Fish Type: Walleye Price: $16.00
Overall, I would highly recommend this Fish Fry.
| Fish Score: Excellent Potato Score: Excellent Tartar Score: Good Bread Score: Excellent Miscellaneous Score: Good |  |
Comment: Conventional wisdom would have you believe that a New York style deli wouldnt know the first thing about a traditional Wisconsin Fish Fry. Conventional wisdom would also have you believe that $16 is an exorbitant amount for any meal not including a big old hunk of steak or some sort of fancy crustacean. When it comes to Stalzys Deli you can take all that conventional crap and throw it out the window. They are currently making one mean Fish Fry and while it will cost ya, it will be worth every stinking penny.
Now, you wont find MFF endorsing too many high priced plates of fish, and at $16 youd probably think we wouldnt want anything to do with this one, but youd be wrong. While the price might be higher than average, the portion is gigundo, and every single element is done with care. It is a rare animal indeed, and perhaps the most traditional Fish Fry in town (if you find walleye traditional, that is).
While it wont arrive in the blink of an eye (ours took about 15 minutes), it will come freshly fried and look simply amazing. One large plate wasnt even enough to hold the massive amount of food that appeared in front of me with the bread necessitating a side dish. The bread plate came with two full slices one rye and one French so as not to discriminate against the rye-haters. Both styles were very nice, but the rye in particular paired excellently with homemade coleslaw. The slaw was of the creamy variety and while it was crisp and fresh it could have used a bit more pop (this is a very petty complaint on our part though, it was still very good).
The main plate featured two massive chunks of walleye, two thin, but wide potato pancakes, and ramekins of tartar, apple sauce, and sour cream (the sour cream unfortunately went to waste since the apple sauce more than sufficed for my two cakes).
The fish was nothing less than superb. The fillets were fat, and chunky with an ultra-flaky texture. They were incredibly moist and succulent without the slightest hint of grease. They were home to a very flavorful and crumby breading that begged to be eaten. The well-seasoned coating mingled with the fish, playing its subtle saltiness off the fishs gentle texture. It was sheer eating enjoyment and while the ½ pound of walleye might be too much for many, I made my way through it with ease it was simply too good not to.
Likewise the potato pancakes were stellar. They were wafer-thin but still featured crispy edges and supple interiors. They paired amazingly well with the apple sauce which had wishing more would have come even though the plate was already overflowing with food. So good.
Keeping with the homemade theme was the tartar sauce which was a thin, but creamy rendition. The super sauce provided a peppy punch that totally worked the fish over and somehow stuck it out until the end. The fact that it lasted to the end is a real testament to how delicious the fish was since the tartar portion was small while the fish was ultra-plentiful.
Since Stalzys is a deli you pay upfront which means there is no waitress to tip later on. Thus, you basically have your tip is included in the $16 price tag which makes the cost not loom so largely (although its still cool to throw a buck or two in the tip jar on the counter). Whats more, since the portion is so large it is probably a sharable size for a lot of couples out there (not me of course, but some couples maybe). Overall, I highly recommend this Fish Fry and believe it is one of the best Madison has to offer right now.
stalzysdeli.com/
2701 Atwood Ave
Madison, WI 53704
(608) 249-7806
