Grand Rapids Fish Fries

Fishing season is over, but ...

2011-04-21T12:47:00.001-04:00

Thank you, anonymous, for providing the heads up regarding Blessed Sacrament's fish fry. As confirmed by phone, they're not having a fish fry this Friday. They did have a fish fry last year on Good Friday, but felt they didn't have the volume to justify the effort to do it this year. Consequently, the Lenten fishing season at Grand Rapids area Catholic parishes is over.

And quite frankly, the novelty for us wore off. While we enjoyed the various fish fries, partaking in the communities, hedging our bets with the 50/50 raffles, and smuggling in our beer, there are other things to do in Grand Rapids on a Friday evening. Maybe we should consider refocusing this blog to other fish to fry and explore inexpensive or no-cost things to do in the area. Any thoughts?

St. Jimmy's and this week's destination

2011-04-13T18:42:00.002-04:00

The eternal flame of fish fries -- Sterno.

St. James

733 Bridge St., N.W.
Grand Rapids, MI 49504

Date and time of visit: April 8, around 6 p.m.

Parking: lot adjacent, also on Bridge Street

Accessibility: no stairs

Cost: $8.50, adults; $6.50, seniors (60 and older); $4.50, kids 5-12; under 4, free

Wait: about 10-15 minutes

Tables: round tables

Gambling opportunities: 50/50 raffle. None of us won, even though we bought tickets. Raffle winners were not announced.

Note the divided plate

It had been a few weeks since your faithful correspondents gathered together to attend a fish fry (although one did enjoy a delicious halibut fish taco while in San Diego, at a great restaurant/nightclub named Revolver on 5th Street). We ended up having seven at the gathering on April 8, including a fish fry noviate.

Loading up at St. James

St. James runs a reliable operation. Both the fried and baked are equally tasty, and having the option of new potatoes (alas, not red skins this year) was nice. Fries, mac and cheese, and cole slaw (of course) rounded out the offerings. Desserts were available for an extra charge. We poured Founder's Dirty Bastard for those who wished to imbide.

Several carbohydrate options
were available

We garnered a table right next to the buffet line, so we were able to keep an eye on the action while enjoying our meal. A priest stopped by our table to welcome us, which we thought was a nice touch. At one point we heard a woman singing above din of conversations. It was a little curious but pleasant. Shortly thereafter a young woman came by our table and introduced herself as Mary Barracuda and said she was the vocalist. She was one of the kitchen workers, and asked how we were enjoying our meal. She confessed to having a fondness for the macaroni and cheese (which this writer felt had a suspicious amount of yellow dye number 5 or 6 so was avoided) and was eager for things to slow down so she could enjoy some. Interesting.

Earlier this year we were told that some churches hired caterers to run their fish fries. No doubt the parishes, like other volunteer organizations, are running short on finding people to donate time. We hadn't run into this before, but it was apparent that St. James joined this trend because the kitchen staff were wearing garb with the name of a caterer. It happens.

As to this week's destination -- well, there isn't one. Your correspondents are opting to attend Art Downtown instead. But look for us at Blessed Sacrament on Good Friday, the 22nd.

This week's destination: St. James

2011-04-07T08:26:00.001-04:00

St. James

733 Bridge St., N.W.
Grand Rapids, MI 49504

(616) 458-3213

click here for map

4:00--7:00 p.m.

The "fry" is held in the school building to the northeast of the church. Let's plan to meet there around 6 p.m.

St. Isidore's

2011-03-22T23:19:00.003-04:00

Serving it up at St. Isidore's

St. Isidor's
625 Spring, N.E.
Grand Rapids, MI 49503

Date and time of visit: March 17, around 6 p.m.

Parking: lot adjacent to gym where the "fry" is held

Accessibility: no stairs

Cost: $8, adults; $7, seniors; $6; kids 4-11, $5; under 3, free; desserts extra (donation jar)

Wait: About 10-15 minutes
Tables: banquet tables with chairs

Gambling opportunities: 50/50 raffle, also raffle for free fish fry tickets. Even though we were there until past 7 p.m., raffle winners were not announced. A bit disappointing because we actually bought some tickets this time.

The St. Isidore meal

We always look forward to going to St. Isidore's as their macaroni and cheese has been exceptional. Maybe it's due to your correspondent having the best M&C in the state the previous weekend (from the Union Grill in Clarkston), because this year's M&C at St. Izzy was wanting. We even got seconds to sample a different batch, but it too seem underdone. It wasn't awful, but not memorable. Advice to the chefs at St. Isidore: make sure the M&C spends enough time in the oven so it develops that lovely crust on top.

But it's really about the fish. At St. Isidore's this year, the fried fish was hands down better than their baked. The baked fish was bland, totally void of any seasoning, but maybe that's why some people prefer it because they want something that tastes like nothing. However, the fried fish was quite good, although it didn't quite make up for the stale rolls and so-so French fries. We brought some of Short's Brewery Huma-Lupa-Licious beer which went nicely with our meal, so all was not lost.

This week's destination: St. Isidor

2011-03-16T16:14:00.001-04:00

St. Isidor's
625 Spring, N.E.
Grand Rapids, MI 49503

click here for a map
(The church itself is on Diamond, N.E., but the fish fry is held in the former St. Isidor School gym on Spring, N.E.)

We'll meet there around 6.

Bag o' baked

2011-03-10T09:20:00.070-05:00

St. John Vianney School

4101 Clyde Park, S.W.
Wyoming, MI 49509
click here for a map
(Located on the west side of Clyde Park (across from Resurrection Cemetery), between 36th and 44th streets.)

Date and time of visit: March 11, 2011, around 6 p.m.

Parking: large lot adjacent to school

Accessibility: apparently there is an elevator. Otherwise it could be challenging; a "Disneyland-esque" line that went behind the upper level gymnasium bleachers and down some stairs to get to the “village hall,” the basement-level (lunch?) room.

Cost: $8, adults; $7, seniors 60+, $6; kids 4-12, $5; under 4, free
Price includes dessert (ice cream cups, although they ran out of chocolate while we were there)

Wait: A reasonable 10-15 minutes

Tables: banquet tables with chairs; area set aside for wheelchairs

Gambling opportunities: 50/50 raffle—tickets. The prize that night was $300.

Highlights:
- well-organized
- stylish aprons
- beverages, seconds, and dessert brought to the tables
- we stayed long enough to be offered bags of left-over baked potatoes to take home

It's been a couple years since we visited SJV, but it was as well organized and efficiently run as we remembered. Even though there was quite a crowd, we were able to find six seats together.

The dinner was organized cafeteria-style. Offerings included fried or baked cod, baked potato or French fries, cole slaw, and a roll. Tartar sauce was offered at the end of the serving line, and individual servings of margarine, sour cream, and industrial sized ketchup bottles were available at the tables. Malt vinegar and lemons were also provided.

This time, the consensus was that the baked cod was better to the fried. "Very nicely seasoned," commented one of your reviewers. No one tried the fries this time, but the baked potatoes were perfectly done. We gave the rolls a passing grade and can't remember if there was macaroni and cheese; we're holding out for St. Isadore's M&C this coming Friday.

Cheerful colored fish decorated the walls, and the tables all had nice vases of fresh flowers. Again, roving chefs carried trays of fish fresh out of the fryer and SJV students were quick to remove trays and trash, helping to keep the busy dining area uncluttered and relatively clean. And it was busy; over 1200 dinners were served that evening.

As far as beverages, we enjoyed Detroit Beer Co.'s Sanders Chocolate Lager that was in your correspondent's refrigerator, leftover from another event. It went surprising well with the cod.

Next week's destination: St. Isadore's.

Mapping the FF

2011-03-09T10:00:00.004-05:00

The Grand Rapids Press has posted a map of area fish fries on their website. It includes non-church fish fries, such as American Legion Post ones. The map and link follow.

I think we need to check out St. Catherine's in Ravenna. They note that "a hand-made automatic fish breading machine designed by a church member will debut March 11." Fish fry technology!

View Grand Rapids-area Lenten fish fries in a larger map

Almost famous

2011-03-07T21:19:00.004-05:00

MLive posted a link to our humble but helpful blog. Wow, we're almost famous.

Lent begins late this year, which means we may have fewer snowstorms to encounter as we go fishing.

Opening day: March 11

2011-03-03T17:22:00.000-05:00

The fish fry season opens March 11! Don't know what will be our first stop this year but we'll post it as soon as we figure it out.

BTW, did you see the piece in the Grand Rapids Press about fish fries? I would post a link to it here but their website is too frustrating to search. Anyway, they asked that readers let them know of fish fries so they can check them out and rate them! How original is that?

Bet they won't suggest a brew to bring along ...

St. Al's

2010-03-19T08:36:00.003-04:00

This Friday (March 19):
St. Alphonsus
205 Carrier N.E., near Leonard and Plainfield
held in the school gym

Parking is challenging so plan accordingly ...

View Larger Map

Last week's destination: St. Isadore's

2010-03-11T15:17:00.003-05:00

St. Isadore

technically, the address is 628 Diamond NE, but the fish fry is held in the former St. Isadore School gymnasium, on Burke

Grand Rapids, MI 49503

We'll be there around 5:30 ...

Looking forward to their great macaroni & cheese!

Hey Jude

2010-03-03T22:10:00.011-05:00

St. Jude's
1120 4 Mile, N.E.
Grand Rapids 49525

click here for a map

Date of visit: March 5

Parking: ample, church and school parking lot available

Cost: $8/adult

Wait: About 5 minutes around 5:30; longer between 5:30 and 6.

Tables: round tables with chairs

No gambling opportunities

Highlights:

sunshine!

great onion rings (but you had to get there early)

baked was exceptionally tasty, fried nothing to complain about

dessert included

The dining room at St. Jude's was probably the most pleasant we've had the opportunity to enjoy. The late afternoon sun streamed through the west facing windows, unlike the usual window-less gymnasiums where most of the FFs are held. Although usually it doesn't matter because usually it's cloudy. But this Friday was one of those rare, celebrated sunny days.

While the attendants didn't have snappy aprons like the folks at Blessed Sacrament, or the fabulous fish hats at St. Al's, they were friendly and plentiful. We were asked often if we needed more coffee when the "coffee" (some leftover brews from the previous week and a nice spiced pumpkin ale) in our styrofoam cups was running low.

Those of us who arrived on the early side were able to enjoy onion rings reminiscent of the great ones Mr. Fables served. They were a bit too greasy; onion rings are a delicate balancing act. The latecomers had to settle for french fries. Rolls, cole slaw, and tiny (but probably right-sized) desserts rounded out the menu.

It was appropriate that we went to St. Jude's the week after Blessed Sacrament, because both are part of All Saint's Academy. St. Jude's houses the middle school grades.

Would we return? Most certainly.

Last minute switch

2010-03-03T14:31:00.012-05:00

Blessed Sacrament

2233 Diamond, N.E.

Grand Rapids, MI 49505

north of Knapp, between Fuller and Plainfield

Date of visit: February 26

Parking: school parking lot, street parking, fairly easy despite the snow

Cost: $7.50/adult; seconds, $1

Wait: About 7 minutes before the 5:45 rush; twice that during the rush hour. They provide entertainment while you're in the queue, so the wait goes quickly

Tables: banquet tables with chairs

No gambling opportunities!

Highlights:

exceptionally efficient operation

entertainment

both baked and fried fish about equally tasty

stylish aprons

Going to Blessed Sacrament was a last-minute decision; earlier we had decided on Holy Trinity, but the weather outside was frightful and we thought it would be more delightful to not drive practically to Sparta for our Friday fish fix. So apologies to anyone who went to HT and wondered where we were. We were in NE GR, dining on BS's delicious dinner.

Not much changed since our last report on BS's fish fry, other than being allowed to have some each of the fried and baked fish and the $1 charge for seconds. They have a very streamlined operation at BS. When you purchase your meal, you’re asked: baked or fried fish (cod), baked potato or French fries, applesauce or cole slaw. You’re then handed a slip of paper with your choices highlighted, and give that to the kitchen worker who quickly presents you with a tray holding a plate containing your choices. Then you enter the gym, where you pick up cutlery, a lettuce salad, roll, condiments, and beverage (except the five of us enjoyed Coor's Full Moon and Dogfish brewery's Raison D'Etre). We missed the Boy Scouts who handily bussed tables during our previous visits, but the aproned crew performed their tasks handily.

The ubiquitous dessert table had a mix of home-made and store-bought treats. Better to spend the calories on another brew than take chances on something that may have come out of a box.

Let's go fishing!

2010-02-17T17:00:00.001-05:00

The first Friday of Lent is February 19, and it's clear what's on the menu: fish!

Unfortunately due to work and family obligations on the other side of the state, your ordinarily cheerful correspondent does not anticipate being able to provide the kind of reviews she has in the past. However, I would like to at the least provide a list of fish fries.

If you know of a Friday fish fry sponsored by a church, school, or other nonprofit (no restaurants), please send me the following information:

Name of sponsoring organization
location (include address and nearest landmarks)
time
cost (adult, child, and senior)
what the meal includes
the parking situation (i.e., challenging, annoying, perfect)
any other relevant information

Thanks for your help, and hope to see you at a fish fry one of these Fridays!

Better late than never: St. James review

2009-04-05T20:35:00.004-04:00

St. James

733 Bridge N.W., just west of downtown

held in the (former school) gym

Click here for map

Date of visit: March 13, 2009

Menu:

Beer-battered Pollock
Baked Lemon-Peppered Pollock
Seasoned Fries
Redskins
Macaroni & Cheese
Cole Slaw
Applesauce
Garlic Toast
Lemonade/Fruit Punch/Iced Tea & Coffee
Cookies - 5 for $1.00

Parking and lines - parking a challenge; lineup of ticket purchasers was still "out the door" at 6:20 pm.

Commentary
Our experience at St. James was markedly improved over 2008. We had great fish, both fried and baked, but we preferred the fried (don't we always?). Redskins and fries were both very good, and it's nice to have the redskins as an alternative. Fries were nice and HOT. Can I say again, the fried pollock was delicious!!

There was a special "no waiting" table for getting seconds. However, food moves off this table a little more slowly, so it's not quite as hot and crispy as the original. Mac 'n Cheese -- you're not missing anything -- save room for the fish and potatoes.

Highlights unique to St. James:

Roy Schmidt bussing tables

Decor -- Mosaic-style painted crucifix, reminiscent of Orthodox iconic painting

Homemade cookies looked delicious but we had no room after all the good fish.

Would we go back? We sure would.

The final destination: Blessed Sacrament

2009-04-05T20:24:00.004-04:00

Blessed Sacrament

2233 Diamond, N.E.

Grand Rapids, MI 49505

north of Knapp, between Fuller and Plainfield

4:45 -- 7:00 p.m.

Because April 10 is Good Friday, the fish fry will not be serving seconds.

St. Izzy's mac & cheese rules!

2009-04-02T14:31:00.013-04:00

St. Isador's

625 Spring, N.E.

Grand Rapids, MI 49503

click here for a map

(The church is on Diamond, N.E., but the fish fry is held in the former St. Isador School gym on Spring, N.E.)

Date and time of visit: April 3, around 5:45 p.m.

Parking: parking lot adjacent to gym and on street; not too bad

Accessibility: one little step

Cost:

$8.00, adults

$7.00, seniors

$5.00, kids 5-11; under 5, free

Desserts available (donation suggested)

Wait: about 10 minutes

Tables: banquet tables with folding chairs

Gambling opportunities: 50/50 raffle

Chocolate opportunities: "World's Best Chocolate" bars

Highlights:

macaroni and cheese
lemon slices
the only fish fry we've been to that had a climbing wall

The decision to abort West Catholic High School's fish fry was wise. St. Izzy's macaroni is not to be missed. It's seasoned with something (a pinch of nutmeg?) that sets it apart from others, and if you're lucky, a little crust from spending time in the oven complements the creaminess nicely. Next year we might skip the fish altogether and just get the mac and cheese, although the fried pollack is pretty tasty too. French fries, rolls, and cole slaw (of course) rounded out the menu, along with the usual fluids and milk. Our fluid of choice was the recently released Bell's Oberon.

We ate off styrofoam plates and used plastic cutlery. A couple centrally located tables held tartar sauce, malt vinegar, ketchup, and lemon slices (a nice feature).

There was no problem getting a table for our group of seven, the queue moved quickly, and there was virtually no wait for seconds. The crowd wasn't as big as it was last year, perhaps due to the St. Isador school closure. It, along with St. Al's school, became part of All Saint's Academy, housed at what was Blessed Sacrament school. Last year there was a steady stream of enthusiastic school-aged helpers seeking to refill our beverages and whisk away empty plates. Too bad; their presence and art work made it more festive. Plus we had to bus our own table.

Still, this is one of the best parish fish fries around, and a good one for one of our party's maiden voyage into the world of GR fish fries.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Be sure to see the article from the Grand Rapids Press (March 28--and the article also has a link to this blog!) about fish fries. We're not alone!

Be prepared (to wait)

2009-03-30T21:46:00.008-04:00

St. Alphonsus

205 Carrier, N.E. (near Leonard and Plainfield)
Grand Rapids, MI 49503

click here for map; click here for their flyer

4:30--7:00 p.m.

Date of visit: March 27, 2009, around 5:30 p.m.

Parking: challenging

Accessibility: stairs whether opting for dining in or take-out

Wait: for dining in, interminable; for take-out, 7 minutes

Tables: variety, including the standard lunch table with attached seats and round tables with chairs

Gambling opportunities: we think there was a 50/50 raffle

Highlights:

The delightful fish head hats
reusable dishes and cutlery
and of course, the walleye

We knew from previous experience that the line at St. Al's would be long, but were dumbfounded by the hordes of hungry fish eaters queuing for walleye. It filled the hallway and then some;

probably at least a 45 minute wait at the time we arrived. Perhaps it was because the weather was relatively pleasant (last year, our visit followed several days of snow), or maybe because St. Al's walleye is so darn good. Anyway, after standing on line for 15 or 20 minutes, we assessed the situation and reluctantly but wisely decided to opt for take-out.

There's a separate entrance for take-out -- on the Leonard side of the building (the entrance for dining in is off Carrier). That line moved quickly and took advantage of the legendary St. Al's efficiency. One advantage of take-out is you get to observe the inner workings of the fish fry. St. Al's has a ton of volunteers who appear to have been doing this for years, and have the routine down pat.

After getting our meals, we headed to one of our party's houses where we could openly enjoy our beverages (Blue Moon and Schmohz Brewey's tasty Hopknocker imperial IPA). Our meals contained both fried and baked walleye (equally delicious), French fries or baked potato, cole slaw (of course), and rolls. Some were savvy enough to ask for macaroni and cheese and apple sauce. Not being at St. Al's for seconds wasn't a problem as the take-outs contained very generous portions of fish. The stryofoam take-out containers kept our food warm for the 15 minute trip to our destination, although the fried fish would have been better at the site. No complaints, though; it was still very tasty.

We missed out on the ambiance of dining at St. Al's, but enjoyed the more relaxed environment around a dining room table.

Would we go back: of course, but we'd arrive earlier -- or a lot later -- if we wanted to dine in. Take-out is a viable and delicious option.

Another try: St. James

2009-03-10T20:38:00.006-04:00

St. James

733 Bridge St., N.W.
Grand Rapids, MI 49504

(616) 458-3213

click here for map

4:00--7:00 p.m.

$8.00, adults

$7.00, seniors (60+)

$4.00, kids 5-12; under 5, free

According to their website, St. James' fish fry includes baked and fried fish, redskin new potatos, French fries, cole slaw (of course), applesauce, macaroni and cheese, garlic bread, and beverage (dine in only on the last four items).

Some of our group did go to St. James on March 13, and the brief report received was that it was very good. Notable was that they had a separate line for seconds and that the redskin new potatos were excellent.

St. Paul(i)

2009-03-04T09:06:00.005-05:00

St. Paul the Apostle

2750 Burton, S.E.

Grand Rapids, MI 49546

(616) 949-4170

click here for a map

4:45 - 7:00 p.m.

Date of visit: March 6, 2009, around 5:30 p.m.

Parking: right next to entrance

Accessibility: easy; no steps to negotiate

Cost: $8.00, adults
$7.00, seniors (55 and up)
$4.50, children
$4.00, pizza

Wait: none

Tables: round tables with chairs

Gambling opportunities: none

Highlights:

the maiden voyage into the world of lenten fish fries for yet another member of our party

venue was uncrowded; plenty of room to maneuver around the tables

round tables and chairs were pleasant

nice dessert assortment

According to one of our sources, St. Paul has been doing fish fries for a few years but hasn't built up the following enjoyed by some of the longer-running venues. We decided to give it a try.

Things got off to a bit of a shaky start. First, when your correspondent was purchasing tickets, she was asked if she was 55. Yes, I am over 55, but do I look it? Apparently. Well, I took advantage of the discount and purchased a "senior" ticket. Yikes.

What was more of a dilemma, though, was after paying for the tickets noticing the sign that the proceeds of the dinner were going to Right to Life. Yours truly, as are most other members of our group, believers in Right to Choice. It was a quandary with which I still struggle. Perhaps some supports of RTL have inadvertently supported pro-choice groups. I can only hope.

Anyway, the menu included baked, fried, and extremely fried fish, fried French fries and baked French fries (how can they be French fries if they're not fried?), cole slaw, apple sauce, lettuce salad, and rolls. A lemonade-like beverage, water, and coffee were available; our beverages of choice were St. Pauli Girl (of course) and Founder's Centennial Ale. A nice assortment of home made desserts were offered for donations (50 cents each).

The consensus was that the baked was better than the fried and extremely fried fish (which resembled those pig ears chews for dogs), although one of our party felt the breading for the baked fish was a little greasy. A grown up, Spartan Girl, took care of our table (#19); we missed the interaction with the young people that we've had at other fish fries. Seemed the kids at this event were relegated to pouring beverages and staffing the dessert table.

Another disappointment was the lack of decoration. The room was completely void of any adornment, Catholic or otherwise.

We had an all time attendance high, 15, for this fish fry, which made it especially fun.

Would we return? Possibly, but not likely. As it's been stated before -- so many fish to fry ....

¡Pescado frito!

2009-03-01T13:03:00.027-05:00

Holy Name of Jesus
1630 Godfrey, S.W.

Wyoming, MI 49509

click here for a map

(Church is located at the corner of Chicago Drive and Godfrey Avenue; school, where fish fry is held, is right behind it)

Adults: $7
Seniors (65+): $6
Kids: $3.50

Date of visit: February 27, 2009

Parking: right next to entrance

Accessibility: easy; no steps to negotiate

Cost: $7.00 (included dessert (assorted baked goods))

Wait: none

Tables: lunch tables with attached bench seats

Gambling opportunities: 50/50 raffle—tickets $1 each, 6 for $5 (none of us won)

Highlights:

rice option
the maiden voyage into the world of lenten fish fries for one of our party
the dessert assortment
the slight Mexican spin

Holy Name of Jesus' fish fry was sold out when we tried to dine there last year, so we made it a point to visit early in the season this year. We arrived around 5:40 p.m. and experienced no wait either for tickets or the food.

HNoJ serves fried Alaskan pollock, choice of baked or fried potato or rice, and a variety of salads and desserts (which were included in the ticket price). Featured were a three-bean salad, a "Mexican" pasta salad (still can't figure out what made it Mexican), and the ubiquitious cole slaw which one of our party

liked and another didn't. There was an ambiguous green Jello dish that straddled the line between salad and dessert; definite desserts included cookies, cupcakes, and a German chocolate cake that we understand was quite tasty but was gone by the time we got around to sampling it.

Students made the rounds providing coffee and water fill ups, clearing tables, and selling raffle tickets. Once again we were disappointed in the lack of artwork, but considered that since our dining hall was a "gymateria," it was understandable (wouldn't want an errant basketball to tear something).

We enjoyed Dos Equis with our meal, as well as visiting with one of our party's neighbors who are members of the HNoJ parish.

Would we return? well, as it's been said many times before -- so many fish to fry, so little time!

Next week's destination: tentatively, St. Paul's on Burton S.E.

Fellow fish fry fans!

2009-02-21T12:28:00.001-05:00

While waiting in line at SJV, we overheard a conversation that sounded a lot like one of ours -- critiquing fish fries previously attended. Hope to see you at future fries!

Let the season begin

2009-02-21T12:15:00.011-05:00

St. John Vianney School
4101 Clyde Park, S.W.
Wyoming, MI 49509

click here for a map

(Located on the west side of Clyde Park (across from Resurrection Cemetery), between 36th and 44th streets.)

Date of visit: February 20, 2009

Parking: church parking lot right at door

Accessibility: could be challenging; had to trek behind the upper level bleachers of the gymnasium and down some stairs to get to the “village hall,” the basement-level (lunch?) room.

Cost: $8.00 (included dessert (ice cream))

Wait: A reasonable 10-15 minutes

Tables: banquet tables with chairs

Gambling opportunities: 50/50 raffle—tickets $2 each (none of us won)

Highlights:

well-organized
stylish aprons
beverages, seconds, and dessert brought to the tables
meeting other fish fry fans!

St. John Vianney in Wyoming got a jump start on the season

with their pre-Lenten February 20 fish fry. The well-organized feast was packed when we got their around 5:30, but we were able to commandere six seats together. (As an added bonus, some people your correspondent hadn't seen in years sat with us, and it was lovely visiting with them; maybe we'll see them at St. Al's later this season?)

The dinner was organized cafeteria-style. Offerings included fried or baked cod, baked potato or French fries, cole slaw, and a roll. Macaroni and cheese was also available for kids, although in order to provide a thorough review we also sampled it. Tartar sauce was offered at the end of the serving line, and individual servings of margarine and industrial sized ketchup bottles were available at the tables. We didn't see any malt vinegar or lemons.

The consensus was that the fried fish was far superior to the baked, and the baked potato clearly surpassed the fries. The cole slaw seemed to have too much mayonnaise or whatever it is that holds it together, but everyone ate it anyway. The rolls, however, were unnecessary (read: not that great) and macaroni and cheese -- well, let's say, the kids probably wouldn't complain, but it didn't come close to our memories of St. Isadore's M&C last year.

While we were disappointed the walls were stark white, with no artwork or decoration, the roving chefs carrying trays of fish fresh out of the fryer more than made up for it. Also, SJV students were quick to remove trays and trash, helping to keep the busy dining area uncluttered and relatively clean. Up to 1000 dinners are served weekly, we've been told.

Speaking of students, we quizzed a group why it was called St. John Vianney and not just St. John (keep in mind that your correspondent is not Catholic), and the most knowledgable, a sixth-grade boy, stated that Vianney was probably John's last name. Whatever.

Appropriately, we enjoyed Sacred Cow, an Arbor Brewing Co. IPA, with our meal.

Would we return? Well ... the season is young, and there are so many other fish to fry. Not likely, but one never knows.

Check back mid-week to for our Feb. 27 destination.

Training session

2009-02-18T11:32:00.005-05:00

The St. John Vianney Athletic Boosters are providing us with a training opportunity for this year's Lenten fish fries.

This Friday, February 20, they are holding an "all you can eat" fundraiser at the St. John Vianney Elementary School. At least some of us will be there. Any suggestions as to whether to do the beer thing?

Details:

St. John Vianney School

4101 Clyde Park SW

Wyoming, MI 49509

(in the Village Hall)

The school is located on Clyde Park, between 36th and 44th streets.

More information: 616 914-9824

The last supper

2008-03-19T10:59:00.016-04:00

Blessed Sacrament
2233 Diamond, N.E.
Grand Rapids, MI 49505
north of Knapp, between Fuller and Plainfield

Click here for a map

advice in the girl's bathroom--

Date of visit: March 21

Parking: school parking lot, street parking, fairly easy despite the snow

Cost: $7.50

Wait: About 15 minutes

Tables: banquet tables with chairs

No gambling opportunities!

Highlights:

very efficient operation
entertainment
both baked and fried fish about equally tasty
stylish aprons

Sweet Home Alabama? Not quite—it was definitely Michigan as we arrived at Blessed Sacrament School on Good Friday for the last fish fry of the season. However, the nasty winter weather on the second day of spring wasn’t much of a deterrent for faithful fish eaters. When we arrived close to 6 p.m., there was a line, but the wait was made more pleasant by friendly people and a guitar duo who serenaded us with the well-known Lynyrd Skynyrd tune and others.

BS has a very streamlined operation. When you purchase your meal, you’re asked: baked or fried fish (cod), baked potato or French fries, applesauce or cole slaw. You’re then handed a slip of paper with your choices highlighted, and give that to the kitchen worker who quickly presents you with a tray holding a plate containing your choices. Then you enter the gym, where you pick up cutlery, a lettuce salad, roll, condiments, and beverage.

The gym was crowded, but we were able to find seating for the eight of us. In the taste department, the consensus was that the baked fish barely inched out the fried. Volunteers, including members of Boy Scout Troop 230, whisked away the trays as soon as we sat down, and made many attempts to top off our coffee cups which contained not coffee but Bell’s Amber Ale. Signs notified us that because it was Good Friday, there would be no seconds, but the amount of food was ample and I doubt if anyone went away hungry. The ubiquitous dessert table had a mix of home-made and store-bought treats.

As far as we know, BS was the only church-run fish fry held on Good Friday in Grand Rapids. Not only was it the last fish fry of the season, but it was also the last one to be held in the building as it has been known as Blessed Sacrament School. Sweatshirts were on sale for All Saints School, which Blessed Sacrament School will become next fall as the result of several Catholic grade schools closing.

Would we return? Perhaps ... it was a good, all-around fish fry, and having it on Good Friday was an added plus.

Area for improvement: allow diners the option of having some fried and some baked fish

An empty parking lot

2008-03-12T20:55:00.006-04:00

Sacred Heart's empty parking lot

A lesson in verifying information
Where were the cars? Where were the people? All that we saw at Sacred Heart on Friday around 6 p.m. were empty parking spaces. It was clear from the lack of activity that there was no fish fry. We attempted to regroup -- rumor had that Our Lady of Sorrows had a fish fry so we headed over there. No fish fry. Holy Name of Jesus on the S.W. side had a fish fry, so we sped over there but by the time we arrived, around 6:30, the "sold out" sign was up. Some of us ended up getting take-out from El Adobe to have with this week's libation (Dogfish Head 60 Minute IPA); others headed to Thousand Oaks for a less hurried dining experience.

Apologies to all who headed to Sacred Heart for the non-existent dinner. Next Friday the plan is to go to Blessed Sacrament, on Diamond N.E., but I'll verify that they are holding the dinner before posting directions.

The Father, the Son, and the Mighty Condors

2008-03-05T16:34:00.018-05:00

Holy Trinity
1200 Alpine Church Road, N.W., west of Alpine
held in the school gym
Click here for map

Date of visit: March 7

Parking: church parking lot, easy

Cost: $7.50 for adults

Wait: About 15 minutes (arrived around 6:20)

Tables: banquet tables with chairs

Gambling opportunities: 50/50 raffle and a drawing for a free dinner at next week's fish fry--and one of us won!

High points:

served baked potato halves -- great idea!
"real" cutlery
cole slaw, while no doubt out of a carton, was rather tasty
baked fish quite good
beverages located on tables

A frosty late winter sunset over the fruit ridge greeted us as we pulled into HoT's parking lot. We used our noses to find the location for the dinner, and apparently got there just in time because shortly after we sat down to eat, we learned that they ran out of fried fish. No problem for us, though, as the servings were ample and the baked fish was worth getting seconds.

Macaroni and cheese was served along with French fries, the aforementioned baked potato halves, cole slaw, and bread. While not bad, there's no contest in the mac & cheese division; St. Isadore's remains the best so far this year. However, the cole slaw was quite good. Baked potatoes were a tiny bit underdone, and French fries average. Didn't have the bread or dessert. While in the queue we spied some peanut butter cookies with the Hershey kisses on top in the kitchen, but they never made an appearance on the dessert table (conveniently located behind us). Maybe they were hanging onto them for the kitchen crew, who looked exhausted as we passed by.

We had no problem enjoying our beverage of choice, this week Bell's Winter White ale--a perfect accompaniment to pollock on a Friday evening.

Would we return? Maybe, if we were in the neighborhood. As we have other fish to fry next week, the member of our party who won the free dinner for next week gave it to a family sitting nearby.

Area for improvement: group the tables differently so they are in groups of three, rather than long rows of six. Also, the lack of artwork was disappointing.

the reason for the season

Walleye!

2008-02-29T20:28:00.006-05:00

St. Alphonsus
205 Carrier N.E., near Leonard and Plainfield
held in the school gym
Click here for map

Dates of visits: February 8 (take out), February 29 (eat-in)

Parking: parking lot or on street; somewhat challenging

Cost: $7.75 for adults

Wait: 15 minutes at around 6:15 p.m. for eating there; no wait for take out

Tables: had to sit at one of those annoying lunch tables with the seats attached, but the 8 of us were able to sit together

Gambling opportunities: 50/50 raffle

Highpoints:

wonderful walleye
baked potatoes
cudos for using reusable plates and cutlery
Coca Cola products (instead of the mystery fluids often served at these things)
servers' cool fish hats

It's so good that we had to go to St. Alphonsus twice. St. Al's is renown for its walleye, and rightfully so. It seems there's always a line, but they're so good at this that it moves quickly and everyone is friendly. It was no problem for the last two of us to get in line with the others, rather than going to the end of the queue. The servers wore stylish fish hats, which added to the festive atmosphere. There were the requisite number of kids running around, but we did not notice a priest in attendance.

Both the baked and fried fish were exceptional, with the baked ranked just a tad higher than the fried. Seemed the sweetness of the fish came through more with the baked. Reports are that the french fries were great, and I had no complaint with my baked potato; it was moist and thoroughly cooked.

We were able to enjoy the beverages we brought, but it wasn't as easy to pour them into cups as it was at St. Izzy's. Plus, the cups were those very flimsy paper ones. Environmentally more sound but not as sturdy as the guilt-inducing styrofoam. One of our party shared with us that a church in Caledonia has a keg at their fish dinner; we'll have to add that to the list for next year.

St. Al's school, as well as St. Isadore's, will close at the end of this school year. They and some other Catholic schools are consolidating, and a new school will be established at the current Blessed Sacrament school (which will be our final destination this year, since they serve on Good Friday). Artwork containing the theme of the school closing decorated the walls near where we sat. Some was rather poignant. It was nice, but no competition for the eyes of Jesus.

Cole slaw was available as a side dish, as were rolls. They were okay, but nothing to write home about. I was told that the desserts--mostly cakes and brownies--were good.

Would we return? Definitely. Walleye! Need I say more?

Area for improvement: cole slaw

Time to call it quits?

2008-02-29T16:21:00.002-05:00

St. James
733 Bridge N.W., just west of downtown.
held in the (former school) gym
Click here for map

Date of visit: February 15

Parking: parking lot or on street; somewhat challenging

Cost: $8.00 for adults

Wait: less than 10 minutes at 6:30

Tables: we were able to get a table for our entire group

Gambling opportunities: 50/50 raffle

Styrofoam plates and plastic cutlery

Highpoints:

redskin new potatos
free state highway maps, courtesy of Rep. Michael Sax

Maybe it's because we got there on the late side, but except for the redskins, which were quite good, the offerings were okay, but not extraordinary. Maybe it was because it was set up buffet style. The baked haddock was better than the fried, probably because baked fish survives swimming in a serving container better than fried, which was soggy and tired. The macaroni and cheese was scary.

The dinner was held in the gym of the now closed St. James Catholic School, and perhaps that was the reason it felt so lethargic. It just didn't feel like a "live" place.

Would we return? Probably not.

Areas for improvement: fish, mac & cheese, atmosphere

Possibly the best M & C west of the Clarkston Union Grill?

2008-02-29T15:13:00.003-05:00

St. Isadore
625 Spring N.E., not far from I196 and Fuller.
held in the school gym
Click here for map

Date of visit: February 22

Parking: parking lot or on street, not a problem

Cost: $7.50 for adults

Wait: less than 10 minutes at 6:15

Tables: we were able to get a table for our entire group

Gambling opportunities: 50/50 raffle

Styrofoam plates and plastic cutlery

Highpoints:

fabulous macaroni and cheese
"Jesus' eyes are watching you" artwork on south wall
embroidered aprons for "fish fry 2008"

We were blown away by the incredible macaroni and cheese that accompanied St. Izzy's tasty, but unidentified, fish. We were told the mac and cheese was completely home made, and it tasted like it. Positively yummy; worth a return trip.

We got in line around 6:15, and it moved smoothly. The food was served at the kitchen window, rather than having a buffet. I think it helped immensely with quality control.

We also had no problem bringing our own beverages, although their attentive volunteers kept asking if they could fill up our coffee cups.

Extra points for St. Izzy's for having a priest in the kitchen cooking, some cool aprons for lenten fish fry 2008, and all-around pleasant atmosphere. Also, some extraordinary art work. I never knew Jesus had eyes like Timothy Leary.

Would we return: yes

Area for improvement: hardly any; French fries weren't too exciting, but still okay.