Fish Type: Lake Perch Price: $24.00
Overall, I would recommend this Fish Fry.
| Fish Score: Good Potato Score: Good Tartar Score: Excellent Bread Score: Excellent Miscellaneous Score: Good |  |
Comment: The Lone Girl in Waunakee isn’t one to feel boxed in by Fish Fry conventions. Sure, their FFF features all the classic elements: fish, potato, tartar, slaw, and bread, but they put subtle spins on a lot of it that make it uniquely appealing.
For starters, they have several fish to choose from: haddock, walleye, and lake perch among them, and the perch piqued my interest as it’s a new addition since last we visited. The plate goes for $24, which isn’t exactly cheap, but real lake perch never is in this day and age…and this was indeed real yellow perch.
The perch comes four to an order and had a batter that’s unlike any I’ve seen elsewhere; not thick, but not thin, kind of like a second skin with a hint of hot sauce or something else with bite. By and large it was really good and punctuated perfectly by their homemade tartar. This sauce was almost like an aioli - thick and silky with a cool tang that really offset the bold batter. Simply brilliant.
The slaw is also clearly made on-site and was just downright tasty with a hint of curry or something at the end. I had no problem polishing off both mine and the kid’s. The last truly unique piece of the puzzle is their signature orange wedge that sits in place of the traditional lemon. This surrogate citrus doesn’t bother me since I don’t put lemon on my fried fish but if you’re a lemon lover come prepared to ask for a swap…
Finishing things off are the fries, which are just good old freezer fries, and a classic slice of marble rye. This dynamic duo are definitely the “if it ain’t broke, don’t fix it” parts of the Fry.
The Friday special at the Lone Girl has evolved into a really intriguing one and it’s nice to see their subtle nuances on full display. Overall, we recommend this Fish Fry, and while I’m a sucker for a good old fashioned cod, I’m equally enamored with a little shake-up from time to time. Well done, lady!thelonegirl.com
114 E Main Street #101
Waunakee, WI 53597
(608) 850-7175
