Fish Type: Lake Perch Price: $14.25
Overall, I would highly recommend this Fish Fry.
| Fish Score: Excellent Potato Score: Good Tartar Score: Excellent Bread Score: Good Miscellaneous Score: Good |  |
Comment: The Villa Tap is my place. Well, it's not literally mine, but you know what I'm sayin'. It's the place I go to when I want great fish for a fair price with a friendly smile and no BS. It's my Cheers and while not everybody knows my name, I prefer it that way.
As per usual we showed up at the Villa for lunch, since the dinner crowd is a little too ferocious to take on with a toddler. We got "our" booth and got our order to Chico in about 2 minutes flat. The lavish perch was fried to perfection no longer than five minutes after that and set in front of us looking like something out of a storybook.
In addition to the real deal lake perch, the Tap also has cod (which I've never tried), walleye (which is wonderful), and bluegill (which is bona fide). Of course, I'm a sucker for the perch and think it's the best out there so 9/10 times that's what I go for, but for those in the mood for something else there are plenty of options. Today five fillets owned the plate and were as meaty as any you will find. They come coated with the a superbly seasoned breading that is 100% grease-free and 1,000,000% delicious. While I think it can be purchased by anyone, not many others seem to have caught on. They should...
A hearty handful of skin-on freezer fries form a golden mountain for the perch to scale, and scale they do. This spud squadron is stacked high positioning some perch near the vertical. Luckily, hungry mitts are there to catch any fish who may lose their grip on the fry mountain and position them safely lip-side.
The best fish out there can easily be eaten with or without tartar and Chico's perch falls squarely into that camp. Regardless, a near-prefect sauce is supplied and highlights all the best things the fish has to offer. A basic roll, and some standard slaw also come along, but just are what they are - nothing fancy.
I can honestly say I have never had a bad experience at the Villa and while I haven't been there at night for a long time I don't think a little bit of a wait would change my mind. Overall, we continue to highly recommend this Fish Fry and will be back again soon. Like maybe even today...
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2302 Packers Avenue
Madison, WI 53704
(608) 244-9627
