Ah, a night without the kids! And what do we do? We hit up another fish fry!
The Fireside is a local joint that we have heard much about. A church we are familiar with has a Beer and Bible night there once a month, local politicians like having rally/meetings there, and from what I had heard, they make some really good meatloaf (I happen to think my meatloaf is really good and have had a ton of people compliment it, so I am rather scared to try another. What if it really is better than mine? What if it is worse and now I have to eat this monstrosity that I paid too much for? What if... Sorry, I'm a bit off track).
My wonderful hubby and I decided to give the Fireside a whirl. What have we got to lose?
Once we got to the bar/restaurant, we only had to wait for a little while before we were seated. Our server asked if we would like the fish or see a menu and took our drink order. As it is a lounge/restaurant/bar, there is full bar service with many drink options.
After we ordered the food, we took in the atmosphere. I would say that it leans more toward a bar with full food service, rather than a restaurant with drinks. It kind of has the "Cheers" vibe going, people are calling to others from across the room, the everyone knows someone kind of place.
When our food arrived, it was battered and fried fish, cole slaw, and french fries. The fish was nice and crispy, decent. The cole slaw was served in a little cup, but the french fries were plentiful.
The Fireside serves its fish fry year round, it just advertises the fish fry during Lent as another place for people to go.
Honestly, the food was fine, but really nothing special at all. At least at the churches you get a dessert after you eat your fish. I wouldn't mind going back to the Fireside, but I think I will try the meatloaf the next time.
Rating:
Fish: 2.5 Sunnies
Side Dishes: 3 Perch
Tartar Sauce:3 Blue Gill
Value: 2 Bass
Tuesday, November 29, 2016
Friday, November 25, 2016
Tinucci's - Newport, MN
Ah, Tinucci's. If you ever are in the mood for old-school steak house/lounge, this is your place. We decided to give their fish fry a chance as well.
Tinucci's is a popular dinner spot year round, which means that their fish fry nights are all the more busy. They do offer fish frys year 'round, so technically one would not have to wait until the Lenten season to taste their fare. Knowing this, we went anyway, because, hey, why not?
There is a ton of free parking in their lot, which is a major plus (it's the suburbs after all). Their lobby waiting area was rather crowded as we waited. I wouldn't say that the wait was insane, but come prepared for a 30ish minute wait. If you have children with you, there isn't a place for them to do much more than sit or stand, so be prepared. The decor is dated, but that doesn't bother me. The dining room is dark with heavy wood fixtures, chunky chairs, and 1970's stained glass panes around the room. Some updating could be warranted, but hey, its kind of a period place, so it didn't seem distracting.
Once we were seated, the server took our drink order and we were left to go through the buffet line. There are two buffet lines: the first line holds the salads. I'm not talking your run-of-the-mill mixed lettuce greens, either. Yes, there were several lettuce based salads with all the fixin's , but there also was a large variety of other salads as well. Think church pot luck variety of salads, only made in a food service safe kitchen rather than Organist Betty's country kitchen. Bean salad, potato salad, cole slaw, jello salad, fruit salad, cucumber salad, broccoli salad... there's a bunch to chose from!
After enjoying our salads, we then checked out the hot foods. Much to our surprise, there were not one, not two, but three different kinds of fish, plus chicken available. To go along with the protein, there were a couple of varieties of potatoes (mashed, baked, and au gratin), a couple of steamed veggies, and a few other goodies to go along with your meal. I did try all three kinds of fish, baked, steamed with hollandaise sauce, and fried. Their fish with hollandaise is wonderful! The others were very good, too, but that hollandaise is really good on their fish!
After dinner, there is a beautiful table filled with different desserts. Cakes, strudel, bars, cookies... and ice cream is available from your server if you'd like. It was a nice variety with something for everyone.
Considering the variety of different foods and the fact that it was all you can eat (and they never ran out), the prices were reasonable. We were tipped off to an online coupon, which brought the prices down even more. Their non-Lent prices for the Friday Fish & Chicken Buffet are Adults: $19.95, Children 5-12: $7.96, Children 1-4: $1.25 per year. It's a pretty good deal with really good food.
Rating:
Fish:5 Walleye
Side Dishes: 5 Trout
Tartar Sauce: 4 Northern
Value: 4 1/2 Blue Gill
Tinucci's is a popular dinner spot year round, which means that their fish fry nights are all the more busy. They do offer fish frys year 'round, so technically one would not have to wait until the Lenten season to taste their fare. Knowing this, we went anyway, because, hey, why not?
There is a ton of free parking in their lot, which is a major plus (it's the suburbs after all). Their lobby waiting area was rather crowded as we waited. I wouldn't say that the wait was insane, but come prepared for a 30ish minute wait. If you have children with you, there isn't a place for them to do much more than sit or stand, so be prepared. The decor is dated, but that doesn't bother me. The dining room is dark with heavy wood fixtures, chunky chairs, and 1970's stained glass panes around the room. Some updating could be warranted, but hey, its kind of a period place, so it didn't seem distracting.
Once we were seated, the server took our drink order and we were left to go through the buffet line. There are two buffet lines: the first line holds the salads. I'm not talking your run-of-the-mill mixed lettuce greens, either. Yes, there were several lettuce based salads with all the fixin's , but there also was a large variety of other salads as well. Think church pot luck variety of salads, only made in a food service safe kitchen rather than Organist Betty's country kitchen. Bean salad, potato salad, cole slaw, jello salad, fruit salad, cucumber salad, broccoli salad... there's a bunch to chose from!
After enjoying our salads, we then checked out the hot foods. Much to our surprise, there were not one, not two, but three different kinds of fish, plus chicken available. To go along with the protein, there were a couple of varieties of potatoes (mashed, baked, and au gratin), a couple of steamed veggies, and a few other goodies to go along with your meal. I did try all three kinds of fish, baked, steamed with hollandaise sauce, and fried. Their fish with hollandaise is wonderful! The others were very good, too, but that hollandaise is really good on their fish!
After dinner, there is a beautiful table filled with different desserts. Cakes, strudel, bars, cookies... and ice cream is available from your server if you'd like. It was a nice variety with something for everyone.
Considering the variety of different foods and the fact that it was all you can eat (and they never ran out), the prices were reasonable. We were tipped off to an online coupon, which brought the prices down even more. Their non-Lent prices for the Friday Fish & Chicken Buffet are Adults: $19.95, Children 5-12: $7.96, Children 1-4: $1.25 per year. It's a pretty good deal with really good food.
Rating:
Fish:5 Walleye
Side Dishes: 5 Trout
Tartar Sauce: 4 Northern
Value: 4 1/2 Blue Gill
Thursday, November 17, 2016
SSP VFW, South St Paul, MN
After our experience with the gory crucifix, we decided to try a local hot spot: the South St Paul VFW. This place is well known in the East and South Metro for their summer parties, good bands, and big meals. Their fish fry does not disappoint.
Honestly, we were slightly taken aback when we first arrived. We walked in the first set of doors and promptly stopped, due to the line being that long! The waiting line went all of the way through the dining room and around the bar. Then and only then could you pay and get your food. It was quite the wait if you have children along (which we almost always do).
At this fish fry there were a couple of other sides for us to experience: macaroni and cheese, mashed potatoes and gravy, and baked beans to be precise. I believe there was one kind of fish: fried. Cole slaw was also available, along with a bar or cookie for dessert. Our beverage choices that came with the meal were milk, water, or coffee, however there is a well stocked bar on site for other beverages.
Our family enjoyed this meal. It was a loud, fun atmosphere. The wait was not optimal, as we were probably in line for a good 25-35 minutes total. In order to get seconds you had to back to the initial food line and try to sneak in between couples who were NOT happy to have waited this long only to have someone butt in front of them. If there had been a seconds line, that would have made for a happier crowd, in my opinion. Heck, if they had had a second line, that would have made for a happier room and a quicker line! I wouldn't say that the food was spectacular, it was fine, but it was nice to have a little more variety. There was a lot of tartar sauce that many people filled coffee cups with (even though there was a sign...)
Honestly, we were slightly taken aback when we first arrived. We walked in the first set of doors and promptly stopped, due to the line being that long! The waiting line went all of the way through the dining room and around the bar. Then and only then could you pay and get your food. It was quite the wait if you have children along (which we almost always do).
At this fish fry there were a couple of other sides for us to experience: macaroni and cheese, mashed potatoes and gravy, and baked beans to be precise. I believe there was one kind of fish: fried. Cole slaw was also available, along with a bar or cookie for dessert. Our beverage choices that came with the meal were milk, water, or coffee, however there is a well stocked bar on site for other beverages.
Our family enjoyed this meal. It was a loud, fun atmosphere. The wait was not optimal, as we were probably in line for a good 25-35 minutes total. In order to get seconds you had to back to the initial food line and try to sneak in between couples who were NOT happy to have waited this long only to have someone butt in front of them. If there had been a seconds line, that would have made for a happier crowd, in my opinion. Heck, if they had had a second line, that would have made for a happier room and a quicker line! I wouldn't say that the food was spectacular, it was fine, but it was nice to have a little more variety. There was a lot of tartar sauce that many people filled coffee cups with (even though there was a sign...)
My cute kiddos enjoying their fish (well, one was noshing on the mac 'n cheese, but hey).
Rating: 5 Walleye
Side Dishes: 4 Sunnies
Tartar Sauce: 4 Muskie
Value: 5 Herring
Monday, November 14, 2016
St John Viannay, South St Paul, MN
Our first stop on our quest for fish was at St John Viannay, a church just a mile from our house.
Now, let me give you just a little bit of my family's history before I get in to the church. When my husband and I got married, we found church we both liked. It was a contemporary Lutheran church. This is the heritage we have decided to raise our children in. Not a stained glass window in the building, no fount in the middle of the church, not even so much as a painting of Mary is in the building. Beige walls, a big cross up front and a drum set in the worship.
My children, being 7 and 3 at the time of our visit to St John's had only known this kind of a church.
Keep this in mind as I go on about our experiences.
St John's is in a nice location, lots of easy parking, and they take cash or checks, no credit cards. Once inside, we were led to a large open room (coincidently, this is where we vote now, so our kids are most used to the room) with the food. There were two kinds of fish, baked and fried, a baked potato, cole slaw, a dinner roll with butter, and assorted cookies and bars for dessert. There was milk, coffee, lemonade, and water for beverages.
The fish was good. They offered you two pieces to start but it was all you could eat as you stayed to enjoy the meal. Both kids liked the fish, one really liked the cole slaw. Of course, we all enjoyed the desserts!
I will never, ever, forget this meal. As we are sitting down to enjoy our good ol' Catholic Fish Fry, one of my daughters all of a sudden stops what she is doing and says in a loudish voice "What IS THAT!?!?!" I look up to where she is pointing, totally expecting to see some sort of bug or rodent from the tone of her voice, and, to my surprise, see a crucifix. I smiled and said, "honey, that is Jesus on the cross." She, having not taken her eyes off of it, replies "but what is all of the RED ON IT?!?!?" I look again, and sure enough, this particular crucifix in the dining hall has Jesus with blood dripping down.
Now, my children know the Easter story. They know about the crucifixion, and that Jesus died on the cross. We always read that story with the story of the resurrection so they know Jesus overcame the death on the cross and He lives! They know it, however, I am now looking back on the children's Bibles we have used over the years, and they all have a clean Jesus on the cross. I get where her shock came from.
So, there I am, in the dining hall of our local Catholic church, recounting the Easter story for not only my two wide-eyed children, but to the amusement of the elderly couple sitting behind us. Meanwhile, my fish is getting cold.
So, that is my very first experience at a Catholic Fish Fry.
Rating: Fish: 5 Trout
Side Dishes: 3 Blue Gill
Tartar Sauce: 4 Perch
Value: 5 Crappie
Now, let me give you just a little bit of my family's history before I get in to the church. When my husband and I got married, we found church we both liked. It was a contemporary Lutheran church. This is the heritage we have decided to raise our children in. Not a stained glass window in the building, no fount in the middle of the church, not even so much as a painting of Mary is in the building. Beige walls, a big cross up front and a drum set in the worship.
My children, being 7 and 3 at the time of our visit to St John's had only known this kind of a church.
Keep this in mind as I go on about our experiences.
St John's is in a nice location, lots of easy parking, and they take cash or checks, no credit cards. Once inside, we were led to a large open room (coincidently, this is where we vote now, so our kids are most used to the room) with the food. There were two kinds of fish, baked and fried, a baked potato, cole slaw, a dinner roll with butter, and assorted cookies and bars for dessert. There was milk, coffee, lemonade, and water for beverages.
The fish was good. They offered you two pieces to start but it was all you could eat as you stayed to enjoy the meal. Both kids liked the fish, one really liked the cole slaw. Of course, we all enjoyed the desserts!
I will never, ever, forget this meal. As we are sitting down to enjoy our good ol' Catholic Fish Fry, one of my daughters all of a sudden stops what she is doing and says in a loudish voice "What IS THAT!?!?!" I look up to where she is pointing, totally expecting to see some sort of bug or rodent from the tone of her voice, and, to my surprise, see a crucifix. I smiled and said, "honey, that is Jesus on the cross." She, having not taken her eyes off of it, replies "but what is all of the RED ON IT?!?!?" I look again, and sure enough, this particular crucifix in the dining hall has Jesus with blood dripping down.
Now, my children know the Easter story. They know about the crucifixion, and that Jesus died on the cross. We always read that story with the story of the resurrection so they know Jesus overcame the death on the cross and He lives! They know it, however, I am now looking back on the children's Bibles we have used over the years, and they all have a clean Jesus on the cross. I get where her shock came from.
So, there I am, in the dining hall of our local Catholic church, recounting the Easter story for not only my two wide-eyed children, but to the amusement of the elderly couple sitting behind us. Meanwhile, my fish is getting cold.
So, that is my very first experience at a Catholic Fish Fry.
Rating: Fish: 5 Trout
Side Dishes: 3 Blue Gill
Tartar Sauce: 4 Perch
Value: 5 Crappie
How it All Began
Hi, my name is Shawnee. Up until 2012 the only fish I had ever consumed was either caught by someone I knew or pressed into a patty and fried. Ah, the perils of being a non-catholic and growing up on a lake. Okay, so it was a flipping HUGE lake, but still, there is only so much Northern and Walleye a girl can take.
My husband, on the other hand, was brought up Catholic. Lenten fish fries were the norm for him.
One day, we were chatting and I mentioned that I had never been to a Friday Night Fish Fry. Growing up in the great north, every night was fish night somewhere. The whole Friday night thing during Lent was foreign to me.
Us being the quirky, somewhat spontaneous people we are, decided to check out a fish fry that Friday, and we decided to start at our local Catholic church.
So, that is how this whole thing began.
Since it is currently not the season of Lent, heck, we are closer to Advent than Lent, I am going to attempt to recap our fish fry experiences, along with a rating, strengths, weaknesses, overall experience, and of course, tartar sauce quality. I am assuming that eventually I will run out of places to go and will get to go back to some of our favorites, but just in case, check out some of these places during Lent! It is a lot of fun to see what churches, organizations, and restaurants have to offer!
My husband, on the other hand, was brought up Catholic. Lenten fish fries were the norm for him.
One day, we were chatting and I mentioned that I had never been to a Friday Night Fish Fry. Growing up in the great north, every night was fish night somewhere. The whole Friday night thing during Lent was foreign to me.
Us being the quirky, somewhat spontaneous people we are, decided to check out a fish fry that Friday, and we decided to start at our local Catholic church.
So, that is how this whole thing began.
Since it is currently not the season of Lent, heck, we are closer to Advent than Lent, I am going to attempt to recap our fish fry experiences, along with a rating, strengths, weaknesses, overall experience, and of course, tartar sauce quality. I am assuming that eventually I will run out of places to go and will get to go back to some of our favorites, but just in case, check out some of these places during Lent! It is a lot of fun to see what churches, organizations, and restaurants have to offer!
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