Oldie, but Goodie

After weeks of unpredictable twists and turns, we're sticking with the sure thing this week -- St. Gabriel the Archangel in South St. Louis. We've visited St Gabe's a couple times throughout the years and it's one of my all-time favorites. Not only because it's within walking distance of my house, or that it offers Ted Drewes for dessert, but the fry is always stocked with plenty of hot food and cold beer. Plus, they broadcast the basketball games during the NCAA tournament - can't beat that.

So join us this week if you're game for good company, decent food and cold beer on Friday.

St. Gabriel the Archangel
4711 Tamm Ave
St. Louis, MO 63109
Menu

St. John Serbian Orthodox: Remember to BYOB

It was a great showing and good overall experience at St. John Serbian Orthodox in Glendale last week. Lines were relatively short, free cocktail shrimp was handed out at check-out and there was plenty of seating available. The diverse menu alone is enough reason to venture out to the tiny church on the quiet residential street. The parish offers traditional fish fry fare as well as more ethnic dishes, such as baked fish with Mediterranean sauce, stewed tomatoes and baked spinach.

Both the baked and fried fish received positive reviews, and the variety of side choices offered something for everyone. The desserts, while sold separately, were delicious and included homemade chocolate cake, cheesecake and baklava.

Really the only downside was what most would consider a biggie - no beer. Apparently I have bad karma this season because I'm two for two on no booze. Next time I'll learn from the middle-aged women sitting next to us and BYOB.

Overall Rating: 8 out of 10 fish patties

Mystery Dinner Night

Apologize for the delay this week. Several of my clients are currently launching campaigns, so my life has literally gone to the dogs.

This week I'm going out on a limb. Over the years I've heard rumblings about the fry at St. John Serbian Orthodox in Glendale, so I've decided to put it to the test tomorrow night. However this fry holds a little mystery. While I've heard it boasts a unique menu, short lines and Joe Holleman at the Post-Dispatch gave it a thumbs up, the parish doesn't have a website, no menu is posted online and I haven't been able to reach the directory by phone. So while I'm going in optimistic, I'm not completely positive that there even is a fry at St. John's tomorrow night.

So here's the plan: we'll head to St. John's around 6:30 p.m. tomorrow night. In the off chance there is no fry at St. John's, we'll drive around the corner to Mary Queen of Peace which hosts a fry until 7:30 p.m.

Below are the addresses and directions. Hope to see you there!

Option 1: St. John Serbian Orthodox
1372 Beverly Ave
Glendale, MO 63122

Option 2: Mary Queen of Peace
680 West Lockwood Ave
Webster Groves, MO 63119

Directions: St. John Serbian Orthodox - Mary Queen of Peace
1. Head east on Beverly Ave towards Berry Rd
2. Turn right on N Berry Rd
3. Turn left on W Lockwood Ave

Assumption: A Week Late and A Beer Short

Hey team, I'm going to keep this review short and sweet given it's a week late and I'm in a time crunch.

A skeleton crew checked out Assumption's fish fry in South County last week and the reviews were overwhelmingly mediocre. While I appreciated the large parking lot and helpful directional signage, future diners should be prepared to wait. Just around the time the line started to dwindle, the food followed in suit. By the time we reached the food line the coveted Bartolino's pasta was out and additional sides were running low. After circling he gym a few times for a table, we were able to find a few seats near each other. By the time I was able to settle in and make a beer run tea and water were the only remaining options. While running low on sides is somewhat expected, running out of beer early on in the night can be the kiss of death.

Overall, the fish was decent and the Bartolino's pasta I scored was great. However, the long lines, lack of seats and beer shortage put a little damper on the night.

REMINDER: This year I'm unusually short on time and also traveling quite a bit during the month of March. If you would be so kind to submit your own personal fish fry reviews (either on the Facebook page or to kimgoedeker@gmail.com) I would be more than happy to post on he blog.

Overall Rating: 6 out of 10 fish patties

Put Another Shrimp on the Barbie

As I sit and reflect on this Ash Wednesday I remember the importance of the Lenten season when we commemorate Jesus’ death and resurrection, and oh yeah, spend our Friday evenings feasting on fried fish and cheap beer.

That’s right; I’m back to touring the fry circuit and (hopefully) entertaining you with mediocre critique and fried fish alliteration. I often times get asked “What are you giving up this Lent?” Well, after my failed attempt at chocolate last year, I’ve come to terms with the idea that giving up my Friday nights and loads of free time over the next 40 days should suffice.

I’m changing up the blog a bit this season and welcoming guest reviews. I just can’t make it to every fry in every neighborhood, so I’m asking readers to e-mail me or post to my Facebook wall reviews of their fry adventures. The hope is for this blog to someday become a vast resource for fish fry enthusiasts far and wide (St. Louis city and county). This new lackey approach has nothing to do with the fact that I’m carrying a heavy workload at the office these days, while shopping for a house and attempting to plan a wedding.

On to the first order of business: we’re kicking off the 2012 season with a fry that I’ve been meaning to try for years – Assumption in South County. The menu boasts fried and baked options as well as upgraded sides like Bartolino’s pasta and fruit salad.

Hope to see you there around 6:30!

Assumption Catholic Church
4725 Mattis Road
St. Louis, Mo 63128
http://webgui.assumptionstl.org/

St. Joan of Arc Offers Hot Eats, Cool Treats

Around this time in the season, my fish fry visits start to become more and more monotonous. Six weeks of feasting on run-of-the-mill spaghetti and drinking cheap Natural Light will do that to a person. Especially as the weather warms up, and we’d all, admittedly, rather be drinking on a patio somewhere. That said, I was a little worn for the weary heading into the fish fry at St. Joan of Arc in South City on Friday. Luckily, the fry surpassed my (albeit low) expectations.

Early in the season, a faithful reader posted photos from a FEAST Magazine article on the Facebook page featuring the St. Joan of Arc fry. I had visited St. Joan of Arc years back and posted a positive review. However, with the addition of an ice cream sundae bar and a few outside the box sides, I thought it may be worth adding to the weekly reader poll. Apparently others agreed because the fry beat out competitors by nearly 15 votes.

Hearing good things from fellow fish fry reviewers, I anticipated a long wait. But when I arrived around 6:15 p.m. there was no wait and still plenty of hot food on the line. I ordered the fried cod, Irish potatoes and parmesan broccoli. Yes, I justified eating fried fish by ordering a side of broccoli.

All of the food was hot and tasty, especially the potatoes and homemade tartar sauce. The baked fish and mac’n’cheese received positive reviews as well. As in most cases, the highlight of my meal was the dessert - an ice cream sundae bar. A mere buck and a half buys you a generous serving of vanilla ice cream and all the toppings you could want. It may not be Ted Drews, but any fish fry with a sundae bar deserves a nod in my book.

Now if only parishes would start adding patio seating, we’d really be in business.

Overall Rating: 9 out of 10 fish patties

Photos from top to bottom:
Overly excited about my fish sandwich
Typical plate at St. Joan of Arc
MMMMM…ice cream

Steer Clear of the Yellow Stuff

A good fry requires a fine balance of tasty fare, good value, efficient service and friendly atmosphere. St. Justin Martyr in Sunset Hills delivered on three out of four of the criteria, but came up short in one key area: the food.

While the fish, both fried and baked, was above average, the sides seriously lacked. The spaghetti was just mediocre, and the mac’n’cheese was almost inedible – cold and bland.

I will say the meal was a great value, with $8 buying a healthy serving of fish, three sides, a dessert and drink. But since “Dot’s Slaw” is the only side worth eating, I’d advise ordering up a triple serving of slaw. What’s that? Not a slaw fan? Sorry. I heard the cheese pizza is good.

Overall Rating: 7 out of 10 fish patties.

St James Serves Up Overwhelming Portions and Underwhelming Taste

As a casual fish fry diner, St. James in Dogtown might do the job. The fry offers huge portions at a decent value ($8), friendly parishioners keep the line moving quickly and there are plenty of dessert options. However, as the Fish Fry Master, I found the experience to be a little lack luster…even by fish fry standards.

The fried cod was a little bland and cookie-cutter. Literally, every piece of cod was the exact same size and square shape – a sure sign of frozen, pressed fish. The baked cod was mushy and under-cooked, and the green beans were cold. On the upside, the fried catfish received rave reviews and the red pasta was pretty tasty, so perhaps my mistake was in my choices.

I think the menu could benefit from a little creativity, and the fish needs a little TLC. However, if you’re in the neighborhood (and you don’t spend six weeks a year scrutinizing fish fries) it may feel like a good bang for your buck.

Overall Rating: 6 out of 10 fish patties.

Do As The Irish Do

The clear winner this week is St. James the Greater Catholic Church in Dogtown. Now let me preface this trip by saying I know absolutely nothing about this fish fry. As the Fish Fry Master, I often times receive tips on what certain fries serve, what their niche is or at least what kind of booze selection they offer. But when it comes to St. James, I’m going in blind. Well, at least that was the case before I read this less than stellar review this morning on The 13 blog - http://the13blog.wordpress.com. All I have to say is, God help us.

I hope to arrive around 6:15 p.m. tonight. Care to join in my plight?

St. James the Greater Catholic Church
1360 Tamm Avenue
St. Louis, Mo 63139
www.stjamesthegreater.org

St. Mary Magdalen: Grab a Beer and Stay Awhile

There’s a reason 1,200+ people visit St. Mary Magdalen in Brentwood every Friday. Is it the creative signage or innovative menu? Probably not. Is it the lively soundtrack or rumors of JELL-O shots? Possibly. But, I’d bet it’s the “God’s Cod” that keeps them coming back week after week.

Whether it was fried, baked or wrapped in a tortilla, all the fish received rave reviews from the crew on Friday. But the baked salmon with homemade dill sauce is hands down the best fish I’ve had from a fish fry in years (I realize the weight of this statement). It’s so good, it’s as if you’ve ordered it off the menu at the finest Red Lobster this side of the Meramec.

The main dish is supported by a unique selection of sides, most of which are homemade. My favorites include the parmesan potato chips, sweet and sour slaw and green beans amandine. Desserts were delicious and plentiful, so much in fact that they were doling out extras for free at the end of the night.

The bar is stocked with Schlafly on tap, and strategically positioned right before you start the waiting game. First, you wait in a line to order your meal, then you wait in a different line to pay, which finally leads to a line to pick-up your food. Don’t get me wrong, it’s worth the wait. Just think about bringing some delicious Triscuits to hold you over.*

Overall Rating: 9 out of 10 fish patties.



*If you don’t get this reference, I’m sorry.

God's Cod and Jell-O Shots

The votes are in and we’re heading to St. Mary Magdalen in Brentwood this week. This fish fry has been popular for years – so much so that they have their own facebook page. However, this year they’ve updated their menu with fish tacos, baked salmon with dill sauce and “God’s Cod” with homemade parmesan chips. Plus, there’s a rumor they have Jell-O shots! They serve food from 4:30 – 7:30 p.m., and I hope to arrive around 6:30 p.m.

Hope to see you there!

St. Mary Magdalen
8750 Magdalen Ave
Brentwood, MO 63144
http://www.smmpf.org/

St. Mark Brings Us Back to Basics

In this day and age as many fries go fancy with fish tacos and frog legs, few parishes stick to the basics and do them well. While the menu at St. Mark in South St. Louis may be predictable, the friendly service and tasty fare make up for the lack of choices.

My weekly plate-o-carbs consisted of fried cod and shrimp, spaghetti and hush puppies washed down with a slice of homemade cake. And actually listing that out makes me realize I need to opt for the baked option this week. That said, my meal at St. Mark was solid – fish was crispy, spaghetti was above average and hush puppies were hush puppies (you just can’t mess up hush puppies in my eyes).

The staff at St. Mark was super fast and friendly, there was no line and plenty of room to spread out. It was such a pleasant fish fry experience that it made up for the fact that they ran out of several items some may consider key – mac’n’cheese, shrimp, water and beer. I fear the No Meat For You crew may have cleaned them out.

Overall Rating: 7 out of 10 fish patties

Hope This Guy Serves Up A Mean Cod

The voters have spoken, and we’re heading to St. Mark’s in South City tomorrow. They serve food from 4:30 – 7 p.m., and I hope to arrive around 6:15 p.m. From the looks of the menu below, looks like a pretty average fry. Let’s all hope they can wow us with outstanding atmosphere or outrageously cheap beer.

Hope to see you there!





St. Mark Church
8300 Morganford
St. Louis, MO 63123
www.StMarkSTL.com

Fish Fry Menu
Dinners $8.00
Shrimp 6 piece, 2 sides and dessert
Fried Cod 2 piece, 2 sides and dessert
Fried Combo 1 piece fish, 3 shrimp, 2 sides and dessert
Baked Cod 1 piece, 2 sides and dessert

Children’s Dinners (or young at heart) $4.00
Shrimp 3 piece, 2 sides and dessert
Fried Cod 1 piece, 2 sides and dessert

Sandwiches
Fried Cod-1 piece with bread $3.00
Baked Cod-1 piece with bread $3.50

Side dishes for dinners
Applesauce Green Beans French Fries
Spaghetti Slaw Hush Puppies
Mac n Cheese

Cheese Pizza $2.00

Complimentary coffee
Other drinks are available for purchase.
One complimentary dessert included with a dinner purchase.

Holy Infant Will Have You Hooked

After four years of reviewing fish fries, I may have stumbled upon the Holy Grail of St. Louis fish fries – Holy Infant in Ballwin. This West County fry has it all; diverse menu, great-tasting food, upscale bar (comparatively, of course) and a friendly atmosphere. And it doesn’t hurt that my ‘Uncle D’ and Aunt Kathy were able to score us private VIP seating in the faculty conference room, plush chairs and all.

Now this fry is obviously no secret. When we arrived at 6:30 p.m. the line was nearly out the door. However, the staff works like a well-oiled machine and the line moves quickly. Plus, it gives patrons time to hit up the bar and grab a grilled shrimp skewer with their wine or beer.

The menu boasts both baked and fried options, and fish selection includes cod, shrimp, salmon and my favorite, grouper. I highly recommend the crinkle fries, and the mac’n’cheese received rave reviews as well. My one criticism is that the only complementary dessert was a chocolate chip cookie. Under non-Lent circumstances this would have been great (I love ALL cookies), but since I’m weaning myself off chocolate during Lent, it meant no dessert for me.

Overall Rating: 10 out of 10 fish patties!

Photos from top:
Posing with my plate.
It was a carb load for the non-fish eaters.

Westward Expansion

I’m kicking off the 2011 Lenten season by venturing into uncharted territory – West County. For those of you who have followed the blog (or even just skimmed it) you know that I live in the city, work in the city, play in the city and generally like to stay in the city. Not that I have anything against the area west of Hwy 270, but why leave when you have everything you need within 10 minutes? Plus it’s really hard to get to the county fries when I usually can’t leave my downtown office until after six.

So this week we’re heading to a fish fry that I’ve been meaning to try for years – Holy Infant in Ballwin. The menu boasts grouper, salmon, cod and shrimp, and they offer baked and fried options. They even have cheese pizza for the non-fish eaters at the fish fry, and Fritz's Frozen Custard for those who just come for the dessert.

Hope to see you there around 6:30!

Holy Infant Church
627 Dennison Dr.
Ballwin, Mo 63021

Mary Mother of the Church: No Fish For You

This week's review is going to be short and sweet. Reason being, because I didn't actually get to eat dinner at Mary Mother of the Church. While the South County parish expanded their menu and hours this season, they weren't anticipating the crowd and had sold out of fish by 6 p.m.

Since half of the blog party had already arrived, and Aunt Kathy spent all day baking a plethora of delicious desserts, I chose instead to hit-up the drive thru, pick-up a fillet-o-fish and head to Mary Mother to follow through with the review.

From what I could gather, the parishioners were friendly and the dinning area was spacious. The food received good reviews (from those who ate), and the beer was cheap. Highlight of the night: Aunt Kathy's banana cake, chocolate inside outside cake and her famous hot milk cake.

Judging on desserts alone, I give this fry a 10 out of 10 fish patties. However, basing my review on the fact that I didn't actually get to sample the fish, I have to be a little more judicious.

Overall Rating: 5 out of 10 fish patties

St. Margaret Mary Alacoque: Worth the Drive

After a huge upset in the voting process last week, St. Margaret Mary Alacoque came out on top. So I, being a democrat and dedicated to the no-meat cause, reluctantly drove the more than 20 minutes out of the way to test out the fish fry that all the “Oakvillians” rave about. And luckily, it lived up to my high expectations.

SMMA’s menu is diverse and almost everything I tasted was top notch. Word of advice, go for the “cod chunks” instead of the cod patty (patty was formerly frozen and a little bland). The spaghetti was good (for meatless spaghetti) and the chilled green bean salad was to die for. Dessert was tasty (as all dessert is), but be sure to pick it up with your meal, otherwise they may run out by the time you finish your meal.

In general, the parishioners were very friendly and welcoming. That is, unless one dared to make a trip to the bar. A few of my friends (who are in their mid twenties) were heavily hassled by a couple rude bartenders who were convinced they were underage kids trying to scam beer from a fish fry. Obviously, the bartenders didn’t know they were messing with friends of the fish fry master.

Overall, it was an above average fry…just don’t forget to bring your ID.

Overall rating: 8.5 out of 10 fish patties

Photos from top:
Me and some of my devoted followers
A small fraction of the Goedeker's and Paradowski's

Illinois Bureau: Are Pork Grinds Fair Game?

After unsuccessfully trying to locate a fish fry associated with St. Jerome in Troy, we settled on the VFW Post 976. At first this would seem to be a bold move, however we were relatively pleased with the results.

The Illinois smoking ban has done wonders to clean-up little places like this! Wait time was pretty rough and it took around 30 minutes to carry-out. Afterwards we discovered that there was a handy "call-ahead" option.

Choices were plentiful and included "upscale" baked options. Sides featured onion rings and fried mushrooms. More shocking were the bags of home-made pork rinds available for 3 bucks, although I'm not sure if you can eat pigskin during Lent!

Prices were average, and the fish ended up being really good. We suspect that they use some kind of a cajun fish batter. Throw out the wait and this place is worth a stop! That is, if you are anywhere near Troy.

Overall 7 out of 10 lobster tails!

Great People, Good Food, Drink Menu Needs Work

Last week we visited St. Mary Magdalen on Kingshighway in South City. Fish was hot, atmosphere was welcoming and desserts were delicious. But there was one thing missing, and it was no small oversight – the BEER!

As fish frys have evolved into my Friday ritual, I’ve come to rely on a cold one (or three) to wash down the deep-fried goodness. Its absence was tough to swallow, and admittedly, took at least two patties off my final rating. Luckily, Cotters was close by to quench our thirst.

Outside of the lack of adult beverages, the combination of fast and friendly service, diverse menu and unique atmosphere make Magdalen’s an above average fry. The jack salmon and shrimp were hot and hand-breaded. The spaghetti was sub-par, but the slaw, hush puppies and homemade lemon cake made up for it.

One of the most unique features about Magdalen’s fish fry is that they create a new theme every week. Last Friday was Italian night, and a parishioner went from table to table offering homemade Italian desserts. My advice: head to Magdalen’s on Friday, March 19 when they will be selling green beer.

Overall Rating: 7.5 out of 10 fish patties

Illinois Bureau: Edwardsville Knights of Columbus

The Illinois Bureau is going to take the "better late than never" approach to our fist fish fry review -- we have had our hands full with a new addition to the team, Madeline Kathleen Durst. While she can not yet eat fish, I am sure that she will provide her opinion in one way or another.

For the first sunday of Lent, we visited an old faithful standby, the Edwardsville K of C. This was mostly because we were due to have a baby at any moment! At any rate, the K of C delivered with great service, cold beer and good food all at affordable prices. The kids menu was even sampled by our under 5 division. This place always passes the test, and is one of the only places in IL with table service. We completely recomend either the catfish or cod, but the shrimp is also good.

Captain D says: 9 out of 10 fish sticks!