North Lake Inn, North Lake

Hello everyone and welcome to my birthday week!  I've missed blogging and I'm happy to report to you my greatest thought and insight on the great fish fry tradition.  However, this week, we ran into yet, another bust.

On Friday, Ann, Shannon and I ventured to the North Lake Inn, W315N7707 State Road 83 in quaint North Lake, Wisconsin.  We tried to make the trip a few weeks ago, but were stunned at the amount of people and decided elsewhere,  that particular night I was in no mood to wait in line for dinner, but I put my mind in the right place for this latest adventure and decided that no matter how many people or how long the trip might take, I was going to eat at the North Lake Inn.

Much to my surprise, there were barely any people at the NLI on Friday night, but my guess is the sub-zero temperatures and time of the evening (8pm) had a little to do with it.  I've been to this restaurant before for some absolutely fantastic pizza and as we were sat, I caught a glimpse of some other italian delights at other tables.  The lasagna dish looked incredibly delicious, but I had to keep my mind on the goal: the blog. the fry.

As we sat in the tiny dining room we were not greeted warmly at first.  Our server/busser had to be summoned (by us) and I despise having to call a server to a table (especially when it is not busy).  We quickly ordered the cheese filled tortilla crusted thingys (I don't have access to a menu, and cannot remember for the life of me what they were called), they were served with salsa and sour cream and were absolutely delicious.  

We waited a bit as our friend Shannon was running a little late, as she was ten minutes out of town, she asked we order for her (big mistake).  This night, we did not stick to variety (and I apologize) all three of us ordered the herb crusted baked cod.  The entree sounded too good to pass up ($11.95), we each ordered the potato pancakes to accompany the fish and as always, had the coleslaw and bread.  

The Inn also has Perch, Deep Fried Cod and Walleye, and I deeply apologize for not having tasted one of them, but as you read this blog, you will realize I might not have been missing much.

I'm not lying when I say that within two minutes our entrees were ready to be served.  I'm all about fast service, but this was a little out of control, as Shannon wasn't even at the restaurant yet.  Ann and I started in on our dishes, and awaited Shannon's arrival.  You knew it would be disaster once that food was put back under the dreaded "heat light" -- fish does not sit well...trust me. 

Well, in hindsight, I wish that our waitress had kept ALL our dinners under that heat light.  I still cannot understand how food that came out so fast, could have been cold.  Yes, my fish was cold, my potato pancake was rock hard (it was a giant potato chip smothered in grease).  I was so disappointed as I was looking forward to this trip. The highlight of the evening was the fantastic company, creamy coleslaw and one damn good piece of garlic bread.  

One thing to the NLI, if that fish had been properly heated and the potato pancake less "dead" the entree would have been successful and this review would have been longer and more positive.  Cold fish sucks, bottom line and I was lost after that first bite. 

I'm going to give the North Lake Inn a 5 out of 10.  Our service got much better after the disastrous start and my old fashioned was pretty damn good.  I'll be back to the NLI, but for pizza....

Have a great rest of your week everyone.  As 39.1 looms on my horizon, I'd like to say thanks to you all for reading, thanks for following on facebook and for giving me a little attention while I do something I really enjoy.  Much love to you all.

Ox & Cat's Sports Bar and Grill, Monches, WI

Happy New Year and welcome to the first blog of 2011.  I cannot believe that we are already embarking on a new year, filled with new resolutions, new goals and for some, new hope.  Ultimately, I've been pretty good at staying away from the hype regarding resolutions, but I do resolve to continue eating fish nearly every Friday, and giving you my opinion.  I mean, that is why you're reading this.

This past Friday I made my first trip to the Ox & Cat's Sports Bar and Grill, W302N9510 County Rd E, Hartland, WI  (The address is technically Hartland, but it's located in Monches, an unincorporated town north of Hartland).  I had been told this fish fry was one of the better in Lake Country, so I was eager to give it a try.  Turns out, my anticipation gave way to disappointment.

Our waitress swiftly tended to our table of 8, took our drink orders and in no time had them sitting in front of us, impressive indeed.  Soon after she was back to take our order.  I decided on the deep fried cod ($9.00), my friend Shannon ordered the baked cod ($10.00) and we decided to mix and match.  She ordered the sweet potato fries and I just had side of chili, knowing I was near my fill of carbs for the day!  The Ox & Cat's also has Perch and I believe Walleye (I am not sure on that one, sorry for the oversight).

As we waited for our food and conversation was flowing I looked around the old wood-floor dining room and noticed it was very much like an indoor picnic.  Informal table settings, menus, plasticware and napkins lodged in an old six-pack container on the table, folded chairs and long tables everywhere.  The place was actually packed and what was more impressive is that the dining room was run by a one-woman show...and she handled it perfectly.

The food came in a very reasonable amount of time and from the moment the fish was set in front of me, I knew it was going to be a less than pleasurable experience.  The cod was overly breaded and the fish inside was overcooked.  I'm not sure if they hand-bread at the Ox & Cat's, but the case could be made that they do not and the fish is pre-packaged and frozen.  The breading was absolutely overwhelming, very similar to the heavy breading you find on a frozen fish patty at McDonald's, it overpowered any flavor the fish might have had, I actually had to use my tartar sauce on the fish pieces (you know that's bad if I'm doing that).

My chili, was homemade, a little cool, but still very good...props on that.  Shannon's baked fish was much better than my deep fried entree.  The seasonings were simple, but flavorful and the portion size was just right. The highlight was those sweet potato fries, I had a couple and was very glad they were not on my plate as I could have easily downed them all.

Overall, I'm going to give the Ox & Cat's a 7, and that's because the service was amazing, I'm still in awe how that waitress was able to command the dining room without breaking a sweat.  The food was just OK, but after perusing through the menu, I will definitely try the perch next time, they also have (according to the patrons I was with) great sandwiches and pizza.

Until next time, have a wonderful week.  I'm not sure if I'll by fish frying it this week or not as I have dinner theater plans, but definitely will be back on track the following week.  I love it too much to stop.  Also, if you have any suggestions or would like me to stop at your establishment, just leave a comment or post on Facebook.  Don't forget to check Lakecountrynightout.com for the upcoming events or places to go in Lake Country.

And, as always, especially this time of year...tell someone you care about, just how much they mean to you. In wake of the tragedy in Arizona, it's time we all lighten the load.

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!

The Stolley's Hogg Alley Experience

I am completely overwhelmed by this week's blog.  When I posted on Facebook asking friends' for suggestions, I had narrowed it down to a few places and by mid-week last week I decided to go to Stolley's Hogg Alley, 2008 N Venice Beach Rd., Oconomowoc, WI 53066-5047.  I never expected the response after my decision.

This is where the take-off of the Lake Country Wisconsin Fish Fry happened.  I went from around 80 friends to nearly 135 "likes" in a week and had people anticipating this very review.  There's a little pressure for this blog, but as like my other entries, I'm going to tell it like it is and the bottom line is Stolley's Hogg Alley is good!

Ann, Dave, Mike and myself arrived at Hogg Alley (I had been to breakfast here before and I 100% recommend you do too) at around 7:15pm and the place was insanely packed, this place isn't very big, so people fill up fast.  Once we made it through the front door and around the bar area, we were greeted by a server who gave us the "drill" - which is...write your name and number in your party on a dry-erase board just outside the dining room.  It's a unique way to keep track of potential diners, but it works!

We realized the wait was going to be at least an hour, so this gave us plenty of time to catch up on the week's events and unwind with a few drinks.  The bar staff was amazing, sometimes you see people get frazzled with such a demanding crowd, but these two were full of smiles and made one hell of a drink.  In fact, everyone at this place was amazingly friendly (servers & patrons) and I was a "stranger" -- I never did tell anyone who I was and why we were there.  But, when someone posted on facebook that they treat you like family at Hogg Alley, they were not kidding.

Now onto the food.  By the time we were seated it was closer to 8:45, so unfortunately they were out of potato pancakes, baked cod and German Potato Salad.  However, the nice waitress found us a small portion of the German Potato Salad -- and it was very good, but I was more impressed with her shuffling through the "to-go" orders to get us the small sample.

I ordered the deep fried Walleye ($12.00) while the rest of my table opted for the AYCE Deep Fried Cod ($11.00).  Along with the fish, the servers bring out coleslaw and rye bread prior to the meal.  The Slaw was amazing, creamy and full of flavor, we all enjoyed it, the bread was very average.

I'll start out with my first and only negative comment of the day. I was disappointed in my Walleye, while the breading was amazing and the fish itself cooked beautifully it tasted very, very "fishy" – and I couldn't eat much of it.  I had a few bites, passed it along to the others at the table who all whole-heartedly agreed with me.  However, once we all dug into the cod, it made us quickly forget about the walleye disaster.  The breading on the cod was seasoned perfectly, just the right amount of flavor to compliment the fish.  It was probably some of the best breading I've had in the area and we all truly enjoyed our dinners (once I made the switch from the Walleye). 

As far as ambiance, like I told you earlier, it's literally like going to a family gathering at the local greasy spoon.  They pack you in the dining room pretty tight, but that's all part of the thrill when you go out to eat at one of these places and it's the joy of the experience.  I had a lot of fun.

I will give Stolley's a solid 8 out of 10 for their fish fry.  I can't overlook the fishy Walleye, but other than that the meal was delightful and the friendly, over-the-top service was a treat. I think we all know good service is really hard to come by these days.  I will definitely be back to Stolley's Hogg Alley and I suggest if you haven't tried it, to do so in the near future.

The blog is taking a little break as we head towards the Thanksgiving holiday -- and I will be on vacation in Texas.  We will be back reviewing the fish fries on December 10.

Have a great week everyone. And as the holidays fast approach us, think about helping out someone less fortunate this season, whether it is in donations or time.  Even if it's throwing loose change in the Red Cross pail, it's helping to make someone else's life a little brighter.

Hugs to all and never forget to give Thanks for everything you have!

Fox & Hounds in Hubertus never lived up to the billing

I've been dreading writing this blog since Friday. I have not been put in a predicament like this since I started the blog last year, but it happened, and I knew some day I'd have to suck it up and write my first crappy review.

This week my friends Mike and Shannon joined me at the Fox & Hounds, 1298 Friess Lake Road, Hubertus, WI.  I was told how great the fish fry was and even though it was outside the Waukesha County/Lake Country radius, I was excited to try it.  It was recommended by a few friends and some reviews online suggested we were in for a real treat.  I was seriously disappointed.

First of all, let me say something positive, the setting in the middle of nowhere with the rustic decor and living room atmosphere was pleasant, even though this place is huge, it still felt like you were in a comfortable atmosphere. My glass of Pinot Noir was excellent and we were ready to head to our table.  This is where the fun ended for me.

Mike and Shannon opted for the all-you-can eat deep fried cod and shrimp for $9.99, I decided to have the baked cod for $14.99.  This is my first real disconnect with pricing.  I realize that baked fish is normally priced higher, but usually a dollar or two, but FIVE dollars? I would like every restaurant to know that I KNOW it doesn't require $5 dollars worth of work to put loins of cod into a broiler with water/butter, rarely is baked fish prepared to order, and I'd challenge anyone to correct me if I'm wrong. (Along with your fish you are given a side of french fries (baked potato for $1 extra), creamy cole slaw and a slice of rye bread.  You were not treated to any potato pancakes at the Fox & Hounds and again, to charge $1 extra for a baked potato is absurd.)

There is only one way to describe my baked cod, BLAND.  While the fish was perfectly cooked, it was grossly under-seasoned with a hint of paprika. It seemed like there was nothing else, and I definitely gave my own healthy dusting of salt and pepper before I doused it in butter.  I had about half of my dinner and decided to stop trying.  I figured the meal Shannon and Mike ordered had to be better.  I was wrong. Their shrimp was nothing more than a Vande Kamps frozen fish stick shaped like a shrimp (with a tail) and thrown into the fryer and the cod pieces were small, over-cooked and the breading, again, was under-seasoned. 

I will keep this blog on the shorter side, as I hate to harp on imperfection, but when you boast a Friday Fish Fry special, I believe you're obligated to provide the best meal possible, because it's your "special." I also realize we might have just got the one bad meal that night, but unfortunately it's all I have to write about.

The rest of the menu at Fox & Hounds looked intriguing and I think I'll definitely stop out again to try a two-for-one weekday meal, or a two-for-one Prime Rib "special" on Saturdays. I also recommend you call ahead for reservations, as the wait was over an hour when we got there (which I know is typical).

I'm not going to come out and say "don't go to the Fox & Hounds" -- but if you're in the mood for a fantastic fish fry, I would opt for a different location.  Perhaps, The Phoenix in Hartland (I know I'm obsessed, but folks, it's that good).

The Fox & Hounds gets a solid 2 out of 10 this week, those two points are solely based on good service and halfway decent cole slaw.

Next week is a toss up, we have no idea where we're going, so stay tuned to the facebook page to find out where we decide to dine.

In the meantime, have a great week -- enjoy these last bits of sunshine and warmth this fall, it's absolutely gorgeous.  Have a great weekend, and as always, do not forget to let those important people in your life know how important they are.

I'd also like to wish my dear friend Karen a Happy Birthday on the 10th.  What an incredible person, I hope you have many more healthy and happy birthdays in the future.  Love you!

Silver Spring Golf Club La Par Restaurant

Happy Wednesday everyone, again, thanks for taking the time to read about the weekly fish fry in Lake Country Wisconsin.  The facebook page is growing, the list of readers is growing and I'm happy to give you the best analysis I can and I'm having way too much fun in the process. 

This Friday Ann and I ventured out to the La Par Restaurant at Silver Spring Golf Club, N56 W21318 Silver Spring Drive, Menomonee Falls. I had a a free coupon I received in the mail for a Fish Fry and I jumped all over it.  When we arrived around 6:30pm, the bar was very empty, but dining room was full, we were seated within 10 minutes and our server promptly set us up with the information regarding their fish fry special.  The options are (and all are priced at $10.95 and the deep fried cod is all-you-can-eat) deep fried cod, baked cod with a panko-like bread topping and deep fried tilapia.  There are other specials and a huge selection of menu items, but we dove right into the fish options.  Also, on a side note, you can add soup and salad bar for $2.95 OR soup/salad AND dessert bar for $4.95.  Ann had the tilapia, I ordered baked cod and we both opted for the soup/salad bar.

First things first.  The salad bar was average, you had your choice of romaine lettuce or spinach, normal toppings and some croutons.  Everything was fresh and tasted good, but aside from some potato salad and ceviche (yes, ceviche on a fish fry salad bar) everything was normal.  The soup was a homemade clam chowder which was to DIE for.  It was bursting with flavor, huge pieces of clam, carrots and celery and a hint of bacon (yes, bacon).  I did everything I could from literally licking every last drop of soup out of that cup.  Well done, chef, well done.

The server brought coleslaw (creamy) and hot sourdough rolls to the table, all of which were very very good.  It was more than enough pre-dinner snacking, and I think the next time I'll just have the rolls and slaw. Oh yeah, and the soup!

As we finished our salads and raved over the soup, it wasn't very long before our extremely pleasant server arrived with our entrees.  My baked cod was well-cooked, flaky and very full of flavor -- the breadcrumbs on the top were a nice addition.  Usually the meal is served with a lemon butter cream over the top, I opted to have that on the side (I'm glad I asked for it that way, and suggest you do the same when ordering).  The sauce didn't match well with the way the fish was prepared -- so if there is any complaint, it's that the cream sauce is not necessary to make this a successful dish.  I do, however, suggest you get drawn butter, as that IS a nice compliment!

I had the potato pancakes, which were homemade and absolutely wonderful. 

Ann's tilapia (while not fresh) was good as well.  The breading was a little heavy, but the components overall were good and she enjoyed her dinner.  I also had a quick taste of the deep fried cod, it was a little heavy on the breading as well, but it wasn't overly powerful and the fish inside was soft and mouth-watering.

Overall, I'll give this establishment an 8 out of 10.  It wasn't the very best fish fry, but I would most definitely go there again for a meal.  The service was top-notch, the wine was excellent and most importantly I left with a full belly.

I'm not sure if anyone could leave the La Par restaurant NOT full.  I had not a single space left for dessert, but who knows, maybe next time.

Happy Halloween everyone!  This week I will be taking a break from the fish fry, as I have a Friday night gig at the Badger Bowl in Madison.  If you don't have any ghostly plans, Pink Houses takes the stage at 9:45pm.

And, as always -- give a hug.  People need it!

Enjoy!