -- after leaving the Five O we had wondered if every place was going to be a madhouse, and to our delight that was not the case.
The friendly waitress immediately greeted Alyssa and I as we sat down and asked what we would like to drink, as we waited for Ann and Dave to arrive. As we sipped on our beers and looked over the menu, it was clear that the choices were few and mostly deep fried. The bright spot is they did offer baked cod, but the other sides were either deep friend or nothing.
Once the Grevenkamps arrived, we swiftly put our orders in. Hungry cannot even begin to describe the feeling -- it was close to 8:45pm and after a workout and a stint at a busy restaurant, the food could not have been put in front of me soon enough. Thankfully, we did not wait long.
I opted to go with the baked cod, I realize I should have ended this lenten season with a traditional fried cod choice, but since joining weight watchers, I thought I would try and cut a few corners with my points and the baked option helped me do that. I did top this order off with some haystack onion rings, which were delicious and worth every point I had available! The baked cod however, was a different story.
The cod itself was overcooked and under seasoned. I will never understand why people offer to bake fish, if they are not prepared to do anything but throw a little paprika over the top and pop it in the microwave. I'm not sure if this was the method of operation at the Waterfront, but that's what it tasted like. Their "normal" baked cod is apparently doused in butter and then plated, but they said they could make me a tasty version without having it be sitting in the dairy product all night. A part of me wishes I would have opted for the butter-laiden fish. The dinners were served with some average store-bought rye bread and a cream-based average cole slaw, as a result this fish fry will get an average rating of 5 out of 10 stars.
I'm afraid this last fish blog does not have the climactic ending I had hoped for...but at least I can steer you in a few directions if you are thinking of summer fish fry dining. We will definitely be back after labor day to review more and more fish frys -- and even a few times this summer we will blog about the timeless Wisconsin tradition, but we need a tiny little break.
In the meantime, please don't stop checking out this site. We are still going to blog, but we have been inspired to switch gears. You see, the Waterfront has prompted me to find suitable healthy options at restaurants. As much as my baked cod was better for me, it tasted like cardboard with salt -- and I want to find restaurants which offer healthy goodies, but still taste good at the same time. We should never have to sacrifice taste or quality when trying to be conscious of what we put in our mouths/bellies. So stay tuned as we gear up for our summer restaurant search.
I will keep the blog under the same name, but we will be adding a sweet little twist that I hope you all enjoy.
Have a beautiful week and as always, never forget to give those you love a hug and to let them know how important they are in your lives. Without good health, friends and family there is truly nothing.
