Wisconsin Friday Night Fish Frys Aren't Just Enjoyed During Lent

 

by Pamela S. Meyers 

Photo Resource:  Travel Wisconsin.com

While growing up in southern Wisconsin, you can be sure that my Friday nights often involved going out for a fish fry. When I moved out of state for a number of years, I enjoyed eating other foods on Friday nights, but nothing ever tasted as good as a plate of deep-fried Cod, coleslaw, rye bread, and fries or potato pancakes. 

It was not only a great way to end the workweek but a means of catching up with friends. Something I miss a lot since I live in a much more populated area now.

Ad from Lake Geneva Regional News
dated 1951

Nearly every eatery in town served its own version of the tasty meal, be it the clubhouse at the local golf course (that was only open during the golfing season) or a lodge next to the waters of Geneva Lake during any time of the year. 

How did Wisconsin become known for this special meal?

During the 19th Century, many Polish families immigrated to America and settled in Milwaukee on a small peninsula called Jones Island that jutted out into Lake Michigan. The men soon adapted their crop raising skills to fishing and Jones Island became the center of a thriving fish industry. Since most of the Polish were Catholic, the main component of their Friday night meal was deep-fried fish, served with a crusty slice of Rye bread and other sides. (See this article to read how a Milwaukee peninsula became an island)

Milwaukee’s historian, Kyle Cherek host of the PBS show "Wisconsin Foodie" until 2019, explains

Another ad from the 1950s. Note although
this restaurant was known for its excellent
choices it also included a fish fry
on Friday nights. 

 the Friday fish fry tradition can be traced as far back as far as 1249, when canon law forbade Catholics to consume red meat on Fridays. By the mid-19th century, the fish fry had become a classic lunch for the Irish and Polish immigrants that had resettled in Milwaukee, and the Jones Island neighborhood became the center of freshwater fishing. 

The proximity to such a large body of water made fish, such as cod and perch, an affordable and readily available food source. It wasn’t long before restaurants of all types in the cities and rural areas of the state had a Friday night fish fry every week of the year. 

I lived for seven years just minutes from the Pacific in Southern California and enjoyed many seafood meals at Redondo Beach Pier and other places there, but I still think there is nothing like a Wisconsin Friday night fish fry. When I was growing up, some eateries around Lake Geneva gave diners a choice of fish with bones or without. My mom loved picking the bones out of her fish until one became caught in her throat and our meal was interrupted by a visit to the doctor. After that, she went boneless. I don’t think that choice is offered anymore. 

Ad from 2015 showing some of the local restaurants that serve a Friday fish fry in
the Lake Geneva area.
You can be sure no matter which one you pick, 
you'll be sure to see people you know. 

Does the area where you live have a century-long traditional meal? Please share. And while you do, I’m heading to my kitchen to prepare a fish fry. I’ve found a brand of frozen fish that tastes almost the same as being there when prepared in an air fryer. 

Resources: 

Mashed.com: Why The Friday Fish Fry Became A Wisconsin Tradition

https://www.milwaukeemag.com/milwaukees-lost-fishing-village/

The Lake Geneva Regional News, various editions accessed by Newspapers.com

Pam Meyers lives in northern Illinois with her two rescue cats. She's very happy to be within an hour's drive of Wisconsin's great fish frys. 

All Grace Bauer has wanted to do since she was a child was to fly airplanes. When the Women Airforce Service Pilots (WASP) organizes for female pilots to ferry new bomber aircraft to stateside military bases, Grace applies. She never tires of flying B-17s and other aircraft, and dreams of being one of the first females to pilot a commercial airliner after the war.

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