Sacred Heart of Mary Catholic Church

March 31, 2006

Lenten Fish Fry
Sacred Heart of Mary Catholic Church
6739 South Boulder Road, Boulder, CO
Cost: $5/person, $12.50/family
March 31 only
http://www.sacredheartofmary.org/

I was lucky enough to find out about this fish fry from a good friend who is also a paritioner at this church. This is a one-night-only fish fry event and the least expensive lenten dinner so far! The menu included fried fish, grilled cheese sandwiches, french fries, and cole slaw. To drink there was coffee, lemonade, or water. Condiments included ketchup and tartar sauce.

This is a no frills fish fry, and you weren't finding any baked fish here. But the fried fish was the best I've had so far this lent! It was battered white fish (probably cod), but the batter had a good savory flavor and the fish inside was very moist. The grilled cheese sandwhiches were excellent...really. They were thick and cheesy on crisp, buttery bread. I had no idea grilled cheese sandwhiches at a fish fry could be so good. The french fries were just ordinary thick cut fries, nothing to write home about. The cole slaw, however, was home made to perfection. It was mostly vinegar with a slight amount of mayonnaise - I wanted seconds and I don't normally care for cole slaw. The downside of this dinner? There was no dessert!

This was a smaller fish fry than most, and most of the people there were either elderly or parents with young children. There were only maybe ten tables set up, and they were all full. As we prepared our plates for dinner, we wondered where we might sit. However, just at the right time, a section of table opened up and we took our seats. Normally part of my score includes not only the food at the fish fry, but also the atmosphere and whether or not I feel welcomed. Well this week, I'm biased on those things; since my friend and Sacred Heart paritioner joined us, of course I felt very welcomed and was introduced to several paritioners. However, I have to say that the food stands up for itself this week. Except they really should have had a bake sale.

I give this Lenten fish fry four out of five Ichthus.

St. Mary's Catholic Church

March 24, 2006

Community Fish Bake in Marian Hall
St. Mary's Catholic Church
6853 S. Prince Street, Littleton, CO
Cost: $10/adult, $4/child - all proceeds go to charities
Fridays March 10 - April 7
http://www.stmarylittleton.org/

This isn't your typical lenten fish fry. In fact, it's a fish bake and not a fish fry at all, but the Knights of Columbus are doing it up right. On the menu is salmon, potatos, ziti and cheese, corn, grilled cheese sandwiches, applesauce, cole slaw, raw veggies with dressing, dinner rolls, and ice cream. To drink there was tea, lemonade, water, wine (no extra charge), and coffee.

The salmon is baked with lemons and black pepper and other seasonings. I would have liked a little more seasoning in my opinion, but I'm not complaining because it was very good and... it was salmon, for goodness sake. Also there was salt and pepper at the table, so no problem. No macaronie and cheese would do as a side to that fish, so ziti in a parmasean cream sauce was offered instead. The ziti was cooked just right and not overcooked at all. In addition to the cream sauce, there was grated parmasean on top. If I'd had more room, I'd have gone back for seconds on that. Yum! The potatos were baked potato wedges. I noticed some had more herbs on them than others. Mine was void of herbs, but still good. The corn was off the cob and seasoned with diced bell peppers of different colors. I even tried the grilled cheese, which wasn't bad. It was you're typical grilled cheese, there to satisfy kids who don't like fish. There was even what looked to be an appetizer of some sort next to the grilled cheese. It appeared to be tuna fish on saltine crackers. (Do kids love that?) The applesauce was good - it wasn't homemade or anything, but it was there as a side to the grilled cheese, and as such it was just right. The cole slaw was the downside of the meal. It was too creamy and tasted like that served at fast food restaurants. There were four differnt kinds of dinner rolls from Great Harvest offered: white, light wheat, honey wheat, and nine grain. Also offered were raw carrots and celery, along with ranch dressing. In addition to the dressing, condiments included butter (for the rolls), a mustard dill sauce, and cocktail sauce.

When we first drove up to the church, we commented on what a nice large complex it was. To get to Marion Hall, you first walk in to the large entry way of the church, which is beautiful. The hall itself is downstairs and you can either take the stairs or the elevator (fancy!) The hall was a large room which was about half full when we got there shortly after the dinner began. There were people of varying ages enjoying the dinner. We chose an empty table at which to sit, but were soon joined by a friendly St. Mary's paritioner and later his friends. I felt very welcomed. There were very young Boy Scouts serving as bus boys who, once they got over their initial shyness, were quite attentive. There were also kids serving coffee to tables and towards the end off our meal, they came around to serve us Neopolitan ice cream. In addition to the ice cream, there was a bake sale which we strategically sat near, and I got a piece of cherry pie for seventy-five cents. Delicious.

I am looking forward to going to this fish bake again next year. And heck, if it wasn't so far from my house, I'd even start doing my banking there! (On the way out, we discoverd the St. Mary's Credit Union.) This church has it all.

I give this Lenten fish bake four out of five Ichthus.

Shrine of St. Anne Catholic Church

March 17, 2006

Third Annual Lenten Friday Fish Fry
Shrine of St. Anne's McCormick Center
7555 Grant Place, Arvada, CO
Cost: Adults $7, children 10 and under $3
Fridays through March 18: 5-7 p.m.
http://www.catholic-forum.com/churches/522stann/stann_home.html

This is the third annual fish fry at St. Anne's and if the first two were anything like this one, there is no reason to go back for the fourth. On the menu was baked or fried fish, macaronie and cheese, cubed red potatoes, cole slaw, bread, and brownies for dessert. Drinks included water, milk, or coffee. No beer (and on St. Patrick's Day no less!) With our payment we were also entered in a raffle for prizes at the end of the evening.

Everything was all-you-can-eat, but there was little reason to go back. The fried fish was from the grocery store - it was basically Van de Kamps battered fish. It had good flavor, but you could make it yourself - and better - at home. The baked fish had no flavor at all. The familiar cylindrical shape of the macaronie and cheese could only mean one thing: Kraft Dinner. Other than being overcooked, it was good, but I happen to like Kraft mac & cheese. Again, you could make this - better - at home. One of best parts of the meal, however, was the baby red potatoes which were cut into about one-inch chunks and were seasoned with rosemary and other herbs. They were flavorful and delicious. The same could not be said of the cole slaw. It was a sickly un-natural white color and I only ate a few bites. Yuck. The brownies, although also not homemade, were were moist, rich and nutty with just a bit of frosting. But a good brownie does not a fish fry make.

The atmostphere at this parish center was reminiscent of an assisted living center. The majority of the parish seems to be elderly people who, judging on the food served, cannot cook. There were anxious Boy Scout bus boys who picked up plates and silverware, and other than those boys asking if we were done or had any trash, we didn't really talk to anyone. We stayed until the end, however, in hopes of winning one of the two coveted raffel prizes: a set of plastic tumblers or a set of plastic bowls. Alas, this wasn't a winning evening - for the drawing or for the food.

I give this Lenten fish fry two out of five Ichthus.


Publish

Risen Christ Catholic Church

March 10, 2006

Risen Christ Parish Center Lenten Fish Fry
3060 S. Monaco Parkway, Denver, CO
Cost: Adults $8, Children ages 5-13 $4, if family exceeds two adults and two children the whole family eats for $25. (Take-out is available)
March 3-17: 5-7 p.m.
http://www.risenchristchurch.org/

This must be a popular fish fry considering the number people that attended this dinner - the parking lot was crowded. But it was no problem finding a place to sit in the large room filled with tables. On the menu was fried fish, baked fish, baked potato, french fries, cole slaw, macaronie and cheese, and a little ice cream sundae cup. You could also purchase goodies from the bake sale going on in the next room. Drink options included coffee, lemonade, box wine (Burgundy or Chablis), and beer. Alcoholic drinks were no extra charge. Condiments available included tartar sauce, vinegar, Frank's Red Hot sauce, ketchup, and butter and sour cream for baked potatos.

The fried fish was a white fish - pollock or cod probably - with a crispy battered crust. It needed salt, but other than that it was quite good. The baked fish was the same type of fish served in a lemon herb sauce with capers(!). Other than being over-cooked, this was a very tasty option. Maybe it was the capers. The baked potato was just a typical baked potato wrapped in foil, and of course you could add butter and sour cream if you so desired. French fries were thick, but crisp and had a good salty flavor. I imagine some helpful paritioners made the homemade macaronie and cheese. It tasted good, but the serving I had was overcooked to the point that it looked like potato salad. However, I noticed others who came in a bit later got much better looking mac and cheese (with shells in tact), so maybe I just got served from an unfortunate batch. The cole slaw was a creamy mayo-based cabbage and carrots, and had a rich flavor that we couldn't quite place. Although I didn't try to get a second serving on my dinner, I doubt anyone would have minded if I did. And as if a tiny ice cream sundae wasn't enough to top of this dinner, ladies from the bake sale came around to the tables entice us with their homemade baked goods. There were slices of cake, cupcakes, and brownies which were offered at very reasonable prices: 25 cents for a large brownie, and 20 cents for smaller options.

We sat at the end of a long table alone and about midway through our dinner a nice couple (Helen and Forrest) came over and sat next to us. They were very friendly and we had a good time talking to them - we even stayed past "last call" for alcohol. I also got a great tip on another church to visit for a lenten fish fry! As we were leaving [we had to, they were packing up the tables], someone from the kitchen was going around offering fried pickles to those still left in the dining room. Helen took one and noted that it was very salty, but still I thought it was a nice touch. Something different. I felt very welcome and enjoyed my experience.

I give this Lenten fish fry three out of five Ichthus.

Christ on the Mountain Catholic Church

March 3, 2006

Knights of Columbus Lenten Fish Fry
13922 W. Utah Ave., Lakewood, CO
Cost: $7.50/person with a family paying no more than $25.
Fridays through March 18: 5-7 p.m.
http://www.christonthemountain.org/

The Knights of Columbus are serving up pretty typical Lenten fare at Christ on the Mountain parish in Lakewood. For $7.50 you get fried or baked fish, hushpuppies or french fries, macaroni and cheese, cole slaw, a drink (water, iced tea, coffee, or lemonade – and there was also a “bar” serving beer and wine), and cake for dessert. It didn’t seem that there was any limit to the number of times you could get additional servings, but you did have to wait in line again to do so. Condiments available included Tabasco sauce, ketchup, tartar sauce, and vinegar.

The fish was unexceptional. The fried fish was battered and tasted like the typical kind of fish that fast food restaurants serve and just call “fish”. (What kind is that?) It was not overly flavorful or crisp, though it was being fried right outside the Community Hall. The baked fish was the same kind of “fish”. However, we did get a surprise when we went back for more fried fish and received catfish the second time around. The catfish was just average however – it was also battered and needed salt. The hushpuppies were savory and flavorful; the cole slaw was standard cabbage and carrots in a creamy sauce. The macaroni and cheese was very creamy. The cake was store bought and had a lot of icing on it, but they did have three different kinds to choose from.

The venue is rather small – there were probably around 30-40 people in the Community Hall at any given time – but there was at times a line of people at the door. We overheard one person comment that the crowd was larger than expected. The people we sat with were friendly, and the view of the mountains from the Community Hall made the trip worthwhile even if the fish didn’t.

I give this Lenten fish fry three out of five Ichthus.