Wisconsin 'Friday Fish Fry Day' declaration cod-ifies tradition
THIENSVILLE, Wis. - Wisconsin Gov. Tony Evers declared Friday, Feb. 16 "Friday Fish Fry Day" in the state.
Any given restaurant was packed with enthusiasts looking forward to the weekly tradition. And although a restaurant called Daily Taco might not be the first spot you'd expect to find a fish fry – well, it's still Wisconsin.
"One of our busiest nights – just because of the fish fry," said owner Barkha Daily. "Everybody is like, ‘We still need your fish fry!’ And there’s not many places that does gluten-free fish fry."
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From the unique twists on fried fish at Daily Taco, to the beer-battered cod at Remington's River Inn, a Friday fish fry is a standalone tradition that holds people's hearts.
"When you come in on a Friday night, expect a lot of fish frys to go out," said Garret Czerwinski, a server at Remington's River Inn.
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When Fridays roll around, especially during the Lenten season, many in southeast Wisconsin crave a fish fry -- and plenty of places serve it up.
"My brother lives in Michigan, and when we visit him they don’t know what a fish fry is," said customer Mark Vandyke.
Vandyke and his wife, Jean, are regulars at Remington's River Inn. He said it's been a Friday staple for 25 years since it opened.
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"We’ve been married 50 years, and I think it’s the fish frys in this place that has kept us together," he said.
For Catholics, this Friday marked the first of the Lenten season – meaning no meat for people like the Vandykes. And whether that means perch or walleye, it is a weekly tradition folks count on.
"You always need to have something to look forward to," said Vandyke. "The fish fry is always dependable."