Another Lent, another all-you-can-eat fish fry. Is your mouth watering for that first bite of soggy, deep-fried cod? Yeah, that’s what we thought. This year, tweak tradition a bit: Skip the meat, but don’t sacrifice style. We’ve reeled in five places that will actually have you looking forward to Fridays.
South Water Kitchen
225 N. WABASH AVE. 312-236-9300
Executive sous chef Hugh Amano knows that customers don’t mess around when it comes to a Friday-night fish fry. “People are ready to take it outside when it comes to whether you serve potato pancakes or French fries on the side,” he says. With South Water’s new all-you-can-eat Friday special (dinner $20, lunch $15), he’s not messing around either. His amped-up version uses Berghoff beer-battered cod, which he serves with a housemade dill-flecked tartar sauce and a tangy apple-cider cole slaw. The meal includes a housemade fruit cobbler to boot. And, for the record, at South Water Kitchen, the side of choice is French fries.
Keefer’s
20 W. KINZIE ST. 312-467-9525
Glenn Keefer’s swanky River North restaurant isn’t just another steak house. Sure, it’s got a rep with the carnivorous crowd, but with fish comprising nearly one-third of his sales, Keefer is willing to go mahi-a-mahi with any seafood joint in town. Keefer’s offers a $49.95 three-course, prix-fixe seafood menu during Lent, but we recommend the elegant take on fish and chips ($16.95): Guinness-battered hake–a sweeter, lighter sister of cod–coated in panko for extra bite.
J & R Caribbean Restaurant
3660 S. INDIANA AVE. 773-924-1900
Want to escape to someplace warm and sunny for Lent, but the farthest your spring break pass will get you is the South Side? Try this bustling Bronzeville Caribbean spot, where you’ll find at least one of two traditional Jamaican Lenten fish: kingfish (which is similar to mackerel) or red snapper (both market price; usually $12 and up). Co-owner and chef Roy Taylor can prepare the fish one of two ways: mild, marinated with okra, bell peppers and carrots; or spicy, topped with a jalapeno or fiery scotch bonnet vinaigrette.
Devon Seafood Grill
39 E. CHICAGO AVE. 312-440-8660
By the end of Lent, you’re going to feel beer-battered to death. This Gold Coast seafood house has the antidote: almond-encrusted tilapia ($22.50). The crunchy coating provides a nice body, and while there’s no beer batter, you do get a smooth-as-silk amaretto-infused beurre blanc to top this tasty fish. Plus, mild tilapia is a great starter fish for those who swear they’ll never touch the stuff.
Wellfleet at The Fish Guy
4423 N. ELSTON 773-283-7400
Can’t wait until Friday for your fish fix? In-the-know fish-lovers have been docking at this Elston Avenue fish shop for a Thursday-only BYOB restaurant called Wellfleet since last October. The space may not be much to look at, but get a load of some highlights of this month’s $100 prix-fixe menu: roasted mussels and Nantucket Bay scallops in saffron-herb broth; line-caught cod poached in miso and topped with spicy radish and English pea emulsion; seared bigeye tuna with wasabi mashed potatoes. Here’s the catch: Space is strictly limited to 12 diners, and it fills up fast. Can’t get in this week? Try the Friday special to-go: deep-fried shrimp (10 for $8.95; 40 for $30), which comes with cocktail sauce and a zippy rice-wine coleslaw.
5 FRIDAY-NIGHT, ALL-YOU CAN-EAT FAVES
T’s Restaurant and Bar
5025 N. Clark St. 773-784-6000
Price: $12
Beer: $7 double pints
Blue Bayou
3734 N. Southport Ave. 773-871-3300
Price: $9.95
Beer: $ 3 Sam Adams drafts
Innjoy
2051 W. Division St.
773-394-2066
Price: $9.95
Beer: $3 Bud Select
Sweet Alice
1415 N. Milwaukee Ave. 773-227-3310
Price: $8.95
Beer: $2.50 Old Style bottles
Moretti’s Ristorante & Pizzeria
1645 W. Jackson Blvd.
312-850-0208
Price: $6.99, lunch only
Beer: $12-$18 beer table taps
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