Today is the last day for people here in West Michigan to visit one of the amazing fish frys around town. Some of you may be confused by this, as Easter isn't this weekend; it's next weekend. But next week Friday is Good Friday, a day of observance that is traditionally believed to be the day Jesus was executed. As such, it is a day of fasting, and not a day when gorging oneself on a pound of fried fish is considered appropriate.
If you weren't familiar with the background of Lenten Fish Frys, they actually began as a Catholic thing due to a rule saying Catholics can not eat meat on Fridays during Lent. As a result, many churches and parishes began offering fish frys as a way for the community to get together during this time. Over the years, more and more local churches and even businesses have begun participating in this tradition, leading inevitably to arguments over who has the best fried fish.
This year, the local ABC affiliate ran a contest, called the Fish Fry Frenzy, wherein locals were encouraged to visit various fish frys and then log into the WZZM 13 website to vote. Weeks ago, at the beginning of the season, there were 32 different local fish frys in the running for this contest. Each week, half of the competitors were eliminated, until only the (voter-determined) best remained: the Marne American Legion #376. According to the WZZm report, there were over half a million votes cast during the course of this contest, proving just how much West Michigan citizens love fish frys (and a good old-fashioned competition between churches).
There are at least 40 different local fish frys, all of which have slightly different offerings and experiences for those who attend. St. Alphonsus, for example, a small Catholic church on the West Side of the city, is locally famous for being the only fish fry to offer walleye (either fried or baked, along with a grilled cheese on the menu for those who don't like or eat fish). St. James in Montague, the runner-up this year, offers beer-battered whitefish on their menu. Blessed Sacrament offers cod, while the Grand Rapids' St. James offers pollack.
Some of these fish frys are all-you-can-eat, while others only allow for a single serving. Side dishes also vary, but the standards are french fries and/or baked potatoes, rolls, macaroni and cheese, coleslaw, applesauce, and an assortment of desserts. The cost for adults is generally $8-10, and kids are $3-5, with some parishes offering a flat rate for families, allowing those with lots of children to still attend affordably.
If you don't already have Friday night plans, consider rounding up the family and hitting up one of the dozens of fish frys across the city. If you choose to pass, it'll be late next winter before the opportunity presents itself again.