Fish Type: Bluegill Price: $10.75
Overall, I would highly recommend this Fish Fry.
| Fish Score: Good Potato Score: Excellent Tartar Score: Good Bread Score: Good Miscellaneous Score: Good |  |
Comment: There was a time when we werent big fans of the Big 10. There were a few reasons for our distaste, but it mainly focused on their tartar sauce which had to be some of the most dill laden we have ever eaten. This shoddy sauce made it easy for us to choose other options as we knew that all other things being equal at least their tartar would be better than that of the Big 10. Well, as time goes by people change, and apparently Fish Frys can do the same. Enter a new era at the Big 10.
I was rolling solo this particular Friday and chose the Big 10 on a whim. Truth be told, I was planning on pilfering a plate of walleye at Wandos, but thanks to the state wrestling tournament, downtown was more clogged than the pores of the youngsters competing in said grapplefest. Realizing that parking was going to be at a premium, I got out of there as quickly as humanly possible and made my way to the far end of Regent Street where I stumbled upon the Big 10 Pub. Since it was just me, I grabbed an open stool at the bar and threw my pitch to the bartender as soon as she stepped to the plate.
In typical Big 10 fashion I barely had the opportunity to get a sip off my drink before the fish was up. My $10.75 plate was well appointed with eight small bluegill fillets (with one perch mistakenly mixed in), two potato pancakes, generous cups of tartar, coleslaw AND applesauce, and a nice little round roll. I went for the bluegill and tartar first and foremost and was instantly stunned. The surprise wasnt due so much to the fish, but more to the splendid sauce that transformed it. While the lightly breaded bluegill was flaky and moist, it didnt have a lot of taste on its own. Thankfully, the sauce stepped in and took over, which was nice as it wasnt capable of picking up the slack the past.
This creamy butterfly broke loose from its dilly cocoon, and emerged anew as a beautiful blend of thick mayo, zesty relish and finely chopped pepper. It was easily a tenfold improvement over its predecessor and I actually used every single drop.
Traditionally the Big 10 has hung its hat on their homemade potato pancakes due to the fact that most places in the Madison area dont even offer classic cakes. It is always kind of a treat to get your hands on them, and today was no exception. The twins could barely be seen as they peeked out ever so slyly from beneath its bluegill blanket, but I did what was necessary to uncover and crack into them while they were still piping hot. The precious pancakes sported a delicious crispy crust around the edges and emitted a heavenly golden hue. They were joined by an ample cup of applesauce (apple chunks is more like it), and while they werent onion-y at all, the sweet and salty blend of potato and apple complimented the fish well.
The little round bun that rolled along was not your standard fare, but had a nice crust which was a little firm, but not hard. The slaw also moved beyond the norm as the homemade, creamy cabbage concoction was finely chopped, and had some serious zest. Both roll and slaw were above average and added a nice change of pace to their fried counterparts.
The Big 10 has made us big believers. We always knew the Fish Fry was good, but the tartar was usually a deal breaker. Well, they have turned a corner in our book and with such a great lineup it might be tough for the pack to keep up. We will have to return soon to ensure this tartar transformation wasnt a fluke, but if it is what we experienced this visit I will have no problem highly recommending this Fish Fry from here on out. The Big 10 has always been good enough to walk the line, but as of today they are finally runnin with the big dogs.
big10pub.com/
1330 Regent Street
Madison, WI 53715
(608) 251-6375
