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:

4 of 5 Fishies

Beer-battered Cod on rye, cole slaw, mac-n-cheese, fried mushrooms.

OLD SAINT MARY'S - OVER THE RHINE

#FFFCincy Rating:

2 of 5 Fishies

Fried fish filet on rye with Frisch's tartar sauce and fried mac n' cheese bites.

ALABAMA FISH BAR - OVER THE RHINE

#FFFCincy Rating:

4 of 5 Fishies

Fried Cod doused with hot sauce, peppers & onions, homemade tartar sauce, plus a side of coleslaw.

ALL SAINTS PARISH - KENWOOD

#FFFCincy Rating:

5 of 5 Fishies

Fish tacos, sweet potato fries, mac n' cheese, and Mt. Carmel beer

IMMACULATE HEART OF MARY - BURLINGTON

#FFFCincy Rating:

4 of 5 Fishies

Crab cakes, fried shrimp, mac n cheese, coleslaw, and The Tommy Boy Sandwich.

BRIDGETOWN FINER MEATS - WESTSIDE

#FFFCincy Rating:

5 of 5 Fishies

Beer-battered Haddock on Servatii rye, jalapeno tartar sauce, green beans, mac n' cheese, coleslaw, and fruit

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. - See more at: http://www.cincywhimsy.com/2013/02/fish-fry-1-knights-of-columbus.html#sthash.xS64sVn4.dpuf

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. - See more at: http://www.cincywhimsy.com/2013/02/fish-fry-1-knights-of-columbus.html#sthash.xS64sVn4.dpuf

FISH FRY #5: IHM BURLINGTON

One of our longest anticipated stops on our 2013 tour of Friday Fish Fries was Immaculate Heart of Mary in Burlington, KY. With high praises sung from parishoner and fellow fishie James Pilcher, we ventured south to try IHM's signature dish: the Tommy Boy Cod Sandwich.

#FFFCincy Rating:

4 of 5 Fishies

The Tommy Boy:
Fried Cod stuffed inside a grilled cheese sandwich on rye topped with horseradish and tartar sauce.

Thomas Bartlett, an IHM parishioner who invented the Tommy Boy sandwich.
"I wondered what would happen if we put a fish fillet inside that grilled cheese."

And yes, he is eating a Tommy Boy in the photo.

Queuing for food

Junior High bake sale desserts

Adventure Mom wields the tongs with her boys at IHM's condiment bar
filled with Izzy's pickles, horseradish, cocktail sauce and more.

Crab cakes, fried shrimp, mac n cheese, coleslaw, and The Tommy Boy Sandwich.

Now that's a crab cake!

Caramel Pecan Brownie

The food at IHM Burlington was incredible as the Tommy Boy lived up to its hype. The sandwich was the perfect guilty indulgence of melted chedder and fried cod with the horseradish and tartar sauce adding the right amount of zing. A new item to the menu, the crab cakes were made of huge hunks of meat and was well-seasoned. This one's definitely a keeper for next year. I really enjoyed the fried jumbo shrimp too.

All of the food is hand-breaded or made from scratch. One of the simple highlights of the meal was the mac n' cheese. The Fish Fry group had just been discussing how out of all the fish fries we've attended, none of them had an outstanding mac n' cheese. IHM Burlington gave us salvation.

 "Scratch Mac n' Cheese" contains four different kinds of cheese and is then topped with baked cheddar. It's the much yearned for gooey inside, crispy on top variety of mac n' cheese. If you're searching for this fabulous side, look no further than Immaculate Heart of Mary!

Our happy fish fry group.

Andi met an elderly woman while in line who was wearing a large, metallic fish necklace. It had moveable parts and its open mouth doubled as a bottle opener. That woman is pictured above, standing.

We also met IHM's chef, who is known as the "Halibut Hero." By day, he works as a food supplier. His experience in the industry is what makes IHM's fish fry so tasty... or maybe it's the Easter Bunny in the kitchen?

Many thanks to James Pilcher for encouraging us to try out his church's fish fry.

We had a wonderful time!

Immaculate Heart of Mary hosts their fish fry from 5:00PM - 7:30PM every Friday during Lent.

Free parking lot. Cash only. Domestic beer. Junior High bake sale desserts. Check out the menu.

Bingo night also happens during the fish fry, so stop by afterwards for a game!

Follow our Friday Fish Fry adventures on Twitter: #FFFCincy

FISH FRY #1: KNIGHTS OF COLUMBUS - LUDLOW

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.

For our first week, we visited Knights of Columbus in Ludlow, Kentucky. Known for their beer battered cod and fried mushrooms, this brotherhood showed us the hospitality of a small river town.

#FFFCincy Rating:

4 of 5 Fishies

Beer-battered Cod on rye, cole slaw, mac-n-cheese, fried mushrooms.

A most popular fish fry, Fred, at the end of the table, passed out free beers as the line wrapped around the room.

Free beer and baby buggies. That's how we roll in Ludlow.

We discovered that our tablemates were Ludlow Councilwoman Joyce McMullin and her husband.
They were so much fun to chat with, and taught us all about Ludlow!

Joyce had the chicken dinner... which was an entire hen!

The fried mushrooms were amazing and elicited many of these reactions.

The Cod was gigantic, flaky, fresh, and delicious.

A tasty dilemma: the fish fillets were HUGE!

Dozens of homemade desserts made by adorable little old ladies.
Brownies, cakes, and pies galore! Only $1.00 each.

Apple Pie

Orange Dreamcicle Cake and Texas Pound Cake
(Both were incredible, and served in a handy to-go box.)

Knights of Columbus - Ludlow hosts their fish fry from 4:30PM - 7:30PM every Friday during Lent. If you weren't already intrigued, they also do a fish fry throughout the year on the first Friday of each month. In addition to fish, they also serve shrimp, chicken and steak dinners. Check out the menu.

Free parking lot, generous spaces. Cash only.

Follow our Friday Fish Fry adventures on Twitter: #FFFCincy

GIVEAWAY: WRATH

No, no, no. CincyWhimsy is not handing out free spite. 

Wrath  is one of my most recent late night page turners, and the author has been so kind to provide me with a few autographed copies to give away to you all!

To enter, leave a comment on this Facebook post answering the following question:
What did you know about William Goebel before reading this post?

Contest ends February 3, 2013.

Wrath tells the story of William Goebel, a politician from Covington, Kentucky, who was the only Governor ever to be assassinated in office. January 30th marks the anniversary of an unidentified man shooting him on the lawn of the State Capitol in Frankfort in broad daylight.

Not your ordinary Governor, Goebel's lack of social skills and abrasive personality hindered his campaign. He relied on his intellect to garner public support for his platform of railroad regulation and labor causes. His rise to power included a controversial duel with Confederate General John Sanford, passing an election law to stack the odds in his favor, and striding headfirst into a battle with the L&N Railroad monopoly.

Based on a true story that takes place in post Civil War Kentucky, I was fascinated with hearing familiar street names, landmarks, and politicians of the era.  Written with top notch imagery and character development, I keep expecting to see a smug Goebel coming around the corner whenever I walk through Covington.

McEWEN'S WRATH

Thursday night, I had the pleasure of attending a presentation featuring author Howard McEwen speak about his latest novel:
Wrath - The Life and Assassination of a United States Governor.

William Goebel, a politician from Covington, Kentucky, was the only Governor ever to be assassinated in office. Wrath explores and contrasts the upbringing of Goebel and his assassin from boyhood to an adult. While their paths did not cross until the night of the assassination, McEwen finds symmetry in the characters and transitions their stories back and forth with ease.

Based on a true story that takes place in post Civil War Kentucky, I was fascinated with hearing familiar street names, landmarks, and politicians of the era. Drive past some of the settings today and you will find historical placards marking the Stevenson house or the spot where Goebel fell when shot. With McEwen's top notch imagery and character development, I keep expecting to see a smug Goebel coming around the corner whenever I walk through Covington.

One of my most recent late night page turners, Wrath illustrates how hard upbringings can sculpt a man's outlook on society. I found myself sympathizing with and cheering for Goebel throughout his struggle and his ruthless yet passionate rise to power. Intrigued? Get a copy of Wrath and see for yourself.