Friday night in northeastern Wisconsin — Thorins approve

I’ve already talked about my affection for the yellow perch. Friday night in general — and Friday night in Lent in particular — is the time to eat fish around here. Everyone in northeastern Wisconsin wants fish fry on Friday nights. This was a Catholic Lenten tradition but it spread to Lutherans and even Jews. The tables open up around noon. My dad and Flower, being “more mature” people, as he says, wanted theirs around 4:30. I delayed into the evening, thinking I’d stay home as I was still a little under the weather, but after a friend FBed me a picture of hers, I gave in around quarter after seven.

So I went to the closest tavern and sat down at the bar. First, we ordered a delicious doppelbock, which is also a typical beer style for Lent. Originally, monks drank it to replace calories while fasting.

Lots of malt and some hops were harmed in the brewing of this beer.

Double bock is a relatively alcoholic beer, and Lego Pointy-crown Thorin, although he is fiercely determined, should have taken it a little easier. “Tiny sips!” I told him. But he wasn’t having it.

This is what I mean when I say everyone has to choose consumption that is appropriate to them. I made sure he had a designated driver to get home, though.

The area-typical drink before dinner on Fridays is a brandy old-fashioned. My dad likes them sweet with olives. I pretty much cannot drink that — tastes like cough medicine to me. My signature cocktail is a vodka tonic, but it doesn’t really go with this meal. So I stuck with the beer.

And then, the main event, which is the fish fry. We always get lake perch, which is the standard around here. You can get other things, though — haddock, for example, if you don’t really like the taste of the fish. The bartender tried to sell me on bluegill, which was on special, but as my father would say, who would pay to eat bluegill? And ideally, the perch comes from the lake, though sometimes they sell you farmed perch and don’t tell you.

Although LEGO Thorin was still sleeping off the doublebock, POP! Thorin was excited.

I had to wipe some grease off of his plastic hair.

You get four butterflies (both sides of the filet, attached at the top), coleslaw, a slice of buttered rye bread, and the potato of your choice (I always have baked and add butter). You also get tartar sauce. Obscura’s theory is that it isn’t real fish fry unless the tartar sauce comes in a squeeze bottle. You can usually upgrade to a larger portion, but four butterflies is enough for me.

It was good.

I saw a bunch of people I went to high school with, but I sat in a sort of corner of the bar and just observed everything that was going on. Wisconsin, as it lives and breathes. And all the reactions I have to that. When I walked outside, it was snowing lightly, just the kind of fluffy snow I love. I brushed it off the car and drove home.

~ by Servetus on March 5, 2016.