-Grubbing in Chicago
Five of a Kind: New Fish Sandwiches on Scene
The fish sandwich continues to make a bit of a comeback. I recently did a little piece featuring four in Chicago Magazine back in February which you can see HERE. But since it was published there’s a handful of new options to be reeled in. When I named myself President of the ‘Fish Sandwich Club’ years ago I did so with the intent of making the fish sandwich popular again and I’d like to think we’ve made some strides in doing so. As of now most of the fish sandwiches around town are fried but I’ve noticed at least a few that aren’t so stay tuned for a possible run down of those later this summer. Today we’ll try five fried versions that have popped up since my Chicago Mag piece was published.
Mott St. (Wicker Park)
First stop might be the best of the bunch or at least the most traditional in the sense of how a fried fish sandwich is typically made. So let’s head over to Mott St. - the Asian restaurant on Ashland in Wicker Park is named after the unofficial "Main Street" of Chinatown in Manhattan. Mott St. has been around awhile now - I hadn’t visited in some time but that changed quickly when I learned they were putting out an excellent fish sandwich during brunch. It’s made with sesame panko crusted pollock, kewpie tartar, American cheese, lettuce, pickles, and a brioche bun. It’s basically an amped up version of the Filet O Fish and it’s outstanding. An immediate contender for the best fish sandwich in Chicago.
Fish Sandwich at Mott St.
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John's Food & Wine (Lincoln Park)
Next up we head over to Lincoln Park where John’s Food & Wine on Halsted does lunch on Saturdays. The menu is small but mighty with a very good burger and an even better fish sandwich. The base is branzino and it’s panko breaded and dressed with a celery root caper slaw loaded with fresh herbs plus a kimchi ketchup on a soft and sturdy sesame seeded bun. Another contender.
Fried Fish Sandwich at John's Food & Wine
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Mirra (Bucktown)
Mirra in Bucktown is a unique restaurant on Armitage mixing the flavors of India and Mexico. If you go during brunch you can try a Skate Wing Milanesa sandwich made with panko crusted Skate Wing filet topped with fennel-lime slaw and served with sides of strawberry rhubarb achar, and a Morita crema. This is by far the most interesting of the fried fish sandwiches featured here today or anywhere in town for that matter. It’s also the largest, we split this and left pretty full. Props to them for coming up with such a unique fish sandwich. I love the idea of a fish milanesa using skate wing which is the edible pectoral fins of the skate fish, similar in size and shape to a pounded chicken breast. I thought the fish was a tad bit dry but an array of flavorful toppings helped even it out while giving off tons of exciting flavor profiles. I also appreciated the fact that it came with a really refreshing side salad.
Skate Wing Milanesa at Mirra
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Andros Taverna (Logan Square)
Logan Square is our next destination, Andros Taverna to be specific. This bustling Greek joint on Milwaukee avenue now offers a crispy fish pita during its weekday lunch service. Crisp battered cod goes into one of the restaurants signature wood fired pitas along with a spicy aioli plus lettuce and tomato. I really liked this in big part due to the smoky and soft pita which is just about perfect.
Crispy Fish Pita at Andros Taverna
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Bar Bambi (West Town)
Last stop takes us over to West Town where Bar Bambi opened on Chicago Avenue this past Spring. This is a hip and happening cocktail bar with an artistic atmosphere and a very good fish sandwich on the dinner menu. This is another fish sandwich modeled after the Filet O Fish starting with a fried halibut fillet dressed with American cheese, and House-made tartar sauce on a soft and squishy potato bun. It’s a textbook prep as far as the ingredients but each and every one of them is top notch.
Fish Sandwich at Bar Bambi
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See ya next time @chibbqking
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