Fish Type: Cod Price: $12.00
Overall, I would recommend this Fish Fry.
| Fish Score: Good Potato Score: Good Tartar Score: Good Bread Score: Poor Miscellaneous Score: Excellent |  |
Comment: Before we even begin this review we should disclose that we actually know the owners of Wendigo. Caityn used to babysit for one of our mutual friends and we met her and Cale at another friends wedding (details of that night shall go undisclosed). That said, they had no idea we were coming in this Friday, and we had no idea as to whether they would be working or not. It turned out Caitlyn wasnt even in town, but Cale did stop to say hello after wed gotten some of our food. Despite the acquaintance well keep this review as unbiased as possible.
For starters, Wendigo has a great modern atmosphere that would fit right in with the nicest gastropubs in Madison, or even Chicago for that matter. We were pretty early for a Friday night since we had our baby in tow, and there were several tables available (these would quickly fill up throughout the course of our dinner). We started with some of their-soon-to-be-famous cheese curds which were simply superb. They were gooey and stretchy yet feathery to the touch, clearly hand-battered to order, and served with two sauces (ranch and Sriracha aioli) that played off each other perfectly. All very well executed.
We barely had a chance to finish the scrumptious curds before the fish slid into place. While ocean perch is on the menu it usually falls short when stacked up against a good chunk of cod so you know which route we took. The cod goes for $12 and is a 2-piece affair with each being a hefty 4-5 oz. The fish was on the high end quality-wise and had a wonderful white flakiness. The pristine meat was home to a relatively light batter that was similar to that of the curds. The coating was good, and 100% grease-free, but didnt really have much flavor of its own. Still, it was quite enticing and both pieces were gobbled up with ease.
While most everything at Wendigo is made in-house the fries were not even though we expected they would be. They were the basic thick, Julienned, freezer numbers and were well fried, but the sort weve had 1000 times over.
Three sauces came in three separate ramekins: one ketchup, one tartar, and one sort of shrimp sauce like entity. The tartar was the standout of the trio with a noticeable pep and the correct proportion of mayo to relish. While it would have been adequate on its own it was nicely offset by the horseradish pop of the shrimp sauce which was a unique addition for a Fish Fry offering a nice change of pace from bite to bite.
The last item on the plate (save for an unused lemon wedge) was a big cup of pink coleslaw. It was red cabbage based with a creamy, sweet flavor and some other indiscernible elements. Even the cream had a rosy hue and while we suspected beets played a roll we really couldnt be sure. Generally, it was tasty and bore a striking resemblance to the pink stuff served on the salad bar at the Aztalan Inn.
As with any place getting their feet wet (and any new Fish Fry for that matter) some things are bound to get overlooked and at Wendigo the bread went missing. Hopefully theyre on the lookout for it.
For being the new kid on the scene Wendigo is already doing a lot of things right as far as their Fish Fry is concerned. Aside from a pinch of salt here and a slab of rye there everything was accounted for and very well executed. Overall, we recommend this Fish Fry and think it makes a great addition to the dining scene in Stoughton. And the curds? Well, they just might be worth the drive on their own.
www.wendigostoughton.com
121 E Main Street
Stoughton, WI 53589
(608) 205-2775
