CincyWhimsy: Fish Fry

Showing posts with label Fish Fry. Show all posts

FISH FRY #3: NATIVITY SCHOOL

#FFFCincy Rating:

5 of 5 Fishies

Our third Friday Fish Fry was one everyone had been anticipating since last year: Nativity School in Pleasant Ridge. With two terrific reviews from fellow #FFFCincy members and Instagrams of the meals, we knew something special was in store.

Located just one block from Montgomery Road and Losantiville Avenue, a major intersection in the neighborhood, some of our group decided to take the METRO*Plus bus to the fry instead of battling rush hour traffic. We met up at Government Square after work and enjoyed a leisurely and scenic ride along the new route, which features limited stops for a faster journey. The best part: we were dropped off just steps from the front door of Nativity School.

Once inside, we were welcomed with some of the shortest queues in the history of fish fries. We walked right up to order and pay, and had a brief 10 minute wait to get our food.What did end up being gigantic were the portions, the taste, and the value for the meal.

Hand-breaded Haddock

Bountiful condiment table with all the fixins, including fresh lemons!

Claiming to have the best hand-breaded haddock in town, Nativity lived up to the hype. Perfectly crisp, evenly seasoned, and stuffed with moist, fluffy fish, the sandwich had me considering getting one more for the road. Be sure to jazz it up at the condiment table: fresh lemon and generous tartar sauce complimented the taste.

Each of the side dishes looked outstanding, so of course, we had to try them all. Praises shall be sung to the mac n’ cheese, a homemade recipe baked full of cheddar goodness and topped with crunchy bread crumbs. The green beans also tasted from scratch like they had been simmering in the slowcooker all day. The sweet potato fries were a welcome change from regular fries, as was the coleslaw recipe, which had a tangy sauce garnished with horseradish.

Nativity served up $3.00 local brews from MadTree Brewing, located around the corner off of Ridge Road. All three canned beverages were a hit around our table: Happy Amber-- an amber ale, Lift—a kolsch ale, and Sprye—a seasonal pale ale.


Bourbon pecan pie bar

The evening was made complete by a bourbon pecan pie bar purchased from the eighth grade bake sale and a tableside serenade by a parishioner who played accordion. Ranking among my favorites, Nativity School is a must-visit fry during Lent.

Nativity School
5936 Ridge Ave, Cincinnati, Ohio 45213
513-458-6767
Fish Fry from 5:30pm-7:30pm Fridays through Lent
Cash only.

Follow our Friday Fish Fry adventures on Twitter: #FFFCincy

FISH FRY #2: ST. CATHERINE OF SIENA - FORT THOMAS

#FFFCincy Rating:

1 of 5 fishies

Well, it was bound to happen. After three years of fish fries, I'm handing out my first 1 out of 5 fishies rating. Surprisingly, it was awarded to a fry I had been looking forward to trying since last season: St. Catherine of Siena in Fort Thomas.

We were drawn to the church with their "Fish Frys of the World" theme, where each week featured an international Lenten dish. Since it was St. Patrick's weekend, Irish food was on the menu: salmon croquettes and Izzy's potato pancakes.

Arriving at the church, it was pretty obvious St. Catherine does not have many non-parishoners visiting their fish fries. There was minimal signage directing guests which door to go in; we were wandering around the adjoining school when the fry was in the church. Once we found the correct door, we encountered our next challenge: standing in line.

Two queues wrapped around half of the cafeteria: one for getting your menu card and paying, the other for receiving your food. This process was dreadfully slow and took about 25 minutes to get through. While we were queuing, I encountered a lack of manners from a few parishioners. I won't go into detail, but at other fish fries we have always been greeted warmly as newcomers and unfamiliar faces. Sadly, a handful of people made our first impression of St. Catherine to be the Fort Thomas stereotype of "hilltop Cake Eaters."

Once we finally entered the food line, which resembled a school cafeteria, one of the servers took our order slip and completely ignored what had been marked. We walked down the line while each food station asked us what we wanted. What was the point of standing in the first long line to fill out a menu?

As the food was dished out, I noticed something peculiar about the salmon croquette: it was a flat triangle. Traditionally a round fried ball that resembles a hush puppy, St. Catherine's salmon croquettes looked more like a squished hash brown. I could barely taste the fish and what I did taste was disgusting. Izzy's potato pancake was cold and chewy; nothing like the delicious golden side dish from the restaurant. Even worse: the mac n' cheese was a warmed up Stouffers dish. Was anything here homemade or did folks just make a run to the Newport Kroger beforehand?

What remained on my plate was the coleslaw, a chocolate chip cookie, and two hush puppies. These were decent; not fabulous, but certainly a lot better than the rest of the meal. Some of our #FFFCincy members opted for the fried cod dinners, which fared better than my croquettes. Considering the portion sizes for a $7 meal, particularly the "croquettes", and then charging an additional $2 for a tablespoon-sized scoop of Stouffers mac n' cheese; this is the first fish fry I've left hungry and feeling like I didn't get my dollar's worth.

The weekly special: Izzy's potato pancake, coleslaw, salmon "croquette", Stouffers mac n' cheese, hush puppies, wine chalice and cookie

Fried cod on rye with applesauce, Stouffers mac n'cheese, and hush puppies

Much needed after queuing for food, we ventured to the alcohol booth, which was serving Guinness, Budweiser, and Corona as well as miniature chalices of wine. While offering a more diverse selection of booze compared to other fish fries, it still wasn't enough to pull St. Catherine's out of the triangular culinary hole.

Wine chalice with lid

With long wait times, small portion sizes, inedible specialty meals, and a general unfriendliness to newcomers, you can cross St. Catherine of Siena off your must-try fish fry list.

St. Catherine of Siena
1803 N. Fort Thomas Ave., Fort Thomas, KY 41075
Fish fry through Lent: 4:00pm-7:00pm
Beer and wine available.
Cash only.

Follow our Friday Fish Fry adventures on Twitter: #FFFCincy

FISH FRY #1: TUCKER'S AT BOCKFEST

#FFFCincy Rating:

3 of 5 Fishies

Kicking off our third year of touring Friday Fish Fries around the tri-state, Tucker's Bockfest Fish Fry was an easy decision: it was on site at Bockfest, where most of us planned to go later that night, plus all the food was cooked across the street at Tucker's Restaurant in Over-the-Rhine. Known for their breakfasts and burgers, anything and everything I've tasted at their restaurant has been delicious and I couldn't wait to try their fried fish.


Your blonde Codmistress is ready for a new year of fish fries!

Our fish fry group with Beer Baron Greg Hardman, owner of Christian Moerlein Brewery and host of Bockfest.

The fish fry benefited St. Francis Seraph School, which also neighbors Bockfest Hall. Set up in a tent, the menu options were simple: fish, fries, coleslaw and the option to add on mac n' cheese for $1. An added bonus were the 15 Bockfest beers being served inside the same tent for the festival. Only $5 to add one on to your meal.

Moerlein beer-battered cod, marble rye, fries, mac n' cheese, coleslaw, and a pint of Moerlein Emancipator Doppelbock

A basket came with two thick pieces of well-seasoned, Moerlein beer-battered cod, a slice of marble rye bread, and Tucker's signature fries. The coleslaw was one of the best I've had at any fish fry, with chunky cabbage that packed a crunch. There was also something extra special about the mac n' cheese, an additional ingredient that made it creamier than usual.

While I could taste the love that comes made with any Tucker's meal, it was disappointing to find that all of the food was cold upon arrival. This was likely due to the fish fry being held outdoors in a tent. All of their subsequent fish fries will be held inside the Moerlein Tap Room since it's no longer being used for Bockfest.

I was also puzzled at why we only had one piece of bread. That's pretty standard if you're getting white bread to sop up the grease, but not fancy marble rye. Tucker's fish didn't need to have the gooeyness dabbed off though, which made the marble rye perfect for assembling a sandwich. One piece short, a friend gave me theirs so I could create my Fishwich. Combined with the coleslaw, this made for an incredible alternative to the rest of the meal.

Fried cod and coleslaw sandwiched between marble rye

Keep in mind, this is Tucker's very first time hosting a Bockfest Fish Fry. With some adjustments I am confident their next round of fish will be warm, and who knows, perhaps they'll put my Fishwich on the menu.

Tucker's will be hosting their fish fry from 5:00pm-8:00pm through March 21 at Moerlein Tap Room in Over-the-Rhine.
Beer is available for purchase in the taproom
Cash or Credit
On-street parking
No desserts

Follow our Friday Fish Fry adventures on Twitter: #FFFCincy

FISH FRY ROUNDUP

Each Friday during Lent, our group of fish-minded friends gather to check out some of Cincinnati's most outstanding fish fries. While only a few of us are Catholic, the majority get together to try something new and explore different parts of the city. Armed with our Friday Fish Fry Passports, we collect signatures from the pastors of each venue we visit, take notes on the meal, and rank the quality on a scale of one to five Fishies.

Check out our recommendations on which tri-state fish fries are the best catch and which should be tossed back. Stay tuned for #FFFCincy posts on social media, updates about 2014 fish fries, as well as our weekly feature on WCPO Channel 9!

KNIGHTS OF COLUMBUS - LUDLOW

#FFFCincy Rating: