Cod
Walleye
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 didn't enhance the flavors in the walleye. While the (homemade?) sauce was about average it did have strange twinge that I couldn't 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 won't hesitate to come back any time we are in need of good food at great prices. And hey, maybe next trip we'll try the Spam & Eggs - a real steal at around five bucks.
Cod
For six bucks every order of fish comes with two pieces of cod, your choice of potatoes, a cup of tartar sauce, a side of mixed veggies, a dinner roll, and a cup of soup. The soup of the day was beef vegetable and it showed up in advance of the fish. It was a nice addition that normally doesn't come with a Fish Fry, but since I'm no soup critic I'll just say it was good and leave it at that.
The fish plate came about five minutes after the soup and looked pleasant with a side of peas and corn standing in for the standard coleslaw. I popped the lid on the cup of tartar and went to work on the fish right away. The pieces of cod were thin but not flaky, and home to a light breading that was fine, but not flavorful. In addition, the two small chunks were slightly over-fried which resulted in the mid-quality fish being a little chewy.
The below average cod could have used a pick-me-up, but there wasn't a whole lot of support for it anywhere on the plate. Normally, said support would come in the form of a zesty tartar sauce, but the Café's version was merely mayonnaise. There wasn't a hint of relish anywhere to be found, and while I'm a man who loves his mayo, this was a bit too basic, even for me.
Potatoes, cheese, and onion are three of the most basic ingredients out there. How is it that these rudimentary foodstuffs can come together to make something so striking, so alluring, so delicious? The hash browns with cheese and onion produced at the Cottage were simply striking, and anything but dull.
Normally I'd welcome a side of corn and peas, but when it comes at the expense of the coleslaw I'm not so sure it's a worthwhile trade. The steamed veggies were exactly what you'd think they'd be, but I can't help but think some slaw would have taken this Fish Fry somewhere steamed veggies can't.
The roll was tardy, but eventually showed up with some room temp butter. Even though it was late it was soft and fresh, and still got devoured.
Simple can be beautiful, but when things get too basic simplicity tends to get boring (especially when Fish Fry is involved). While everything looked fine, a few thing didn't deliver on their promises with the hash browns being the only truly remarkable item. Overall, I still recommend this Fish Fry, and while it's not top shelf, it is a good value. Plain and simple.
Walleye
The Cottage Café is a good value.
It's only $7.50 for a full walleye Fish Fry, and there are a ton of other budget-friendly options too.
The service at The Cottage Café is quick.
Even if the waitress is old enough to be your grandma, she'll bring your lunch in about 10 minutes.
The Cottage Café uses good old fashioned ingredients to make their food.
The lone piece of walleye in the Fish Fry will be hand-breaded. The fish will be flaky and moist and devoid of grease. The hash browns are the classic diner-style and will be crisp around the edges with a slice of American cheese and a pant-load of fried onions (available upon request) on top. The tartar will also be made in house. It will be thick and creamy and appear flawless, but will secretly house a dilly essence that is enough to overpower the mild fish.
The food at The Cottage Café will be inoffensive.
The breading on the fish will be light, but won't have much flavor to it. Likewise, the side of steamed veggies (which is a welcome addition) will be a little bland.
(Other than the steamed veggies) The sides at The Cottage Café are above average.
The small walleye fillet, while a fair portion for the price, is kind of skimpy. The two warm dinner rolls that come beforehand will help fill the void. CC's zesty coleslaw will also play its part, although some less-than-fresh cabbage has been known to limit the overall appeal of the dish.
While this Fish Fry is far from perfect it is a great value and we feel confident recommending 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 didn't enhance the flavors in the walleye. While the (homemade?) sauce was about average it did have strange twinge that I couldn't 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 won't hesitate to come back any time we are in need of good food at great prices. And hey, maybe next trip we'll try the Spam & Eggs - a real steal at around five bucks.