Category Archives: ISO – fish fry

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ISO Fish Fry: The Hawkeye

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A beautiful, sunny and breezy seventy-five degree weather day is a message from the universe commanding us to take a road trip to Cooperstown, New York.  Joyce, Bobbi and I visited the Fenimore Art Museum to see the Linda McCartney photography exhibit (picture taking inside was prohibited).

We had a snack at the museum cafe and later ventured (down the street)  to the Otesaga Resort Hotel for a look-see. The hotel, like the museum, overlooks Otsego Lake.  There is a gorgeous swimming pool alongside the breathtaking outdoor space of The Hawkeye Bar & Grill, which is inside the hotel.

Presentation:  Beer-battered cod was placed on a bed of malt vinegar and salt infused french fries, and served with a dollop of tartar sauce and ketchup.  We received two smaller plates in order to split the meal.  I’ve done this before at other restaurants but they usually offer one small plate for the other person and that never feels like an equal split.  So this was great!

Taste:  The fries had been sprinkled with that salt and malt vinegar powder, which made them the best fries in the world.  Have I said that about fries before?  This time I mean it!  Some still had the skin on them – they were freshly cut potatoes and perfectly cooked.  The cod was beer battered with a crisp exterior and inside I found the most tender thick chunks of mouth-watering fish.  It was an incredibly satisfying meal.  Bobbi and I split the meal and it was actually quite generous on the half.  This was a fish and chips meal – no coleslaw.

Restaurant Experience:  This was probably the best view of any restaurant so far in my quest/search for the best fish fry.  It was such a glorious day and literally everything about this place gets high marks.  The food, the staff, the service, the furniture, the decor throughout the restaurant and the hotel were all outstanding.  I mean, even the bathrooms were spectacular.  The time spent with friends:  priceless!

You must go there and see it for yourselves.  We had originally planned to go on Monday but the weather forecast indicated rain so we were able to pivot to today.  Cooperstown is picturesque and is meant to be enjoyed on a beautiful day.  So amazing!!!

Location:  The Otesaga Resort Hotel is located at 60 Lake Street, Cooperstown, New York 13326

Parking:  There is a large parking lot adjacent to the building.

 

 

 

ISO - fish fry, Karen Tashkovski

ISO Fish Fry: The Old Stone Tavern

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Yesterday I had a late lunch (with three companions) at The Old Stone Tavern in Rochester, New York.  We missed the brunch menu by fifteen minutes, but clearly, as you know, it was Friday and I was in search of a good fish fry.

Presentation:  I give this platter presentation high marks.  I love the aluminum tray with red checkered wax paper – how fun!  I ordered the beer battered haddock dinner, which comes with coleslaw and fries but I substituted regular fries in favor of sweet potato fries.  They did not have a broiled option for the fish because they’d preprepared the coating in advance.

Taste:  I enjoyed my meal – everyone in my party commented that the fries appeared overcooked.  They were served with a maple syrupy condiment that I couldn’t use after tasting how spicy it was.  I had to cut the fish with the provided steak knife because it was rather crusty on the outside – still tender on the inside and delicious.  It is amazing to me how different places prepare the same meal.  I liked the coleslaw – it was traditional and the perfect amount.

I was very hungry, as we had a late lunch (was it really an early dinner?  What do you call eating at 3:45 PM?) after driving the ninety minutes to Rochester, New York (from Syracuse) then hiking around Highland Park.

So, everything was very yummy.

Restaurant Experience:  The Old Stone Tavern is a pub experience.  The restaurant and bar area are combined with booth/chair tables, as well as those bar tables with the high chairs à la Regis & Kathie Lee.

Location:  The Old Stone Tavern is located at 758 South Ave., Rochester, New York 14620.

Parking:  There is a parking lot with plenty of spaces behind the building accessible from South Ave. and the adjacent side street.

 

fish fry, ISO - fish fry, Karen Tashkovski

ISO Fish Fry: Green Lakes Lanes

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Kathy and I met at the bowling alley,   Our friends Bob and Marie had posted on social media that they had fish dinners there.  It looked like a good idea to go in search of fish fry and to see if bowling is something we would like to pursue in retirement.

It was definitely fun.  We played one game (around $20 each including shoes).  I got a strike on my first try, but I was a very inconsistent bowler.  I think I started wanting to do really well and, basically, choked.  Got some gutter balls and by the end of it, my arm felt a bit sore and so, maybe I go another forty years before I play again?  Or maybe I will go next week.  I mean, it was really fun!

Presentation:  I ordered broiled haddock with coleslaw and sweet potato fries – two sides (around $20) and Kathy had the fish sandwich with a side of macaroni & cheese (around $17).  When the plates came out, I was floored by the presentation.  I guess I was expecting diner food, lol, but this was beautiful.

The sweet potato fries came with a dollop of this delicious maple butter dipping sauce.  Also on my plate:  a wedge of lemon and a dollop of tartar sauce, which appeared to be homemade.

Taste:  The fish was so fresh and tender, and swallowable – I mean – no chewing needed.  I ate it so fast that I felt like one of those contestants on Survivor, as though I hadn’t eaten in decades- I devoured it.  I left half of the coleslaw behind, as I was too full after eating the fries (like, three at a time).  The waitress offered several cheesecake dessert options but we declined.

Restaurant Experience:  The restaurant at Green Lakes Lanes opens at 11:00 AM for lunch.  We arrived at 11:30 AM.  The parking lot was full to capacity with all but one bowling lane full of bowlers.  We decided to bowl first then eat (lane 12 was available).

Everything then gets charged to one bill.  You take your shoes off at the door then rent bowling shoes and take your lane.  A woman helped us plug in our names to the score sheet, which was otherwise automatic.

We finished our game, replaced our shoes and dined in the restaurant.  The waitress was incredibly friendly and patient with us, while we decided what we wanted and of course, while we asked a lot of silly questions, as newbies often do.  We’d never been there before.

Everything was spotless, lovely, delicious and friendly.  We loved it.

Location:  Green Lakes Lanes is located on Route 5 in Fayetteville, New York (7930 E. Genesee Street, Fayetteville, NY 13066).

Parking:  The lot is directly in front of the building and it was tight today.  They have bowling leagues – maybe people bowl every Friday?  I don’t know, but everyone seemed to know everyone else, so if you are looking for family friendly fun (in our case it was more of a senior citizen crowd), then this is the place for you.

Green Lakes Lanes also participates in Syracuse Trivia games on Monday and Thursday evenings.  They have a full menu including desserts, but fish is only served on Fridays.

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ISO Fish Fry – Kitty Hoynes

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Presentation:  I ordered the fish and chips at Kitty Hoynes, substituting standard chips for sweet potato fries.  The presentation – a beautiful piece of beer battered haddock resting on a bed of sweet potato WAFFLE FRIES. (that waffle fry bit was spoken in an Oprah giving out cars voice)!!! It also came with a cup of coleslaw, a dollop of tartar sauce and a lemon wedge.

My friend said it looked exactly like the fish she had at a London pub when she was in England last year.

Taste:  So good!  There was so much food that I couldn’t finish it in one sitting.  I LOVED IT!  The haddock was cooked to perfection.  The sweet potato waffle fries had a wonderful crispness.  I felt like the coleslaw was a bit bland though (if I’m forced to criticize – I mean – how else am I supposed to discern the nuances of the various fish fries when I am in search of fish fry?).

Restaurant Experience:  Tommy Conners was singing in the pub,   He’s amazing!  There were a lot of people milling about for a Saturday afternoon.  We ate in the restaurant space, which was lovely.  There was only a brief wait for a table.  The service was wonderful.

Location:  Kitty Hoynes is located at 301 W. Fayette Street, Syracuse, New York 13202.  It is an authentic Irish pub in the heart of the Armory Square area, a hot spot for bars and restaurants in Syracuse.  In the 1990s, the place was known as The Crown and it was my very favorite Friday night haunt.  The interior has not changed since those days – two sections – a full square mahogany bar serving Guinness and such, and a cozy restaurant space with a variety of table sizes to fit many different parties of foodies.

Parking:  There is no free parking in downtown Syracuse.  We found a spot on a side road Armory Square adjacent.  Check out their website for more information including their full menu and hours of operation.

fish fry, ISO - fish fry, Karen Tashkovski

ISO Fish Fry – Price Chopper

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I decided to try the fish fry at Price Chopper grocery store.

Presentation:  The fish dinner was placed on a paper plate inside a paper container.  Two tubs of tartar sauce were included.  They use canola oil.  A price sticker was attached, which also indicated the contents and sadly, a 1260 calorie count.

Taste:  I ate the meal right out of the container.  I guess I could have placed it on my fine china but the problem with take-out is that by the time you get home, you just want to wolf it down before it gets cold.  I enjoyed it.

Restaurant Experience:  I ordered the meal – fried haddock, french fries and coleslaw and was told it would take about five minutes!  The seafood area is a straight shoot from the front door against the back wall where they have a spotless stainless steel kitchen.  (They also have lobsters available for $9.99 per pound).  When it was ready I took the container to the  front cash registers to pay.  It was only $8.99.

Location:  The Price Chopper I went to is located at 2515 Erie Blvd. East, Syracuse, NY 13224.

Parking:  There is a huge parking lot in front of the grocery store.

fish fry, ISO - fish fry, Karen Tashkovski

ISO Fish Fry – Redwood Diner

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I drive by the Redwood Diner nearly every day.  I watched the exterior transformation in real time, like a slo-mo of an HGTV Curb Appeal episode and when they added the red siding, I said to myself – I want to go to there.  Today they added their new neon sign.  And today was also the day that the diner’s tight hours of operation (6:00 AM – 1:00 PM) fit into my schedule.

Presentation:  Redwood Diner is primarily a breakfast nook but on Fridays they do a fish fry!  Elaine was in town from Florida and when I said – I think I want to do the fish instead of breakfast, she said – me too!

Elaine ordered the fish with a side of macaroni & cheese and I ordered it with the fries.  Her order arrived first then mine without the fries and I had to wait a bit for them.  The fries were hand-sliced potatoes with the skin on them.  The fish came on a toasted and buttered bun.

Taste:  I loved the fish.  It was very light, very fresh!  I liked the taste of the potato skins.  That was a different take – I’ve never seen that before and it gave the restaurant this homey feel.  Elaine enjoyed the mac & cheese.  I would have preferred a little side of coleslaw but they didn’t have it on the menu as an option.

It was all really good!  And our fish lunches were only $12.00 each.

Restaurant Experience:  So you enter the space and it is a traditional diner with barstools at the counter in front of the short order cook style kitchen.  Then you slide into a back room with six or seven tables and it sort of feels like you’ve entered Dr. Who’s Tardis because it is way bigger on the inside than it looks from the outside.  Lots of customers inside!  Everyone happily eating, mostly breakfast items.  We arrived at 11:30 AM.

The staff was exceptional.  Wonderful people.  Friendly, happy to be at our service, the kind of people who have a passion for their jobs and I just love that so much.

It was a lovely experience.

Location:  Redwood Diner is located at 121 E. Manlius Street, East Syracuse, NY 13057, right in the village of East Syracuse.

Parking:  There is a small parking lot behind the building.  We parked on the street right in front of the diner!  That was a lucky break because the parking lot was a bit icy on this day.

ISO - fish fry, Karen Tashkovski

ISO Fish Fry – McDonalds

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I decided to revisit the McDonalds Filet-o-Fish sandwich.

Presentation:  I went inside the restaurant but I ordered to-go.  The food was presented in a bag with a sticker that corollated with my sales receipt.

Taste:  I ate the fish sandwich and fries in the car.  It tasted like the comfort of memories – you know what I mean?  When I tried to revisit KFC, I found it way too salty.  I also had a fling with Hostess coffee cake.  That was like eating a brick of sugar.  But this fish sandwich was exactly how I remembered it from childhood, maybe even better.  The fish patty was nice and hot, with cheddar cheese, and tartar sauce  on a brioche bun.  It was the best!  So perfect.  McDonalds fries are such an indulgence.  Again, they are the fries from which all others are measured – because they are exactly as they have always been.  So, so good!

Restaurant Experience:  This McDonalds was so clean!  And I am so impressed with these young workers.  They looked like they were enjoying their jobs.  The guy at the register was very polite.  The staff in the kitchen worked as a team and the food was ready a lot faster than I thought it would be.

Location:  I went to the McDonalds at 357 Genesee Street, Auburn, New York 13021.  There are McDonalds everywhere in the United States.  All you have to do is Google McDonalds to find the one near you.

Parking:  There was plenty of parking.  I was there between lunch and dinner so it was not that busy.

fish fry, ISO - fish fry, Karen Tashkovski

ISO Fish Fry: Meier’s Creek

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Meier’s Creek in Cazenovia, New York is the perfect place to rendezvous for a “ladies-who -lunch” afternoon. Janine and I saw a former colleague of mine with her friend of twenty-plus years there while we have enjoyed a connection that goes back to “House 1” at J-D Middle School.

Presentation: Meier’s Creek only does a Friday fish fry. It’s not on the menu. Because this is also a brewery, the fish is of the beer-battered variety. Mine was served on a bed of fries. Janine substituted a side salad so her plate looks different. Both came with coleslaw, tartar and lemon slices with herbs sprinkled over the top.

Taste: Janine said it was the best she’d had in the area so far. The fish was very tender under that crunchy crust. I wasn’t that hungry at first but when I saw this plate I was all for it. I started with the coleslaw. It was a mayo-laden thingy, very creamy. Then I think I tackled the entire fish. I kind of peeled off the batter to get to it. Fries – not particularly salty until later when I became insatiably thirsty and still am three hours later.

I’m not implying that fish fry is bad for you. It is a treat. Everything else I eat is pretty bland – oatmeal, yogurt, unsalted peanuts, protein shakes – and this meal was delicious.

It was $21.00.

Restaurant Experience: It was a great day to eat outside under the canopy. Other options were in the restaurant or out under those yellow umbrellas. This is a gem of a place. Everyone who works there looks like a starlet out of central casting. Beautiful people, beautiful place.

Location: Meier’s Creek is located at 33 Rippleton Road, Cazenovia, NY 13035.

Parking: Plenty of parking in a beautifully paved parking lot.

ISO - fish fry, Karen Tashkovski

ISO Fish Fry: Bailiwick Market & Cafe

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I stumbled into this fish fry. I went to Bailiwick Market & Cafe because they’d advertised the grand opening of their sunflower walk in the field adjacent to the restaurant. It happened to be Friday and they happened to have fish fry specials that is a Friday only thingy.

Presentation: The fish dinner is served on a large white plate placed on a tray with plastic cups for the slaw and tartar sauce. It’s a huge piece of haddock, don’t you think? It’s like a foot long!

Taste: I ate everything on my plate. Fish was tender, the coleslaw incredibly fresh (cabbage and carrots in a mayo dressing) and as you can see from the picture, a small portion of fries.

I didn’t think it was salty until later. I feel thirsty right now just thinking about it. But that is not a dis. It tasted great!

Restaurant Experience: When we first arrived for the sunflower experience at Bailiwick Market & Cafe, we paid at the entrance to the cafe then decided to go in and look around. I noticed they had a fish fry special on Friday only so I said – oh, let’s get that after we take some pictures of the sunflowers.

When we returned, it seemed everyone had the same idea. The line to order was quite long and slow with only one register in operation. They hadn’t anticipated such a huge lunch crowd of sunflower patch visitors spilling over into the cafe. I guess I hadn’t either. But I patiently waited in line while my friend got a table for us.

I finally ordered, paid and received one of those buzzer thingys then headed to the table. The fish dinner was $14.99.

The food prep took a lot less time than the initial wait. I picked up my order at the kitchen window, collected utensils and ketchup, napkins, etc. at the little condiment station and finally sat down to eat.

Everyone was incredibly friendly. All customers very patient. I think we were all so happy to be there!

Location: Bailiwick Market & Cafe is located at 441 Route 5, Elbridge, NY 13060. I have passed it on my way to Auburn or Skaneateles many times – I’d always say to myself, I should investigate that place. It looks so cute!

The building has been in operation since 2016 or maybe it was renovated then. It is a spectacular place – a restaurant and cafe, a music venue, there is an ice cream station, and it operates as a store selling artisan goods.

I bought Pablo a fish-shaped cat nip toy for $8.00. He loves it!

Parking: There is an ample parking lot, although we arrived at around 11:30 AM when there were several available spaces and when we left the parking lot was full.

I highly recommend Bailiwick Market & Cafe. It is an absolutely lovely place.

Cafe Hours

Mon – Wed   7AM – 7PM

(Kitchen closes at 7pm)

Thurs – Sat  7AM – 9PM

(Kitchen closes at 8pm)

Sunday        7AM – 5PM

(Kitchen closes at 5pm)

fish fry, ISO - fish fry, Karen Tashkovski

ISO Fish Fry – Harpoon Eddie’s

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Last night I found a fried haddock dinner at Harpoon Eddie’s in Sylvan Beach, New York. We were there to listen to the harmonies of SAMMY nominated Syracuse band Master Thieves. They do great versions of classic rock songs interspersed with originals.

They played indoors due to the inclement weather.

Presentation: This massive fried haddock dinner came served with lager fries, char-grilled Brussels sprout and homemade tartar sauce presented on an adorable aluminum fish plate.

I love how every time I go in search of fish fry I am delighted by the variety in presentation. This one is so fun!

There are several haddock choices on the menu – sandwich, bites, dinner – and several side items. Crinkle cut fries were available too or garlic mashed potatoes and broccoli in place of the sprouts. But no coleslaw.

Taste: I enjoyed the meal, especially the fries – they’d been recommended by the bartender. I liked the Brussels spout but flavor-wise I felt they competed with the fish and it seemed an odd choice. The fish tasted great – flaky and airy. I split the dinner with my friend. Half was really plenty meal. It was $23.00.

Restaurant Experience: I’m not going to lie – Harpoon Eddie’s is so much better on a beautiful summer night, as depicted in photographs on their web-site. My hair would agree with that assessment. It transforms into full gremlin when wet. But, you know, despite that – still fun. Sparsely attended yet everyone there was enjoying the band and their respective meals. The waitstaff appear to love their jobs. They are very helpful and friendly, and smiley.

Location: Harpoon Eddie’s is on the beach overlooking Oneida Lake, located at 611 Park Street, Sylvan Beach, New York 13157.

OPEN MON-TUE 4-10 PM, WED-THU 12-10 PM, FRI-SAT 12-1130 PM AND SUN 12-9 PM

Parking: Parking is tight in the small parking lot. There are more spaces across the street, as well as a larger parking lot within walking distance that services other businesses and the amusement park.