Fish Type: Walleye Price: $7.50
Overall, I would recommend this Fish Fry.
| Fish Score: Good Potato Score: Excellent Tartar Score: Good Bread Score: Good Miscellaneous Score: Good |  |
Comment: The Cottage Café doesnt advertise their Fish Fry, so for the longest time we had no idea that the breakfast/lunch hot spot was even in the game. It turns out they are not only in the game, but are a major player. Who knew? And more importantly, why didnt you tell us about it?
The Café closes at 2pm so you have to get there early, but if you do you have your choice of a 2-piece cod for a mere $6 or $7.50 for fair-sized piece of walleye. There are even $5 smelt and $6 catfish options available (although the feeling we got from the waitress was that these were not breaded in-house). Before the fish arrived we were treated to some scrumptious homemade coleslaw which had a subtle hint of horseradish, and our choice of dinner rolls or cornbread. My roll was warm and delicious as was the cornbread from all reports. There was also the option to try the soup of the day instead of the coleslaw and from what Julia had to say, the Brat-n-Cabbage was simply divine.
The scuttlebutt on the web is that the service at the CC has a tendency to be hit and miss, but we experienced nothing of the sort. We had our fish in 5 minutes flat, and it was nice and hot - like it should be. The cod was clearly hand breaded and while the fish was flaky, it was a little dry. The breading on the two long thin cod slices was subtly spiced and little crunchy. While the flavor was fine, a little more spice would certainly have been welcome. It appeared the walleye had the same exterior element, but the crispy coating seemed to work a little better with the thicker, moister, freshwater fish fillet.
The cod actually paired better with the thick tartar sauce than did the walleye as the relish-mayo blend overcame the lack of moisture present in the cod, but didnt enhance the flavors in the walleye. While the (homemade?) sauce was about average it did have strange twinge that I couldnt quite put my finger on making it slightly less than ideal.
As you might expect from a place that emphasizes breakfast and luncheons the hash browns with cheese and onion were excellent. The greasy spuds were layered with a single slice of melted American cheese and capped off with some wonderful caramelized onions.
The Fish Fry at the Cottage Café is a strictly no-nonsense affair with very few frills. Their conscious decision to keep things simple is reflected in the outstanding prices which results in what is assuredly one of the best values in town. In addition, the service was quick, friendly and to the point and we were in and out in a little over a half-hour. Not too shabby. Overall, we can easily recommend this Fish Fry and wont hesitate to come back any time we are in need of good food at great prices. And hey, maybe next trip well try the Spam & Eggs - a real steal at around five bucks.
www.facebook.com/pages/Cottage-Cafe/114766878598118
915 Atlas Avenue
Madison, WI 53714
(608) 221-4815
