Review
EL gets billed as a supper club, and with their menu of steak and seafood staples, as well as a legit salad bar, I think it's justified. The place is super tiny though so only about 20 people can be eating at any given time which I'd imagine makes it one of, if not the tiniest supper club in the state.
As with any good supper club there are plenty of Fish Fry options on Fridays and a delectable sounding Prime Rib on Saturdays. I settled on the Canadian Lake Perch after the waitress assured me they were the real deal. Hash browns with cheese and onion sounded like the appropriate side so an order of those went in as well.
The kitchen must have been buzzing because I had my perch no more than 10 minutes after my order went in - barely enough time to get through my superb salad plate. The fillets were definitely real yellow perch and had the sweet flavor they should. They were kissed by the lightest of breading that allowed every bit of the subtle fishy goodness to shine through.
The hash browns were crispy on top, slick underneath, and disappeared in a flash. The tartar, while in the thin side, had plenty of pop which brought out the flavor in the perch even more.
Marshall isn't as close to home as it once was, but the 40 minute drive wound up being well worth it. Overall, the lake perch was excellent and the plethora of other options likely are as well. We might just need to make that drive again before long. Oh yeah, if you're going bring cash...Merry Christmas, ya filthy animals!
Easy Landing isn't a full blown supper club (it's too small for that), but it's not just a crossroads bar either (they have a real dining room complete with salad bar). I'd consider it a supper club lite - real food made by a real chef - far more than just a bar & grill. On Friday nights the Landing has a TON of options, including unique specials each week. This Friday there was grouper amongst all sorts of others, but I stuck to the standard printed menu, settling on the $15 bluegill which, like all the fish, comes complete with a romp through their concise salad bar.
For being "lite" the salad bar had most of the supper club standards as well as a few options you won't see everywhere like fully intact hard boiled eggs. For the most part it was standard - iceberg lettuce, the divine trinity of salad dressings (French, Ranch, and Thousand Island), and the toppings you'd expect. The slaw was also on the salad bar, but was out of ordinary to say the least. Dotted with broccoli and other unexpected contributors, it was amongst the weirdest we've seen but not in a bad way. The dinner roll was King's Hawaiian straight out of the package...I even had to take the twist tie off a pull the first one out.
I ate at the bar and the fish was fried and ready no more than 10 minutes after the order passed my lips. At first site, and then first bite I could tell these 'gills were nothing less than superb. There were around 14 fillets on the plate, and no, that's not and exaggeration. Each was kissed with a light breading that let the fish be all it could be. These were the tiny fillets you'd expect, so you know they were legit. I was loving them so much I even convinced the gentleman next to me to order the same for himself.
The fish laid down the gauntlet, but the hash browns with cheese and onion were up to the challenge. These spuds were absolutely some of the best I've ever had. Like the fish there was just a ton of them, they were perfectly fried, and had a a gooey and slippery texture that was easy to fall in love with. <3 <3 <3
Supper club lites can apparently still get their mitts on classic big boy supper club tartar and the sauce at the Landing was easy on the eyes and taste buds. It was a bold and creamy people pleaser, and perked this fish up just enough.
Sure, downtown Madison is great and has it's share of decent Fish Frys, but I guarantee you you'll never find a $15 plate with 14+ bluegill on it within 5 miles of our beloved Capitol. And that's not to mention the massive sides and full salad bar that comes along with it. Overall, we highly recommend this Fish Fry, and think we'll find landing outside Marshall on a Friday all too easy from now on.