2019 Fish Fry Challenge

Fish Fry Week 3:  J.M.'s Tap, Menominee, IL This week's fish fry lead us to the very small town of Menominee, IL.   In a very small 'house' of an establishment. I contacted JM Tap for reservations, as we had 5 individuals (including an 18 month old), and made a 6:00pm reservation. Upon our arrival to JM Tap, it appeared we were going to be eating in a former 'house'.  As we entered JM, I was very surprised at how small the seating/eating/bar area was!  It was about the size of our kitchen and living room combined. We maneuvered  towards the bar in the tight seating area and were stopped by waitstaff who asked us if we needed a table. I stated that we had a reservation and she guided us to our table.  Our table was in the back corner (thankfully!) as we had our little guy with us.  The bonus to our table was that it was right next to the salad bar :) Our table had not been set up with place mats or silverware as we arrived; however, a ver...

FFC Week 2: St. Clements church fish fry (Bankston) This well known area fish fry has been dubbed by many as the great "Bankston fish fry."  But what's surprising is that it was not located in Bankston.  It's actually located at a church in the country area of Epworth, IA (near Bankston).  Needless to say I had a hard time ensuring that this church was the correct church.  My confusion was confirmed by friends. As this was a popular area church fish fry, it was said that we best get there early as you're going to wait.  And wait we did!  We arrived to St. Clements at approximately 6:45pm.  We walked in to the church reception hall and was extremely overwhelmed by how many people were there.  People were lined up along the walls, wrapping the line around almost two times.  We had friends that had arrived just shortly before us and had gotten in line, so we sneaked ahead and got in line with them. While waiting in line I observed all of t...

7th Annual Fish Fry Challenge has begun!  This year we're adding a little one (18 mo.) to our fish fry outings. In starting my 7th year of fish fry reviews, I headed back to the area where it all began--Madison, WI. As we were scheduled to visit my sister and brother-in-law for the Friday night, I asked her for a recommendation of a place in Madison area that had a fish fry, took reservations, and was toddler friendly.  She recommended a fairly new (2017) establishment called The Verona Woods, outside of Madison, in Verona, WI.  She made a reservation about a week in advance for 4 adults and 1 child, at 6:30pm. We arrived that Friday evening 15 minutes early and the restaurant was buzzing in the bar and dining area.  First impressions of the restaurant were that it was a high-end restaurant/bar.  It was surprising that our table was ready for us, even though we were early.  They sat us in a corner at a table made for 6.  The host brought us a hig...