Review
The paint on the café hardly had a chance to dry before we stopped by for fish the first time, and it felt new and a little rough around the edges. We knew we'd return, but wanted to give them a chance to grow, a chance to breathe. We finally made that return voyage some five months later and this visit was different. Things were cleaner, things were less greasy, and things were much more refined. Brennan's really is back!
There was a $14 3-piece fried whitefish special this Friday, but the every week Fish Fry consists of 2 or 3 pieces of fried cod for $10 or $13.50 respectively, or 2 fillets of baked cod for $15. We sampled both the 3-piece fried cod and the 3-piece whitefish and agreed the cod was the better of the pair.
This cod was simply great and definitely a step up from out last visit. This round was expertly-battered and fried to a satisfying crunch. It had a very creamy flavor profile which offered a nice contrast to the flaky fish underneath.
The fish comes with roasted red potatoes, and there is no other option (believe me I asked). Back in March it was definitely a mixed bag - some were over-fried, some under, but all those wrinkles have seemingly bee ironed out as well. This lot was plush, perfectly soft and squishy with plenty of garlic to perk them up.
A thin yet tasty tartar plays sideler to the fish and leeches off its allure to some extent. Usually tartar sauce perks up plain fish, but in this case I think the opposite holds true. The sauce itself is competent, but the fish actually seemed to improve it and not t'other way round.
The house slaw was also good, but somewhat lost in the wake of the showstopping cod. There was no bread in this performance yest again, which really left the audience wanting more.
I saw potential in the Brennan's Fish Fry lo those many months ago and I happy to see that after a few trials and tribulations they have hit their stride. This fish was excellent and all the sides showed their full support. Overall, we highly recommend this Fish Fry and think with the simple addition of slice of rye it would easily be in the running for the best of the west (side)!
Fortunately, Brennan's is now closer than ever so we still got some great fish and a tasty new IPA from Eagle park. On a related note, I may have become the first person ever to eat their Fish Fry with chopsticks, so there's that. You do what you gotta do.
Brennan's has more of an artisan flair than your average grocery store so you'd expect their Fish Fry to follow suit (and it does). They feature a $13.49 3-piece cod from Bering Bounty, which is wild caught and it shows (they also have a 2-piece cod or shrimp available). The fish was flaky, and pure white, with no skunky, slimy, or translucent pieces. Sure, it's a little pricier than average, but as they say - you get what you pay for. The pristine fish was enrobed in a dark beer batter than looked burned to the naked eye, but was anything but. The batter didn't have a ton of flavor, but enough to paint the cod into a new frame of thought. Minor amounts of grease leaked from the loins, but not near enough to peel the batter from the meat. This was good, solid cod and a valiant effort for an initial foray into Fish Fry.
The Friday Fish at Brennan's comes with some potato cubes and there is no other option. These spuds had a dark crust, but like the cod were not burned. They were enhanced ever so slightly by a generous dose of garlic which took them up a notch without overwhelming the senses. Despite their stout stature they were soft and supple, but didn't blow me away. In all honesty, I'd take French fries over them 10 times out of 10.
A standard Solo cup housed some homemade tartar which was on the thin side texture-wise. Soupy sauces like this usually miss me altogether, but this stuff had a nice flavor and still somehow clung to the cod. It was almost like a tartar syrup as opposed to the Portland cement versions we tend to prefer.
Some superb slaw came in a 4 oz Solo cup and went down smooth and easy. It had a great flavor and struck the perfect balance between crunch and zing which so many slaws fail to do. Unfortunately, no bread came with the fish which was the only real downfall to the meal. Sitting in their café and smelling the deli was a definite plus though.
Brennan's is one of those places that define Madison. People know it, they love it, and when it threatened to go away they took notice. I for one an glad to see they are back in one form or another, and even happier they brought a Fish Fry back with them. Overall, we recommend this Fish Fry and will definitely come back again after they've has a little more seasoning.
When Brennan's closed all their Madison locations the city was justifiably shocked. It didn't seem to make sense. I don't want to call it a public outcry, but there were certainly a vocal contingent of concerned citizens wondering what happened to their favorite market and urging them to reopen at least one location. It didn't take long for fabled grocer to hear those cries, and they returned in short order with a new spot called Brennan's Cellars. What's more, the new incarnation not only has the same amazing groceries, but also a primo beer selection, AND a café complete with a real deal Friday Fish Fry.
The paint on the café hardly had a chance to dry before we stopped by for fish the first time, and it felt new and a little rough around the edges. We knew we'd return, but wanted to give them a chance to grow, a chance to breathe. We finally made that return voyage some five months later and this visit was different. Things were cleaner, things were less greasy, and things were much more refined. Brennan's really is back!
There was a $14 3-piece fried whitefish special this Friday, but the every week Fish Fry consists of 2 or 3 pieces of fried cod for $10 or $13.50 respectively, or 2 fillets of baked cod for $15. We sampled both the 3-piece fried cod and the 3-piece whitefish and agreed the cod was the better of the pair.
This cod was simply great and definitely a step up from out last visit. This round was expertly-battered and fried to a satisfying crunch. It had a very creamy flavor profile which offered a nice contrast to the flaky fish underneath.
The fish comes with roasted red potatoes, and there is no other option (believe me I asked). Back in March it was definitely a mixed bag - some were over-fried, some under, but all those wrinkles have seemingly bee ironed out as well. This lot was plush, perfectly soft and squishy with plenty of garlic to perk them up.
A thin yet tasty tartar plays sideler to the fish and leeches off its allure to some extent. Usually tartar sauce perks up plain fish, but in this case I think the opposite holds true. The sauce itself is competent, but the fish actually seemed to improve it and not t'other way round.
The house slaw was also good, but somewhat lost in the wake of the showstopping cod. There was no bread in this performance yest again, which really left the audience wanting more.
I saw potential in the Brennan's Fish Fry lo those many months ago and I happy to see that after a few trials and tribulations they have hit their stride. This fish was excellent and all the sides showed their full support. Overall, we highly recommend this Fish Fry and think with the simple addition of slice of rye it would easily be in the running for the best of the west (side)!
"This" being a 3-piece cod take-out from @brennansmarket. Brennan's cod is thick-cut and flaky with a crispy, kind of frizzle-y, beer batter. It's quite flavorful and more than plentiful. I pounded it down, but was stuffed after.
The homemade tartar is 100% essential with this fish and balances the super crispy coating with a pleasant tang. The potatoes, while not as good as fries would be IMO, have a pungent garlic punch and are cooked just right.
The slaw is Brennan's classic, which while not on the same plane as their world-famous potato salad, is still pretty darn good. No bread comes with, but since it's takeout you can grab a slice off your counter at home if you really want some I suppose.
After defeating the tree and this 3-piece I could have used a nap, but of course that's not in the cards tonight. We have a soccer game to get to, then trick-or-treating at the kid's school, and god willing FFF #2. It's going to be a long day, but having a tasty Fish Fry like this helps make it all the more manageable.