Wielding a 6-foot codfish replica, John Geisen of Florence strolls the 400-capacity dining hall at Mary Queen of Heaven. In black fedora, suit and tie, the "Codfather of Sole" makes sure everybody is having a good time. Wochit
The fish fry, as a community fundraising event, has a long history in Cincinnati.
A look through the Enquirer archives turns up one that the West End Penochle (sic) Club sponsored in 1897. "There was fun and merriment galore," it reads.
In 1933, the membership of the Oola Khan Grotto put one on. The Little League, an Esther Club, the Rotary and Kiwanis Club all announced fish fries in the paper over the years. Politicians, too. In 1959, state workers in Kentucky grumbled about having to buy $10 tickets to a fish fry put on by the Lieutenant Governor.
None of these events were put on during Lent, and few were in Catholic Churches.
But that's how we think of a fish fry now: An event put on on Fridays during Lent by Catholic churches. After all, it's Catholics who don't eat meat on the fast days of the Fridays between Ash Wednesday and Easter.
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Just when the Cincinnati fish fry became a specifically Catholic thing is hard to pin down. The archives show almost no fish fry activities in Catholic churches until the late 1980s. It wasn't until 2006 that The Enquirer published a whole list of them.
When I ask church secretaries or volunteers, they tend to say "Well, it's been here as long as I have" or, "Well, at least 17 years."
St. Joseph in Camp Springs, a church founded in 1845, has been doing it for at least 38 years.
"When I first got here, they were using old home-welded cast iron deep fryers," said Mark Munsch, who runs it now.
Assumption/Holy Cross in Mount Adams said they thought their tradition was 45 years old.
No doubt many had been going on with no special need for mention in the paper. As they say in academia, further research is needed. If your fish fry has a long tradition, please tell me about it.
In the meantime, here are some other things to know about Cincinnati's favorite fried food.
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Let's clarify
Fried fish is not a fish fry. A fish sandwich is not a fish fry. A fish fry is an event and in Cincinnati it's an event put on by an organization, not so much by a restaurant.
How we're different from other cities
Lots of other cities have a fish fry tradition, but a different one. I'd say our most basic menu is fried cod, fried potatoes, coleslaw, applesauce, green beans and rye bread.
A Chillicothe fish fry in 1928 featured fish, potato salad, pickles and pumpkin pie.
Here's how other cities do it.
Buffalo: Macaroni salad seems to be a common side dish. Or potato salad.
Milwaukee: Wisconsin is very proud of their fish fry tradition. It seems to be less of a church thing, and more about supper clubs, taverns and restaurants. Plus it happens on Fridays all year.
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Cleveland: You want pierogies with that? Buffalo and Cleveland, being by the Great Lakes, also might feature perch, walleye or whitefish.
Pittsburgh: Halusky (cabbage and noodles) might be a side dish option.
Louisville: Similar to our tradition of fish fried in churches, though you might also get a choice of greens with your fish.
Signs of a good fish fry
As mentioned earlier, a fish fry is an event not just something to eat.
Yes, a lot of churches have take-out options and it's an important part of the fundraising aspect of a fish fry, but I think it's contrary to the spirit of the thing. You should meet up with neighbors at your local church's dinner.
These are the things make them good:
- An eighth-grader brings you your food
- The priest is making the rounds of the tables
- Someone is maneuvering with a big plate of fish in one hand, a baby carrier in the other
- There's a bake sale or homemade desserts. The variety at St. Joseph's in Camp Springs is especially good
- You get to look at elementary school art projects on the wall while you wait in line
Good Friday
Most churches don't hold a fish fry on Good Friday, the last Friday in Lent. One exception is Holy Cross Immaculata whose fish fry is only held on Good Friday. That's the day that 10,000 people or so climb and pray their steps.
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Not just Catholics, not just churches
Protestant churches, VFWs and fire departments have just as much a claim to the fish fry tradition as Catholic churches do, even if they don't have the tie to Lent.
Not just fish
The Lenten prohibition is against meat, which doesn't mean fish is the only substitute. At St. Anthony of Padua, a Catholic church in the Maronite tradition, they offer Lebanese vegetarian fare.
Cincinnati's true fish-on-Friday claim to fame
The McDonald's filet-of-fish sandwich was born here, suggested by Lou Groen. He owned several franchises, including one in Monfort Heights, where hamburger sales fell on Fridays during Lent.
Hand battered or breaded fish
I would like to give special props to a few places that hand-batter or hand-bread their fish. Instead of buying it frozen and pre-coated, they start with naked fish and dip it in milk and breading, or in a batter. Sometimes a beer batter. This list is definitely not complete:
- Nativity of Our Lord, Pleasant Ridge (Hand-breaded haddock)
- Prince of Peace School in Covington (They use Braxton beer in their batter)
- Christ the King in Mount Lookout (Emphasis here is on fresh and healthy)
- Immaculate Heart of Mary in Burlington (Try their Tommy Boy sandwich that combines fried fish and grilled cheese)
- Western Hills Masonic Lodge (Club soda is involved in the batter)
- Christian Moerlein Taproom, for the benefit of St. Francis Seraph (They get extra points for the size of their fish)
- St. Joseph in Camp Springs (They use the recipe from Mr. Herb's, the now-closed restaurant in Hebron, which is spicy with black pepper.)
- Mary Queen of Heaven (Their signature sandwich is the Codfather)
- Pleasant Run Presbyterian (Macaroni and cheese is homemade too)
- Hartzell United Methodist Church (It's all-you-can-eat.)
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