Review
For starters the Oakstone is as an indoor volleyball facility, with an associated bar and grill. It's a cavernous space and feels a little cold, but somehow welcoming at the same time. The bar is spacious and has many of the requisite Wisconsin bar things like dice, and pull-tabs. For a recreational facility they have a surprisingly large daily menu, including daily specials, and of course requisite Friday Fish Fry. The fish of note is the Spotted Cow battered cod which comes in a 1/2 pound portion with all the usual accouterments.
At first blush the plate looked great. Four fingers of cod were artfully situated and flanked by cups of tartar, slaw, and apple sauce. Behind them sat a pair of potato pancakes and atop that a caraway rye roll. It almost looked too nice to eat, but of course I did anyway. For starters the fish was fine, but nothing noteworthy. They breading was light, but beyond the Spotted Cow aspect was nondescript. It didn't really have a calling card, although I still ate all of it thanks to the house tartar. This sauce was a bit watery, but had a unique flavor that drastically improved the blank fish.
There are a trio of sides to choose from and almost everyone in our group went for the pancakes over the battered fries or smashed reds. I'm accustomed to latkes being pliable, but these were hard discs that could be eaten like chips and/or thrown like a Frisbee. They just didn't do it for me even with the addition of apple sauce.
Caraway is the name of the game from here on out, and I don't think that is a phrase I've ever muttered before. The caraway rye roll was a unique offering, but just so-so. Likewise the slaw was decent, but also loaded with the pungent fruits. It was a polarizing concoction, as some loved the potent flavor and others thought it far too much. I fell more in line with the "too much" crowd than the "loved it" contingent.
Oakstone is a new place, and based on the reviews on-line people really seem to love it so that is good. While I feel like this Fish Fry has a ton of potential, it just didn't work for me this time around. Overall, we don't recommend this Fish Fry as it stands, but rest assured, we'll be back for a reprise some day soon.
And this wasn't some crappy cheap cod either - Oakstone brings the wood. The chunky cuts of cod are nice and flaky and home to a superbly crispy, wonderfully seasoned, fried-chicken-esque beer batter. Yum.
There are plenty of sides to choose from, but as soon as I saw the potato pancakes I knew I had no real choice. PPs are pretty hard to come by in the Madison metro area so I basically had to. While this version could use a hint more onion and spices they were still well-fried and paired nicely with the provided apple sauce.
The tartar had a nice consistency but I don't feel like it really helped the fish...although maybe the fish was just so good that it didn't need any help? Either way it was ok. The slaw was better, and the slice of soft, fresh rye was the best. All in all, great sides.
Oakstone has grown quite a bit since our initial visit and impressively so. The cod was killer, the sides supported it well, and the atmosphere was lively and inviting. Overall, we're pretty pleased with this one. Don't skip this stone, Madison.
While the hybrid restaurant/recreation complex is taking part in the Fish Fry contest there wasn't any actually Cave Ale to be found on tap or in cans...weird. I opted for an Old Fashioned instead and slurped it down before my $18 bluegill even hit the table. At first glance I could tell their game has definitely changed and definitely for the better.
The menu states the bluegill is Spotted Cow battered and if so it's unlike any beer batter I've seen. It was super crispy and more like a fried chicken breading than a supple batter (which is actually a great thing on freshwater fish). The eight fat fillets were a joy to crunch and more than plentiful. The tartar that came with them was a thin mix with a ranch dressing-like consistency and a high dill quotient. It wasn't exactly my cup of tea as I love a thicker, bolder blend, but I still did my due diligence on it.
There are a bunch of great sounding sides to choose from and I picked the potato pancakes from the pile. These were legit latkes (not just hash browns made to look like it), but they could have used some more onion and a bit more seasoning. By and large they were still very good and a nice departure from everyday fries. +1.
The slaw was a really flavorful mix and highlighted by a little something sweet - I'm thinking apple maybe? The half slice of rye was fat, fresh, and warmed just right. Yum. All in all, the sides were great and supported the fish perfectly.
Oakstone is an interesting concept to say the least but it really seems to be working. The place was packed, people were boisterous, the music selection was great, and the Fish Fry is clearly evolving for the better. Overall, this is an easy one to recommend and I wouldn't be surprised to see them make it through multiple rounds in this tourney. It's justified.