Category Archives: fish fry

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ISO Fish Fry – Craftsman Wood Grille & Tap House

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Last night my friend and I decided to go in search of fish fry. I had a list of places in the area. We decided to investigate The Craftsman Wood Grille & Tap House. There is an open grill kitchen with four chefs working together. They are known for their meats and their pizzas, mainly, and a fun bacon flight thing with bacon cured in a variety of flavors. Still, fish and chips is on the menu – not sure if it is a Friday only thing or not.

Presentation: The plate – OMG, such a beautiful presentation. The fish looked like a giant corn dog laying in a bed of the tiniest sweet potato fries with parchment paper underneath to absorb lingering oils from the fryer. Four stainless steel condiment cups held ketchup, maple butter, coleslaw and tartar sauce. The chef included a grilled lemon.

I do love when the waiter delivers a lovely looking meal.

Taste: I tasted a bit of mustard in the coleslaw or maybe I thought I did because it appeared yellow. The combination of maple butter with sweet potato fries is always a yes! So delish. This was a substitution and we both went for it in lieu of regular french fries.

I didn’t love the fish but, you know, I certainly didn’t hate it. I had to “fish” for it under all that batter – I didn’t eat that part because it tasted soft, not crunchy – basically pancake batter-y. Overall, I think the portions were just right and it left room for us to share a slice of cake for dessert, since this was a pre-birthday meal for me. (Thank you, Bobbi!)

Restaurant Experience: I love this restaurant. It has a gorgeous ambiance. We arrived before 5:00 PM without a reservation. No one was eating yet and we were seated in a booth by the window – I believe it was referred to as table 1. The other tables filled quickly after, and by the time we were ready to leave, the restaurant was at full capacity including the bar area.

Stickley furniture prevails. The whole place is a Stickley-gasm. There was a party going on in the conference room that I wanted to crash, maybe a rehearsal dinner or wedding reception with people dressed in suits and gowns.

It’s all so pretty – I didn’t really want to leave.

They also have an outdoor space – a roof, a bar area, seating, heat lamps and a fireplace. On Thursdays they do live music in that space – so fun!

Location: The Craftsman is located at 7300 East Genesee Street (Route 5), Fayetteville, New York 13066

Hours of operation:

Sunday 4:00-9:00 PM, Monday-Thursday 4:00 – 10:00 PM, Friday-Saturday 4:00 – 11:00 PM

Call for more information: (315) 637-9999

Or visit their website, which includes a menu with prices.

Parking: They have an ample parking lot for the restaurant and the adjacent hotel – The Craftsman Inn. If you haven’t been, it is a mission-style lover’s paradise – filled with Stickley furniture.

fish fry, ISO - fish fry, Karen Tashkovski

ISO Fish Fry – Fish Cove on Route 11

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What a beautiful day! Janine and I met for lunch at Fish Cove on Route 11 (otherwise known as Main Street) in North Syracuse, New York.

Presentation: The fish is packaged in brown paper. I purchased the fried fish (broiled is also an option), french fries, coleslaw and tartar sauce. Janine had the fish sandwich.

Taste: I inhaled the light and tender fish, although I did have trouble separating pieces with the plastic fork. I loved the fries – perfectly crisp. The cold coleslaw was refreshing. All and all, a delicious little picnic!

Restaurant Experience: Fish Cove in North Syracuse has picnic tables out front, otherwise it is not an eat-in place, much like the Atlantic Seafood Company in Baldwinsville. The Eastwood Fish Cove is much bigger in comparison and has a more orderly check-out system.

There were five employees working on this Friday morning at 11:00 AM: two girls at the register on the right, a man doing fish sandwiches on the left and two men in back operating the fish and french fry fryers. The sides and drinks are housed in two refrigerators. The idea is to gather your items at the register and pay. This cannot be done in advance because the fish is priced by weight.

Janine and I sat outside and ate at one of the tables – they all have shade umbrellas attached. Thanks, Janine! It is always so much fun spending time with you.

They are open until 8:30 PM on Fridays.

Hours: 

Friday8:30 AM–8:30 PM
Saturday11 AM–7 PM
SundayClosed
Monday(Memorial Day)Closed
Tuesday11 AM–7 PM
Wednesday10 AM–7 PM
Thursday10 AM–7 PM

Location:

Address: 456 S Main St #1, North Syracuse, NY 13212

Phone: (315) 458-5251

Parking: There is ample parking adjacent to and behind the building. This not a stand alone restaurant. They share space with a hair salon.

fish fry, ISO - fish fry, Karen Tashkovski

ISO Fish Fry – Bistro 1926

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Bistro 1926 has weekly specials. Yesterday was Fish Friday! I went to dinner with Mom and Kathy. We all had the broiled fish.

Presentation: The presentation was superb. This is the first fish dinner in all of the ISO fish fry locations that provided a dollop of ketchup on the side in its own cute dish on the plate! We all had identical dishes – I love the blue one, don’t you? Perfection!

Taste: We all were, like, we are not even hungry, why are we here? Then – OMG – the fish just melts in your mouth. Mom kept saying it was so tender. It was delicious! The fries were too salty. I should have said something before we ordered (like, maybe, hold off on the salt, IDK) so, my fault. The coleslaw was not particularly flavorful. Kathy loved it. But the fish was incredible. So good!

Restaurant Experience: We arrived at around 5:30 PM. There were a lot of cars in the parking lot. I dropped Mom and Kathy at the door and parked the car. I was hoping it wouldn’t be a long wait to get a table without a reservation. When I arrived inside, there were only two other dining groups. Lucky break!!! The rest of the people were gathered around the bar area. When we’d finished, all the dining tables had been occupied.

The waitress was lovely. She took our orders right away. We didn’t need to look at menus. She brought drinks then the food arrived in less than fifteen minutes. All three plates at the same time. It was just a perfect experience and a wonderful way to do an early Mother’s Day thingy. I mean, we were missing our fourth, but Sophie was busy last night.

Location: Bistro 1926 is the restaurant at Drumlins Country Club, 800 Nottingham Road, Syracuse, New York 13224. In the ’80s, Dad was the banquet chef at Drumlins, so this spot holds a special place in our hearts.

Hours of Operation

Monday4 p.m. – 9 p.m.
Tuesday – Friday11:30 a.m. – 10 p.m.
SaturdayBrunch 11 a.m. – 2 p.m. Dinner 4 p.m. – 10 p.m.
SundayBrunch 11 a.m. – 2 p.m.

Call (315) 446-4555 for more information.

Parking: There is a large parking lot at the country club where members can golf, swim, play tennis, hang out at the bistro or host events in the banquet hall. The restaurant is open to the public.

fish fry, ISO - fish fry, Karen Tashkovski

ISO Fish Fry – Dave’s Diner at Common Grounds

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Today is Orthodox Good Friday. Mom and I went out to get haddock for lunch. We discovered the Haddock-Ma-Jig at Dave’s Diner. Wow! Or as Mom said, Wow-ie!!!

Presentation: The Haddock-Ma-Jig sandwich is fried haddock in a grilled cheese. The Italian bread is heavily buttered and toasted. It is served with a little mini fryer basket full of peppered french fries and a small bowl of mayonnaise-laden coleslaw all presented on an aluminum tray.

Taste: Yes – Wow-ie to the taste. It was incredible. That mix of gooey hot American cheese, the crunch of that toasted Italian bread and hot, juicy haddock, OMG, sooooo good. It was just magnificent!

The fries were salty but it was the perfect amount and the coleslaw was heavy on the mayo. You can tell by my after-eating shot that I ate everything on my plate. I gave Mom my pickle slice though.

Restaurant Experience: I LOVE this restaurant. The waitstaff and kitchen crew are all lovely people. They were helpful and considerate. We were seated by the hostess. The waitress came right over. Mom was a bit impatient with the wait for the food but I think it only took, like, maybe twenty minutes to fry the fish then grill it into the sandwich. I will definitely come back – I was here last month with my friend, Elaine, but we didn’t have the haddock because it is only served on Fridays.

Truth-be-told, I thought the Dave’s Diner in Manlius was the same restaurant so Mom and I went there first because it is closer to where we live, but they were out of fish at 1:00 PM AND we were told that they were not affiliated with this Dave’s Diner. Good to know. It all worked out in the end. (Thanks, universe).

Location: Dave’s Diner at Common Grounds is located at 35 Albany Street, Cazenovia, New York 13035. Call (315) 815-4300 for more information. I know they don’t accept reservations, they have some outdoor seating and everything on their menu is amazing. They serve breakfast all day until they close. I believe they are only open until 3:00 PM. Also, they just opened their ice cream stand today, so that is reason enough to head out there.

Parking: There is a small parking lot in front of the building. There were plenty of open spaces today when we arrived at 1:15 PM. This is the small shopping plaza housing Cazenovia Artisans, as well as a drug store/pharmacy.

fish fry, ISO - fish fry, Karen Tashkovski

ISO Fish Fry – Heritage Hill Brewhouse

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What a beautiful day in Central New York – and a great day to go in search of fish fry. My friend and I discovered that Heritage Hill Brewhouse opened at 11:30 AM and they served a broiled haddock!

Presentation: A huge piece of fish filled the plate with fries on the side, as well as coleslaw, a dollop of tartar sauce, lemons and a garnish. A traditional fish fry is also available.

Taste: The fish was incredibly light. It was like eating air. So good. Everything about this meal was extraordinary. I forgot to ask what type of oil they use for the french fries. They were lightly crispy, not-at-all salty perfection. The coleslaw was basic, like, just cabbage and vinegar. But, OMG that fish!

I’m not sure. what that topping was – like a Panko thing? Not salty, no fishy smell. You have to try it and then describe it to me in your best Giada de Laurentiis vocab. Bobbi and I agreed that it wasn’t buttery. Moist? No, not quite. Soft, airy? IDK.

Restaurant Experience: There were about five people at the bar when we arrived. I suspect they have a large dinner crowd. I love going to places that aren’t busy, though. That way nobody gets annoyed when I paparazzo the place

We seated ourselves at a table near the bar. The server doubled as the bartender. She brought a menu then shared the fish options. We ordered the same meal. It took about twenty minutes to arrive.

It was a pleasant dining experience.

Location: Heritage Hill Brewhouse is located at 3149 Sweet Road, Pompey, New Y ork 13138. They are planning to open a second location in North Syracuse, NY. Check out their website for more about that plus special events and menu options.

Parking: The parking lot is not stiletto friendly. It is a bit gravelly. This is a casual dining experience. It is also a brewery and a farm. Donkeys greet you as you enter the parking lot and in warmer weather there is a petting zoo situation.

fish fry, ISO - fish fry, Karen Tashkovski

ISO Fish Fry – Eclectic Eats

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On a recent excursion to The Eclectic Chic, an antique store in Oneida, Janine and I decided to try the fish fry at the restaurant inside the store. It is located on the left side of the store.

Presentation: I had the potato chips and my friend had the fries – we shared them. The chips were homemade! They came in these darling little mini fryer baskets. The coleslaw was a pretty pink, the fish presented on a toasted brioche roll. 

Taste: So good! They use canola oil in the fryer. The french fries had a crunch to them. The fish was crispy on the outside and flaky/juicy on the inside. Perfecto! The coleslaw had a lovely sweetness. I really enjoyed this meal.

Restaurant Experience: The restaurant portion of the antique store is quaint, as though you’ve just stepped into an episode of the Andy Griffith Show. It is called Eclectic Eats. Everyone is so friendly. They take pride in what they do. There was joy on the face of the chef as he prepared the meals. The food is made to order and took about twenty minutes. We browsed the vendor shoppes as we waited while carrying those buzzer thingys, like they have at Panera, to corral us back to the restaurant when the food was ready. 

There are daily specials including prime rib, burgers and sandwiches. Lots of choices. Fish is on the menu every day, not just on Friday. It is like this amazing secret delicious place. Go once and you will decide to be a regular. It’s just amazing!

Location: Eclectic Eats is inside The Eclectic Chic Antique store, 2044 Glenwood Shopping Plaza, Oneida, NY 13421

Parking: Tons of parking!!!!!! It’s in a shopping plaza.

fish fry, ISO - fish fry, Karen Tashkovski

ISO Fish Fry – Atlantic Seafood Company

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Atlantic Seafood Company is a take-out restaurant.

Presentation: Behold the beauty that is this fish! And perfectly cooked fries. I ordered the fish dinner. My friend ordered the fish sandwich. The sandwich fish is smaller but comes on an oblong sesame seed-topped soft bun. 

Taste: Someone in a foodie Facebook group suggested that this fish was the best in Syracuse. I will put this in my top three (Golden Spike and Fish Cove are the other two).

After every bite I was like, this is so good…this is sooo good, which probably annoyed my lunch mates. The fish is fried in peanut oil. It was so moist and tender, and the batter remained firmly on the fish – it didn’t separate the way others do.

So fresh – so amazing!

The coleslaw is very finely chopped and there is a hint of onion in every bite. And the fries were the perfect portion. I noticed they’d already portioned them out into individual baskets and those are fried to order rather than any pre-frying and scooping a la McDonalds. Nicely done, ASC!

I ate everything on my plate and did not feel overly full afterwards. Just content. 🙂

Restaurant Experience: The place is SO CLEAN! It is very small compared to the Fish Cove, which is also a take-out only seafood restaurant. The fryers are directly behind the counter.

There is a refrigerator chock-full of sides including some desserts. We arrived about twenty minutes after they’d opened for business. We’d decided to try the fish yesterday (Thursday) to avoid the suspected crowd for Friday lunch. I’d heard a line forms out the door on Fridays. 

About six customers were there when we arrived. After ordering, we paid then stood around and waited for our orders. I feel like it was less than eight minutes? It was very quick.

There is no seating at all. My friend lives down the street so we lunched in her dining room. Food was still hot when we arrived at Dexter Parkway.

Location: Atlantic Seafood Company is located at 69 East Genesee Street, Baldwinsville, NY 13027.

They are open Tuesday-Thursday & Saturday 11:00 AM – 7:00 PM, Friday 10:00 AM – 8:00 PM. Closed Sunday and Monday.

Parking: There is a decent-sized parking lot adjacent to the building. A little tight but not bad when your car beeps at you to indicate that someone or thing is moving behind you.

fish fry, ISO - fish fry, Karen Tashkovski

ISO Fish Fry – Bull & Bear Roadhouse

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Presentation – I brought the food home and transferred it to a plate. It didn’t look appetizing in the box and the fries ended up being a bit soggy, cornbread too. They should have used more than one container to separate the food. Next time, I will eat in the restaurant.

Taste – If you go on the Bull & Bear Roadhouse’s web-site, you will find sixteen reviews for the Pub Fish & Chips – all good. Yes, it was delish! I loved it. I ordered sweet potato fries and they came with a buttery maple syrup – love! The coleslaw was the perfect amount. There were three pieces of beer-battered fish. And cornbread. Great!

Restaurant Experience – I called ahead. The food was ready for pick-up when I arrived eighteen minutes later. Everyone was very friendly. It was $17 plus tax.

Location – I went to the Bull & Bear in East Syracuse., New York (6402 Collamer Road). There are two other locations in the Syracuse area.

Parking – plenty of parking in the parking lot! There was a space right up front for pick-up customers.

If you are looking for a fun place to get fish tonight, you should go.

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ISO Fish Fry – Red Robin

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Mom was in the mood for a hamburger, so we decided to head to Red Robin for lunch. I noticed they had fish on the menu. Cod, not haddock.

Presentation – The fish fry came with steak fries and coleslaw. A knife stabbed into the brioche roll helped to create one of the best presentations of all of my ISO Fish Fry hunts. Doesn’t it look amazing?

Taste – I enjoyed the meal. The sandwich was filled with breaded and fried cod, lettuce, tomato, pickles and tartar sauce. The coleslaw tasted a bit cabbage-y, but good.

The fries were over-seasoned – very salty. We mentioned this to the waitress when she asked how everything was, but not in a complaining way, as we were eating them. She said she could bring us another serving of fries without salt, as they were “bottomless”, which I took to mean you could have an unlimited amount of fries for free? Not sure, but we did get the extra fries, most of which I am saving for tomorrow. They tasted great! I especially loved the non-salted ones because they reminded me of fries Dad would make for us when we were little. Yum!

Restaurant Experience – This restaurant is filled with ambient lighting, fun sports-related artwork on the walls and gorgeous color (mostly red) upholstery. The hostess and waitresses were so pleasant! It is a great place to have lunch. It wasn’t crowded – they have a lot of seating and customers were spread out throughout the space.

Location – This Red Robin is located at 610 Towne Drive, Fayetteville, New York 13066. It is a Bonefish Grill-adjacent building in the Towne Center Plaza. Connect to their web-site for hours of operation and to view the menu.

Parking – There are plenty of spaces in the parking lot, spots very close to the building and additionally, parking for curbside pickup and handicapped spots. Very convenient!

fish fry, ISO - fish fry, Karen Tashkovski

ISO Fish Fry – Sal’s

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I had planned to go to the Atlantic Seafood Company in Baldwinsville. They were supposed to be open until 7:00 pm. They were closed (I don’t know why). As I stood in the parking lot wondering what to do next, Janine drove by…and twenty minutes later four of us were dining at Sal’s New York Style Pizza & Restaurant. Broiled haddock is on their mainly Italian food menu.

Presentation: The haddock dinner came with seasonal vegetables, which ended up being green beans. I also received a side salad and knot rolls. I loved how my meal was served on a red plate. Everyone else got white plates for their respective meals of tortellini, calzone and salmon salad.

Taste: The broiled fish had a ton of paprika on top. While the haddock was perfectly cooked, it and the green beans were very salty. I ate everything because it was $21. I didn’t want to throw money away. I felt like I was two sizes bigger when I left the restaurant. I should have ordered the fish fry with french fries but I thought this was going to be the healthier option.

Restaurant Experience: I remained in the small dining area. There is also a fully stocked bar on the other side of the wall.

Everyone was very nice. There were two hostesses and two waitress. As I waited for my friends, the waitress brought the knots to the table. I received the plain ones because I do not like garlic, which is the norm. They were warm and came with butter. When my friends arrived, another basket of knots, this time garlic infused, was brought to the table for them.

We all ordered different meals. Cooking times must have varied significantly because the meals were not brought out at the same time. I had ordered first, but I was the third of four to be served the main courses. Two of us had salads and it felt weird to eat while someone else was just sitting there.

Location: Sal’s New York Style Pizza & Restaurant is located at 41 E. Genesee Street, Baldwinsville, New York 13207. Call  (315) 638-8505 for more information. I don’t know if they take reservations or not. I was the first one in the dining area and within a half hour it was full. No one indicated they had a reservation.

Saturday11 AM–11 PM
Sunday12–9 PM
Monday(Labor Day)11 AM–9 PMHours might differ
Tuesday11 AM–9 PM
Wednesday11 AM–9 PM
Thursday11 AM–10 PM
Friday11 AM–11 PM

Parking: There is a huge parking lot with plenty of spots because an Ace Hardware shares the lot.