Review
There were four or five prime tables open and we got our pick of the litter. At this point I was beginning to think that maybe Monty's was slipping and weren't drawing them in like they used to. Luckily, I it appeared that we just hit a lull, and by the time we departed all the tables were full and there was a line out the door, but I digress. We were here for the Fish Fry, and that's what you're here to hear about..
The Friday Fish at Monty's runs a reasonable $9.29 and comes with all the fixings (at least at dinner time it does). Our orders went in and came back within five minutes, freshly fried and ready to be devoured. And devour I did.
Since the fish was too hot to handle (too cold to hold, call the Ghostbusters and they're in control) I jumped into the coleslaw pool first. I was greeted with a sweet and zesty blend that was clearly made fresh in-house. While not the creamy mayo-laden variety you expect at most supper clubs, it was light and fresh - just the kind of A+ offering you'd expect from Monty's. The dinner roll that sat atop my mound of French fries was also above average, clocking in with a lovely crust and doughy interior. The staple starch presumably comes with a lot of things at Monty's and it is nice they decided to include it with the Fish Fry.
A truly superb tartar was thick enough to cling to the fish, but still gave way to gravity, leaving the fish with a perfectly even coating. It was a remarkable blend, featuring a peppery kick and a few ancillary items in addition to the traditional mayo and relish. While this kind of thinking outside the box can easily ruin a tartar these noteworthy additions actually enhanced the flavors rather than detracted from them. The sauce played remarkably well with the fish, augmenting its spicy batter with a zesty sweetness.
Speaking of the cod, it was nothing less than outstanding and far exceeded my expectations. At first glance I thought the fish was doomed to fail as it had what appeared to be a thick and heavy batter - the kind known for trapping grease and turning a fine fish into a big old wet sock. Luckily for yours truly looks were deceiving in this instance. The thick batter was amazingly light, and fall-apart flaky. In addition, it was fried absolutely perfectly - crisp, but not to the point where it totally bubbles off the fish. What's more, it had a tremendous flavor that was creamy, but still delicate. The beautiful batter fully engulfed the fish, but didn't overpower it. The actual cod was clearly high quality flaky cod, but the cuts were somewhat thin (minor complaint).
The only downfall to this Fish Fry (if there was one) were Monty's regular French fries. While certainly not bad in any way, they just didn't have a unique characteristic on which to hang their hat. They are basically the kind of fries that get that exterior shell that salt will not stick to. While it is slightly frustrating to not be able to salt them heavily it is probably healthier overall so I can't judge them too harshly for it. If nothing else, the portion was simply huge and lasted to the very end - bonus points!!!
I have actually wanted to try the Fish Fry at Monty's the longest time, but was never willing to bite the bullet. The bullet in this case being the tilapia fingers they served instead of cod. I have yet to meet a fried tilapia I actually like, so, I waited, and waited, and waited some more. Thankfully, Monty's came to their senses and brought back the cod we fell in love with on this trip. Overall, we highly recommend this Fish Fry and will likely be back before long.
I'd just had the Friday Night Fish Fry at Monty's a couple weeks prior to this trip, and was pretty much blown away. Everything was simply superb and when Jer insisted that we go back for lunch I was inclined to oblige. We showed up this go-round and had a slightly different experience than my pervious visit. I'm not gonna lie, it was different, a little worse, but still good in the grand scheme of things.
Near as I can tell, Monty's features the same fish for lunch and dinner since it costs $9.30 regardless of which number the little hand is on. It is a 2-piece affair and (in theory) comes with all the standard accoutrements. Our waitress was a little slow (by Monty's standards), but delivered our fish in acceptable shape.
I could tell immediately that this cod was different than the fish I'd so loved a month prior. Not only was it colder than the other fish, it seemed to have a different batter altogether. The current coating was not as thick, but somehow heavier than the airy outer layer of yester-fish. It was a totally different style and lacked the spicy character I was expecting. The fish itself also seemed to be cut differently (very small), although it was still clean and flaky. All in all it was okay, but the prtion is pretty small and I think they'd be wise to bump the whole she-bang up to $10 and slap another piece of fish on there - they're competing with the likes of Alchemy after all...
In lieu of the standard Julienne-cut fries I went waffle this time around, and it was a smart move. The potato-y grids were a huge improvement over the regular fries, coming in crispy and flavorful. This abundance of spudliness tagged along with a unique flavor of Monty's homemade tartar that was also a departure from what I expected. I say a "flavor" because this tartar was a totally different incarnation that what I'd enjoyed last time. This brew still creamy, but had huge chunks of red onion and dill pickle in it. It was a bit over-the-top, and while interesting, was not smooth, and did not aide the cod.
Keeping with the departure theme we landed on what was most surely the most glaring difference on this visit - the total absence of bread. While we loved the loaf Monty's provided last time, this time it was apparently not meant to be. The fresh slaw made up for it somewhat, but was a little dry, and fairly forgettable.
Maybe our first visit was a mirage or maybe I just set my expectations too high, but once I'd had a great Fish Fry at Monty's I expected it to be consistently amazing. After this visit I'd have to that it's not meant to be. Everything took a step back, and while it was still very good, it was nowhere near Top 25 good. Overall, I still recommend this Fish Fry, but not as highly as I did only a month ago. When it comes to Fish Fry consistency counts, and this time it didn't add up to greatness.