Fish Type: Cod Price: $7.50
Overall, I would recommend this Fish Fry.
| Fish Score: Good Potato Score: Fair Tartar Score: Excellent Bread Score: Good Miscellaneous Score: Good |  |
Comment: When it comes to Wilsons you could say weve been there, done that. When it come to nearly every other restaurant in Madison you could say the same about Madison A to Z. Nicole and JM (the gurus behind the well respected blog) have been just about everywhere, and when they messaged us inquiring about a(nother) Fish Fry date, we were powerless to resist their charms.
Back in March we escorted the delightful duo on their excursion to Tobys and had a great time in doing so. These are a couple smart cookies and we had blast BSing with them on our first meeting. This time around I knew it would be just as much fun, if not more so, since Gabe is back in action and quite an astute gent in his own right. MFF and A to Z, it would seem, are a perfect match.
Our fishly contingent arrived at Wilsons at noon, and grabbed one of the 6-person high-top tables like we always do. A to Z rolled in shortly thereafter, and joined the four of us. Unfortunately, the ever-reliable Mack was nowhere to be seen (suspected to be in St. Louie for the Brewers-Cardinals game) and it took much longer than normal for his stand-in to swing by. Eventually he came over, dropped some menus (now with anti-theft devices, no joke), and ran to get us a round of drinks. When he came back with the beverages our orders went in mostly 3-piece Fish Frys, with Nicole opting for the eponymous Wilson Burger.
As per usual, the fish came in about 10, minutes and was scalding hot - as its supposed to be. The three pieces were the standard Wilsons fare, and the meaty hunks were as delicious as ever. They featured Wilsons signature light, crumbly breading, and were COMPLETELY devoid of grease while not being dried out. We simply love this stuff, thats all there is to it.
Pairing perfectly with the consummate cod was Wilsons thick, creamy tartar. This splendid sauce compliments the fish so well that youll think youve died and gone to heaven, or Davy Jones locker, if you will. I often wonder if tartar sauce can get any better than this, and the more I do, then less I think it can. Wilsons simply owns the sauce.
You know we love Wilsons, and from outward appearances it seemed like the fish impressed A to Z too. Unfortunately, today Wilsons fries took a step back, impressing no one. The matchstick-style fries were under-fried, totally lifeless, and detracted from the overall glory of the Fish Fry. While they were still better than those of yore, they were a far cry from the best of the best, leaving all at the table unimpressed. Doh!
Speaking of dough, the tear-off dinner roll was as starchy and delicious as ever. It was soft and hearty, and complimented the fish/tartar combo with its delicate texture.
If there is one thing that has always been a letdown at Wilsons it is the coleslaw. Never in all our visits have we enjoyed the homemade blend and its strangely bland bonding agent. Well, lo and behold, times they are a-changin and we were treated to a whole new rendition of the cabbag-y concoction this time around. The updated slaw was creamy and zesty, and seemed to be heavier on the shredded carrot. It was a total 180, and the consensus at the table was that this was Wilsons finest effort to date.
Wilsons is also infamous for leaving their ketchup out indefinitely, which leads to it being a tart, vinegar-y disaster. Well, maybe we got lucky, or maybe theyve finally caught on, but this time Gabes favorite condiment was thicker, more consistent and actually tasted like ketchup. It was a bit of a miracle, and Im not fully ready to say theyve figured it out for good, but things are looking up. Well test it again our next trip to be sure
This is still one of our favorite little Fish Frys and we are glad we got to share it with two of Madtowns finest in Nicole and JM. Overall, we recommend the Fish Fry at Wilsons and will be back time and again until they give us a good reason not to. And who knows? Maybe them bloggers will even come with again sometime?
www.wilsonssportsbarandgrill.com/
2144 Atwood Avenue
Madison, WI 53704
(608) 241-2226
