Fish and all, it’s all good at The Fishery

[Robin Garr]

Fish and all, it’s all good at The Fishery

The Fishery's fried Icelandic cod platter features a generous portion of three fillets and two sides.


For a long time I had my doubts about the trope that Louisville really loves its fish so much that we sell more cod than any other city except Boston, the home of the bean and … well, you know. Yeah, we love those fried cod sandwiches like the delights from The Fishery.

I didn’t realize how much we love our fried cod sandwiches, though, until we moved to New York City in the early 1990. Guess what: No matter how much I craved, I couldn’t get a good old Louisville-style fried cod sandwich anywhere. I am not considering Mickey D’s Filet-O-Fish in this discussion.

Okay, I can’t rule out the possibility of finding a decent mild white fish sandwich in, say, the Midwest and Great Lakes region. But when I checked with some seafood purveyors for a 2012 piece about Louisville’s cod consumption, I learned that it’s true: We really were up there close to Boston.

So spare my your hot browns and your benedictine. Louisville’s true iconic dish is the fried cod sandwich. I’ll take mine on rye!

We’re more than halfway through Lent now. If that matters to you, you’ll want to get your fish on soon. As for me, I’ll head for The Fishery any time.

I’ve been a fan of The Fishery since it opened in 1983. Current co-owners Matt Clark and Carol Clark-Kassai, the second ownership generation, have been in charge for 18 years, says the restaurant’s website, which declares its cod sandwich “the best fish sandwich in town.” That’s a tough race to call, but I certainly agree it’s a contender.

The menu is concise but offers plenty of choice. The Icelandic cod alone affords a choice of four plates: A six-ounce fried cod sandwich ($8.45, plus $2.95 more for two sides) a baked cod platter ($13.95 with two sides); a little 3-ounce sandwich for kiddos or seniors ($4.25), or our invariable pick, the 10-ounce fried cod platter with two sides). ...

Read the complete article on LouisvilleHotBytes,
http://www.louisvillehotbytes.com/fish-good-fishery

You'll also find this review in LEO Weekly's Food & Drink section today.
http://www.leoweekly.com/category/food-drink/

The Fishery
3624 Lexington Road
895-1188
http://thefisheryky.com
https://facebook.com/CatchOfStMatthews

They do oysters really well too when in season.

[Robin Garr]

Is there still a season for oysters? I know we all grew up with "only in months with an 'r' in the name," but I thought that went away when air shipping came in. I know Mazzoni's went year-round long before they closed down.

Well, I was kind of thinking the same thing Robin but have run into some difficulties in a couple restaurants when I order rolled or pan fried oysters. At least, in the summer.

[Robin Garr]

Beats me, Carla. This calls for research!

I could be totally off-base, and I should probably do a little research before posting this, but I've always understood that the no oysters during months without an R thing relates to where the oyster bed is located. Specifically, this applies to oysters in Florida and possibly the other Gulf states. During the summer months, the warmer sea water promotes a bacteria (or something, I can't recall specifically) that can make the oyster dangerous for consumption. I was also told that this doesn't apply to oysters from other parts of the country that don't experience similar temperature spikes in the summer. Anyhoo, that's what I was told many years ago while vacationing in the Sunshine State.

[Robin Garr]

Okay, I did the research and found consistent answers from several reputable food sites: It's perfectly fine to eat them all year, but cooler weather oysters are better. Here's Serious Eats:

The bivalves are available all year, but they're best eaten in the colder months from September to April. While a long-standing myth says oysters should not be eaten during months that do not contain an "R" (May through August), oysters generally are thin in the summer because they devote their energy to reproducing.

Full article with more info:
https://www.seriouseats.com/2011/03/in- ... cipes.html

For more details that may prompt you to avoid summer oysters anyway ("snot bag"!?) The New York Times is there for you, if the paywall isn't an issue.
https://www.nytimes.com/2017/05/05/scie ... onths.html

Well we don’t want to mess up a family base!
Thanks for the info!