APPLETON, WI (WTAQ-WLUK) – The Friday fish fry is a Northeast Wisconsin tradition.
Friday’s gathering had a little bit more meaning, though, as Catholics mark the first Friday of Lent, and one Fox Valley restaurant had no trouble reeling in guests.
Restaurants like Mark’s East Side Restaurant in Appleton were packed to the gills.
Chefs had their deep fryers going non-stop and fish was frying at as early as 11 a.m., and servers were constantly on the go, taking and placing orders and clearing off tables as fast as they could.
Mark Dougherty/Owner of Mark’s Eastside Restaurant: “We’re always busy on Fridays, but Lent just kicks it up another notch,” said owner Mark Dougherty. “It’s like going up another gear on Friday night fish fry.”
Doughtery says he expects to nearly a thousand people to come through before the last fried fish is served.
“When you go in there, you wade into the throngs of people, you put your name in, I think you have one of our wonderful Old Fashions, and you relax and your table comes up,“ he said. “We never have any carry overs to the morning. We always get everybody fed on Friday night.”
But, like many others in the area, Mark’s does offer fish fry for carry-out, and some guests didn’t want to wait to dig-in.
“It’s crazy, obviously, and it’s Lent this time of year, and I’m the kind of guy, when you get hungry, you gotta eat right away, and their food is always piping hot, and it’s phenomenal,” said Al Adler of Little Chute.
For another one of Mark’s regulars, carry-out has become somewhat of a Friday night tradition.
Bill Olcott/Appleton: “They have very good fish fry here, but they’re awfully busy, so this gives us a chance to get the food rather quickly,” Bill Olcott of Appleton said on his way out from picking up his to-go order. “We ordered it about 20 minutes ago, pick it up, go home and enjoy it that way.”
Others, like to keep their Friday fish fries a social thing.
Nick Sagal/Wrightstown: “Honestly, they treat us like family, and we love the food and just kinda just enjoying the atmosphere for about an hour before we eat,” said Nick Sagal.
Sagal says he made the trip from Wrightstown to dine-in at Mark’s just for the food and good company.
Restaurants offering delivery said they were slammed with fish fry orders throughout the day, as well.
Whether it was dining-in, or enjoying it at home, people in the Fox Valley were sure not to miss their Friday fish fry.
