Fish Type: Cod Price: $13.00
Overall, I would highly recommend this Fish Fry.
| Fish Score: Excellent Potato Score: Good Tartar Score: Good Bread Score: Good Miscellaneous Score: Good |  |
Comment: One bad apple spoils the bunch, or so they say. Personally I try not to judge the a whole lot of anything based on one bad seed, but even I fall victim to recency bias from time to time. Such is the case with the Mid Town Pub. I visited the MTP numerous time over the years and really loved their fried cod. One day I decided What the hell, Ill give their walleye a try, what could go wrong? The cod is great so the walleye must be too, right? Well, the walleye wasnt, and ever since I have been gun-shy about returning. I should have known better than to let that one bad apple spoil my bunch.
My return to the MTP came after checking their website and seeing the addition of several new and intriguing vegetarian options. I knew my vegetarian wife would be happy with them so we saddled up the Suabru and headed toward Middleton. The cod special goes for $13 and since we were early we had our pick of the litter table-wise. In addition, the MTP has really stepped their up game over the years with an impressive beer selection and all-around amazing service (all the wait staff wait on all the tables which is something I dont think Ive ever seen before it really worked well).
The most important part of any Fish Fry is the fish so lets start there. The cod is served in three LARGE pieces with a substantive, but not too thick beer batter. The batter has plenty of favor, but not so much that it has to be dissected (if that even makes sense). It pairs perfectly with the clean and flaky fish, and while there was a tiny bit of grease present, it was mostly concealed by the batter. While I like this kind of cod, and there is nothing glaringly wrong with it, it doesnt really have anything special about it per se. That said, this is exactly what 80% of the Fish Fry going public are after so I cant fault the pub for pleasing the masses. For me it slips into excellent territory because of the consistency and the universal appeal.
Several side options are slung along with the fish and I, for some reason, settled on the onion rings. The thick-cut hoops host a crispy batter and were fried just right, but nothing about them really stood out. Likewise, the tartar does what it has to do but didnt leave me longing for more (although I did need a second of the small cups since the portion of cod was so mighty). Its a relish-dominated mix that is dillier-than-average but still takes the fish up a notch.
A nice side of creamy style slaw has enough bite to let you know its there without doing anything funky, while a big old slab of garlic toast is untraditional but uniquely inviting. While I did see several plates go back to the kitchen with the toast fully intact Ill give them some props for taking the chance. It worked for me.
The Mid Town Pub clearly has one of the best Fish Frys Middleton has to offer and I totally regret letting one bad experience sour me on them for so long. Overall, we highly recommend this Fish Fry and will certainly make it a point to come back more frequently in the future.
www.midtownpub.com
2405 Allen Boulevard
Middleton, WI 53562
(608) 826-5129
