Borough Beer Co. & Kitchen - CLOSED

The $18 beer battered Fish Fry from the new @theboroughmadison started with four dippable pieces of flaky, flavorful cod. They were surrounded by a pleasant homemade tartar, an appealing cup of house fries, a small but satisfying cup of homemade slaw, and a couple lovely pieces of lightly-toasted marble rye. It wasn't the heartiest of Fish Frys but it was surprisingly filling and devoured in an instant (so I'd have to say it was pretty tasty). Overall, it was good and I'd have no qualms about ordering it again.

Well, that's a really pretty plate of fish.

That said, the $18 cod from the Borough is a tough call for sure. I didn't hate it, but I can't say I loved it either. That is to say, it's got some good things going for it, but there is definitely room for improvement.

The 4-pieces of cod make for a generous portion, as does the single piece of "perch" (not traditional lake perch) which one of my fellow diners ordered (he is 9, and loved it). Both fish share the same beer batter which is thicker than I'd like, but still well-fried (not greasy). The batter doesn't have a ton of flavor and really needed the pick-me-up from the house tartar. Speaking of the tartar, it's on the thin side, but clings to the fish really well and has a great taste.

The shoestring fries were also expertly fried and presented nicely, while the marble rye with whipped butter was the ultimate addition. For some reason there was no slaw with this Fish Fry which is a mystery I'm not sure any of us can solve.

The cod also comes with decorative sprouts which are unique, and make things look appealing, but are a bit of a pain to remove (I don't think I was supposed to eat them, was I?).

The Borough is a really nice establishment, the service was superb, and I enjoyed my Maple Bourbon Old Fashioned I had with this Fish Fry. As for the fish itself, I'm glad I tried it again, but at this point I'm not rushing back in for it.