slo’s FRIDAY 9/6 poll - Fish Fry 🐟

[wallawallakids]

I love fish but not fried fish. (I actually don’t like any fried food. I know. I’m strange)

Our church has one every Friday during lent though and I have been. They are fun to go to and socialize with people.

 

[TiggerTrigger]

I love fish and I've been to a couple of fish fry events. My FIL lived in a 55+ community. I recall visiting him one year and it just happened to be during Lent. He was just in it for the social aspects and had no religious obligations to not eat meat on Fridays (same with DH and I), but we all went and had a good time. When growing up, I went to a couple with friends at their local church. Again, not my religion, but I was in the mix for the social fun that went along with it. I've never been, but the school tied to the Catholic church in my current town puts on weekly fish fry events during Lent. I have to remind myself to drive a different way because the line of cars usually stretches out onto the street. In their case, it's more of a drive through and pick up your fish meals for the evening and do your own fishy social stuff at home. There are also a couple of local restaurants that get in on the action. There's a place that DH and DD15 like for their BBQ stuff baked potatoes. A few years ago, we went on a Friday during Lent and they had a fish fry going. I'm not a huge fan of their food, so I opted for the fish as a change of pace.

Side note - Does the fish at a Lentin fish fry vary based on region? When I was in NJ, I could have sworn it was either freezer section fish or fluke/flounder/cod. Down here, it's catfish...always catfish. Some catfish can have a weird gamey taste, so I never know if I'm going to like the fish I get when going to a fish fry here.

 

[AppleDumpling]

I had to Google what a fish fry was.
I don’t think it’s a thing around here.

Same. Nothing like described around here, though I’ve been to a clam bake a couple times.

 

[Kooks and Bay Bay]

I've never "gone to a fish fry".
Didn't know it was a thing... Is it like a BBQ?

I think I live in one of the few areas that restaurants just have Fish Fry Friday year round but then during Lent way more restaurants participate.
Most places will have beer battered fish, French fries, and coleslaw.

Personally I hate seafood.
I wish during Lent as a child I had known I could just have a salad and fries and not the fish fry.
As an adult I find other non fish non meat dishes to eat during Lent and if we go out for a fish fry I end up with the mac n cheese because that's one of the few non fish non meat dishes that restaurants offer on Friday's.

 

[mjkacmom]

Some Catholic Churches have them during Lent, but I don’t think they are really “fish fries.” Open to the public, around $20 a plate, food provided by a local Irish fish and chips restaurant, not very social, they offer takeout too. This is what a typical plate looks like.

 

[tvguy]

Never been to a "fish fry" and I don't think I even know anyone who has ever put one on.
I like fish. Many family trips to Canada where I fished and caught fish to eat, but never a fish fry. One Uncle frequently caught Lake Trout and one trip I remember he smoked a 27 pound lake trout he caught, but that was smoked before we got there.

 

[NannyBeBe]

I attended many fish frys when I was young and living in the South, but there is no fresh fish around here. The fishmonger in my local grocery store thinks that his 3-day-old fish is fresh. Yuck.

 

[slo]

I’ve never been to one and I’m not really sure what it is. I’m guessing it’s regional? Is it like a lobster boil? We have those in New England.

Edit: The Google tells me it’s a Midwest tradition, so it appears to be regional.

This is very interesting - I had no idea it was a Midwest thing.
Thank you for posting this

 

[firefly_ris]

I've lived in Buffalo for 17 years now and fish frys are big. We usually just order in but I have been to some local parish fish frys over the years during Lent. But I'll have one any time of year.