WNY's Best Fish Fry

[Scott McKee]

I need a break from banquet-related NMA stuff.  So here goes nothing…

With the Lenten season upon us and Good Friday just a few weeks away, Western New York has once again upped its traditional love for the Friday fish fry.  Since we have more than a few World Class fork and spoon operators in our club, I was wondering what’s your favorite spot to indulge in our region's weekly culinary-glutton-based ritual?

Freshness of the fish used is the first and perhaps most important key to a great fish fry.  The best local fish monger in my opinion is Schneider’s.  Find yourself a bar or restaurant that uses Schneider’s fish and you are already ahead.  In the hands of a skilled fry-jockey, a fresh piece of fish will generally be wonderful, regardless of the batters or breading used.  A great fish fry is semi-flaky, perfectly fried fish that is crispy on the exterior, but no so crispy that the interior is left dry or crumbles when you fork into it.

While they won’t completely save a poor piece of fish, the quality of the side dishes offered certainly elevates a fish fry’s standing.  I shy away from French fries and disdain the steak fry altogether.  I tend to lean towards salads when ordering a fish fry.  Coleslaw is a staple with just about every fish fry and I find I prefer longer-stranded shredded cabbage.  Claremont salad as an option is always nice, and can give the diner the appearance of “healthy”.  When it comes to potato salad, everyone usually sides with their mom's.  I agree, but Jojo must have a little maternal instinct in him because Caludette's is my favorite.  In my opinion, mustard-based potato salad is an affront to humanity, and I've never tried one that can compare to even an average mayonnaise-based spud salad.  On macaroni salads: Where boxed coleslaw and potato salads are passable in a pinch, macaroni salads must be homemade.  The addition of tuna is usually welcomed, so long as it's not overbearing.  Number six cans of liquid, as-bad-for-you-as-crack, cheese have revolutionized restaurant macaroni and cheese.  While you may believe that dehumanizing the dish with a chemical laden product may be a bad thing, I will justify its use for the sake of creamy, homogenous, stick-to-your-ribs mac and cheese; a side dish that decadently complements a fish fry and makes the need for a hospital in close proximity to your favorite restaurant an absolute necessity for us cardiac patients.

What do you put on your fish?  There is of course lemon.  I shy away from its use, since I don’t want to negatively impact the crispness of the fish fry, and I believe somewhere in my subconscious a lemony smell is usually associated with cleaning products.   I’ve seen people use ketchup, hot sauce and vinegar on their fish fry’s, and I oppose all three, due to their overbearing natures.  Tartar sauce is the past, present and future king of fried fish condiments.  Do you slather your whole fish with the stuff, dip, or apply the sauce to small areas of your fish fry prior to ingestion?  I prefer the latter.  Slathering the whole fish leads to mushy fish coating, and can be a disaster if the tartar sauce isn’t up to snuff.  Dipping leaves too many fish remnants in the tarter sauce’s container.  Speaking of containers, a large side of tarter is always appreciated.

The old school always taught restaurants to include rye bread and butter with their fish fries, and while a great fish fry shouldn’t rely on this addition, it never hurts provided the rye bread is really fresh.

Some joints will include soup with their fish fries, usually New England clam chowder. Since I can’t eat clam chowder anymore, I don’t view this addition or subtraction as an element of a great fish fry at all.  All of you non-gout sufferers out there, if you can lock onto a place that offers a great New England clam chowder, consider yourself lucky.  Most come out of a can and are more potato soup than clam chowder.

My vote for WNY’s best fish fry goes to Kalamata's on Transit Road. If you find yourself in Lockport on a Friday evening, stop in and pound 3000 or so delicious calories into you.   Say “hi” to Carrie while you’re there.

When I started this post, I wanted a break from writing about, and working on fishing and I whipped up almost 800 words on exactly that.  What a chump.  But before I get back to working on the banquet, once again, where can you find WNY’s best fish fry?

[John Jarosz]

Scott..I have to confess, I haven't bought a fish fry in years, so my votes don't count.  My wife doesn't like fish.  She doesn't even like anything fish-related.  Remember, according to her, when I die the first guy who shows up at my house with a hundred dollar bill in his hand gets EVERYTHING.  Her idea of a good fish fry is a MacFish & hold the tartar.

So, we go to my perch catches.  Every summer I try to catch as many perch as I can.  I clean them meticulously, then vacuum seal one meal to a bag, date them, & put them in the freezer to last all winter.  She actually tells me they taste real good & will really have two or three pieces.

The recipe is simple, with flour (with a lot of pepper in it), egg dip & then plain bread crumbs, fried in a little good olive (no deep frying here).  I'll make a batch of Emeril's Essence which is a cajun rub that I mix with the bread crumbs to give the fish a little zing (for her, not me).  Mine are with plain bread crumbs because I like the plain ol' flavor of fish.  And, of course fried in a cast iron frying pan (there's no other way).  On the side is another cast iron cooking away with sliced red potatoes (gotta be reds) and onion in a little bit of olive oil until the potatoes are a little burnt on the edges & the ones on the bottom have a burned on layer on one side.  For sauce, I keep it simple.  Ketchup, add a little Heinz chili sauce, and add a spoonful of white horseradish, served on the side, not slathered.  A salad on the side finishes off the meal.

We've eaten fish like that every Friday since the Fall & I just finished up the last pack a few days ago.  More importantly, she did.  As you can see, I lead a tortured & tormented life.

For my Lenten vow, I promised myself that I would catch a ton(s) of perch, then clean & freeze for a fish-fry for our club.  If I can get enough fish, we'll do it, along with a 50# bag of reds.

Getting back to your post, I've read & heard from others that Wiechec's on Clinton has the best.  It's also been voted the best fish-fry in Bflo a number of times.  Last time I was there I ordered the liverwurst & onion sandwich on rye & I asked if they could fry up the liverwurst a little to singe the edges.  I asked the waitress if they had Weber's mustard & she said: "Of course, is there any other?"  Along with that I had a bowl of Manhattan.  The bowl was on a plate because it was overflowing.

Maybe you should get back to working on the banquet.  I just gained 10 lbs reading this post.

So, here's a joke:  In Feb I had my 65th birthday & my wife asked me what I wanted.  I told her to get me something new, shiny & that would go from zero to 160 in 1.2 seconds.  So she got me a bathroom scale.

Man, this winter sucks!

[Dave Martin]

Took longer to read than it took me to devour my last fish fry from St John's DeLaSalle church in Niagara Falls  hahaha.

Great article iggy, friday fish fry's are my favorite spring time eaing event.

-Dave

[Scott McKee]

Wiechec's does have an awesome fish fry, John!  Have you ever seen their kitchen?  It's the size of a postage stamp!  Their fry-jockey is one of the best around.

To think like a musky, you must eat like a musky.  Let's skip the goby fry and stick to perch.

[John Jarosz]

Dave...I bet you could be a slow eater & still have time for dessert by the time you finish with these posts!!

[Scott McKee]

Dave, in the time it took me to write the article, I could have eaten three or four...  Thanks!

There are not many meals out there better than a truly great fish fry.  I should start fishing for walleyes.  OHMYGOD, the winter blues are effecting me worse than I thought!

[Scott McKee]

Speaking of desserts... what's the best dessert to complement a fish fry?  I'd have to say vanilla ice cream, but then again I'd say vanilla ice cream is the perfect dessert for every meal.

[Scott McKee]

Enough replies for me, back to work...

[John Jarosz]

Scott...I try not to look in kitchens when I eat out.  I want to be able to enjoy my meals.  I'll have to try the fish-fry though.  Heard a lot of great things about it.

Went to Wiechec's once with a group of sailors & one of them had the chicken parm.  That thing was higher than a short stack of pancakes.  Never had a bad meal there.

[John Jarosz]

I'm not much of a dessert eater but a plate of pickled herring & a small glass of anisette finishes things off nicely.

Man, this is going nowhere fast.

Lake Erie is only 76% covered in ice.

[Scott McKee]

Pickled herring and a small anisette?  Are you kidding me, John?  I'd rather have a dead sheepshead and glass of toilet water!

[John Jarosz]

...and don't forget the haggis.  For those out there who don't know, here's the definition of haggis (a traditional Scottish dish):

Haggis is a savoury pudding containing sheep's pluck (heart, liver and lungs); minced with onion, oatmeal, suet, spices, and salt, mixed with stock, and traditionally encased in the animal's stomach and simmered for approximately three hours. Most modern commercial haggis is prepared in a sausage casing rather than an actual stomach.

Pass the anisette, please.

What I'd like to know, who is the first person to ever try that stuff?...and why would he?

BTW, I was at a friend's house the other day with  couple of other retired geezers & we had a meal of fried liverwurst & onion sandwiches, pickled herring, homemade red wine & homemade anisette.  Now that's retirement at its finest!!  That's what you have to look forward to.

[jojo wilczewski]

Good day boys
First Igg it is. Claudette's and we have been making and selling fish fries for 30 years, which in itself says a lot . Then add homemade fresh potatoe, macaroni salad and cole slaw. We even make the tartar and cockinthetail sauce. $ 8.95 for the best in town.???
Jojoout