Review
The AYCE dinner at 5100 is a well thought out affair. It features cod (fried and baked), smelt, and perch - all of which can be mixed-n-matched. What's more, you can actually start with a single order of any of them for $10, and jump up to the $13 AYCE if you don't get your fill on round one. It is a great policy, and a perk you don't often find anymore - hey, it got me in the door. Since I knew I wanted to mix 'em up, I just went for the AYCE from the get-go, and started with the smelt.
Even though the place is brand new, 5100 is already on top of their frying game. Our food came in no time and was piping hot all around. The large plate was loaded with upwards of 15 smelt and several scrumptious sides. The smelt was a little fishy tasting (as you'd expect), but any strong flavors were muted by a light, golden breading. The "books" were beheaded, betailed(?), split down the belly, and flipped open along the spine making for perfect little tartar canoes. They were fried firm and had a nice taste, although a little more seasoning in the almost-too-thick breading would have made them even more delectable.
The French fries were thick-cut, julienne style, and tasted good, but not great. Like everything else with this Fish Fry, they are AYCE which is necessary when you're talking two more pieces of cod on Round 2. Truth be told, I only wanted one piece of cod and a couple shrimp, but the waitress said they were pre-portioned so it had to be two cod, three shrimp, or BOTH. Since I wasn't up for packing all that in I settled on the cod. It came even faster than the first round of fish and was smooth, creamy, and light. It had a very flavorful beer batter that was just the right thickness. Cod > Smelt (in this case).
Highlighting both styles of fish was 5100's tartar which was thick and creamy, but was laced with dill and capers. While the blend was still zesty, and didn't totally turn me off totally, I could do with less of both of those things. That said, the punch it provided actually helped the smelt along somewhat, so take that for what it's worth.
Also AYCE, and also delicious, was the homemade coleslaw. The sweet and zippy slaw was downright delightful, and had just the right consistency. A little round roll with a brilliant crust tagged along with the fish and was far better than your average bun.
While AYCE Fish Frys are going the way of the Dodo, 5100 is doing what they can to save the species. So far they are doing it right, and it shows in the number of customers funneling through the doors every Friday. Overall, I recommend both the smelt and the cod, and will be back any time I'm in the mood to mix things up.
The AYCE dinner at 5100 is a well thought out affair. It features cod (fried and baked), smelt, and perch - all of which can be mixed-n-matched. What's more, you can actually start with a single order of any of them for $10, and jump up to the $13 AYCE if you don't get your fill on round one. It is a great policy, and a perk you don't often find anymore - hey, it got me in the door. Since I knew I wanted to mix 'em up, I just went for the AYCE from the get-go, and started with the smelt.
Even though the place is brand new, 5100 is already on top of their frying game. Our food came in no time and was piping hot all around. The large plate was loaded with upwards of 15 smelt and several scrumptious sides. The smelt was a little fishy tasting (as you'd expect), but any strong flavors were muted by a light, golden breading. The "books" were beheaded, betailed(?), split down the belly, and flipped open along the spine making for perfect little tartar canoes. They were fried firm and had a nice taste, although a little more seasoning in the almost-too-thick breading would have made them even more delectable.
The French fries were thick-cut, julienne style, and tasted good, but not great. Like everything else with this Fish Fry, they are AYCE which is necessary when you're talking two more pieces of cod on Round 2. Truth be told, I only wanted one piece of cod and a couple shrimp, but the waitress said they were pre-portioned so it had to be two cod, three shrimp, or BOTH. Since I wasn't up for packing all that in I settled on the cod. It came even faster than the first round of fish and was smooth, creamy, and light. It had a very flavorful beer batter that was just the right thickness. Cod > Smelt (in this case).
Highlighting both styles of fish was 5100's tartar which was thick and creamy, but was laced with dill and capers. While the blend was still zesty, and didn't totally turn me off totally, I could do with less of both of those things. That said, the punch it provided actually helped the smelt along somewhat, so take that for what it's worth.
Also AYCE, and also delicious, was the homemade coleslaw. The sweet and zippy slaw was downright delightful, and had just the right consistency. A little round roll with a brilliant crust tagged along with the fish and was far better than your average bun.
While AYCE Fish Frys are going the way of the Dodo, 5100 is doing what they can to save the species. So far they are doing it right, and it shows in the number of customers funneling through the doors every Friday. Overall, I recommend both the smelt and the cod, and will be back any time I'm in the mood to mix things up.
5100 features fish for both lunch and dinner on Fridays, with the later having an All You Can Eat option for $13. Since we came for lunch the only choice was the "regular" $10 cod, which was more than enough for a lunch or dinner appetite.
Showing top form, 5100 brought the fish quickly and it was piping hot. I, of course, dove right in, burning the roof of my mouth in the process. The cod was simply large and in charge. For ten bucks you are treated to four big pieces which are at least 3, if not 4 oz each. The studly loins are paired with a flavorful beer batter that is on the dark side color-wise, but was not burned or anything like that. It was surprisingly light even though it looked intimidating and had a couple batter floaties attached to the side. The cod itself was flaky, but did meld together a little (Avenue Bar-style) which wasn't necessarily a bad thing. It was a very rich fish, and I'm not sure I could even have eaten any more.
A bunch of thick Julienne-cut fries intermingled with the fish, and were hearty, but not superb. While there was nothing glaring wrong them, they just weren't as good as some I've had. They are also the only option with the Friday lunch special, so if you don't like it, tough cookies.
The tartar had a bit of an odd twinge, and was also just so-so. It was homemade and appeared to have some capers in it (which could explain the twinge). In addition, the portion was on the small side and didn't quite last through the four large pieces of cod. The AYCE dinners would certainly necessitate a backup or two.
The dinner special comes with a dinner roll, but the lunch Fry was a breadless affair. A nice homemade slaw was provided though, and was fresh and a little sweet. It was certainly above average although the portion was on the small side when compared to everything else.
5100 is a nice place. It is spacious yet inviting, and offers good food with a wait staff to match. Overall, this Fish Fry is borderline highly recommendable, and we'll definitely be back in the not too distant future.
Now, smelt are small which is why when you see them out there it's often at an AYCE affair. 5100's weekly special only runs $12, and as you might have guessed, isn't AYCE for that price. The plate comes dotted with 12 or so of the teeny fish and each is encased in a thick and crunchy batter (at least it was thick for melt). They were really more like smelt fries (think French fry style) and I assume pre-battered (it just had that look and feel). Conversely, the cod (which my son got) had a light, flaky, peppery breading that was very appealing. Had the smelt come with that same coating it could have been superb, but as it was is was just so-so. A modicum of the smelty flavor did permeate the dense batter, but all in all they were simply overwhelmed.
Whereas the smelt suffered the hash browns with cheese and onion ($1.00 up-charge for the C&O) were superb. These spuds were slick and gooey, and lavishly loaded with cheese. The stringy cheddar leaked into every crack and crevice of the crisped shreds and made for a satisfying experience. Some thick tartar also did the deed and actually blended pretty well with the beefy batter on the smelt...of course it also crushed on the cod, so take that for what it's worth.
A nice little sphere of white bread with a crisp bottom was a step about the norm, while some super sloppy looking slaw had a fine flavor but was pretty middle of the road and certainly not much to look at.
5100 has been in the game for a while now and while we've never had a bad meal there, we've never been blown away either. That said, I don't remember the cod being nearly this tasty and I'm going to make it a point to come back soon to give it a real shot. The smelt on the other hand...we'll skip. Overall, we don't recommend this Fish Fry, but have high hopes for future visits.