Tag Archives: ISO – Fish Fry

ISO - fish fry, Karen Tashkovski

ISO Fish Fry: Rabbit Hole Tavern

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There’s nothing better than a beautiful summer Friday afternoon road trip.  I drove to Rochester, New York to deliver my painting, Mustang Dance.  It will be included in a juried group exhibition at Rochester Contemporary Art Center.  The show is titled Fire & Form and it celebrates encaustic art.

Karen Tashkovski, MUSTANG DANCE, 2012, encaustic & collage, 12” x 48”

The opening reception is scheduled for August 28, 2026 from 6:00-9:00 pm with a closing party on September 19, 2026.  Hope to see you there!

Janine found us a great restaurant for a fish lunch – Rabbit Hole Tavern – and they only have it as a special on Fridays.

Presentation:  I had the broiled fish with butter.  Janine had the beer battered version of the haddock.  Both were served with golden delicious french fries as well as coleslaw, and both were generous portions.

I loved the presentation!  The white platters with separate containers for the slaw.  So nice.  We chose to eat on the back deck overlooking the Genesee River.  We sat at this pretty turquoise table with enough shade for comfort.  It was just so beautiful.  And I was hungry!

We ordered drinks plus we each had a glass of water delivered to our table.  There was a condiment box complete with ketchup and mustard, salt and pepper, napkins and even wet naps!  They thought of everything.

Taste:  Everything was great.  I mean – I ate everything so I can’t really criticize.  The fish was a bit dry but not bad – it was probably healthier that way.  You could order the broiled haddock with toppings such as lemon pepper and Cajun flavoring but I chose just butter, although, as I am looking at the pictures, I don’t see any butter.  Oh, well.  The fries were so thin – I imagined them as diet fries.  Coleslaw cabbage was cut in thick chunks and had a lot of crunch, which was nice.

Restaurant Experience:  We were there around 2:00 pm, which is kind of like after lunch, so it was not crowded.  There were only two other tables occupied by guests out on the deck.  More people were inside.  I loved everything about this calm and serene place.  The wait staff were exceptionally nice – shout out to Reg (I think that was his name).  The view – lovely, as I mentioned.  The only thing I didn’t love was the price.  It was twice as much as any of the restaurants I’ve been to since I started this ISO Fish Fry series.

Location: Rabbit Hole Tavern is located at 284 Exchange Blvd., Rochester, New York 14608

Parking:  There is a parking lot out front.  This is a riverside experience so there are other restaurants sharing the lot.  There were plenty of spots available when we got there but I’m not sure what it looks like in the evenings for the happy hour and dinner crowd.

 

 

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.

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ISO Fish Fry – The Fish Friar

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Kathy and I went downtown on Saturday night to hang at the Italian Festival, which happens every year around this time (except last year because of the Covid situation). There was Italian food and music, and cover band dance music under tents and on two different stages around City Hall in Syracuse, New York.

Although I have a lot of Italian friends and recently found a lot of Italian in my own DNA, I don’t particularly like Italian food, Luckily, Kathy treated me to dinner at The Fish Friar, which is located right across from City Hall in downtown Syracuse.

Presentation: As you can see from the pictures, the presentation is divine. These fish sandwiches were $15 and came with two sides. Kathy selected house salad and macaroni salad and I had the roasted carrots and coleslaw.

Taste: Although I ate everything on my plate, I thought it was too salty (don’t hate me The Fish Friar fans). It was saltier than I remembered it from eating it the last time I was there.

Restaurant Experience: The restaurant is adorable! Small but comfortable. We ate outside at one of about five tables. The bathroom is very clean as well. :). The service was spectacular. It was such a beautiful night. We enjoyed the sound of the local cover band, Hard Promises, playing on the large stage set up for Italian Fest and later got all front and center to dance and sing along. We also spotted our cousins who strolled by and stopped to chat. Overall, it is an amazing place for a dinner date.

Location: The Fish Friar is located at the corner of Washington and Montgomery Streets in Syracuse, NY. They are open Tuesday-Saturday from 11:00 am – 9:00 pm and Saturdays from 4:00 pm – 9:00 pm. They offer an on-line service on their website. Call (315) 468-FISH for the deets.

Parking: There is no parking lot for The Fish Friar. Street parking only. Because there is currently so much construction on the roads in the city and many streets were blocked off for this immense Italian block party, we parked in a pay lot by the Civic Center and walked over. <3