Business & Tech
Oakville's St Francis of Assisi Fish Fry: A Yearly Favorite for Faithful Fish Lovers
Community fish frys during Lent is a best bet for great fish at affordable prices.
Fish aficionados wait patiently all year for Lent, the unofficial beginning of what some call “fish fry season.”
Now until April 22, (Good Friday) community fish fry suppers are a best bet for affordable, hearty dinning. One of the oldest-running in the area can be found at St Francis of Assisi in Oakville. Here, tradition rules the menu and the cooks still hand-bread their famous jack salmon.
“We’re the only ones I know that still hand-bread their jacks,” said Lil Vitale, who has been a parishioner and fry fish volunteer for 50 of her 90 years. “You got to love’em (jack salmon) because we make them right.”
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Joining jack salmon on the menu and in the deep fryer are catfish filets, shrimp, cod filets and fish nuggets. All are lightly-breaded, fried golden brown and served with your choice of tartar or red sauce, which for non-locals is a type of barbeque sauce. Cocktail sauce is also available in packets on request. Baked Lemon Pepper Cod is the non-fried fish option and other alternatives are New England-style clam chowder and cheese pizza, sold and priced as a side.
Numerous homemade sides are available, which are prepared by the St. Francis volunteer cooks brigade who mix slaw, toss salad and simmer sauce. Sides offered include mac and cheese, seasoned green beans, sweet 'n' sour slaw, applesauce and meatless spaghetti. Homemade thick-cut potato chips are another pick that can be counted as one of two sides sold with dinner. If you can’t decide on just two, pick three or more. Extra sides are $2 and are added-on to dinner plates ($7.50 -$8.50). Kids plates are $5. For those less hungry, catfish or cod sandwiches on white or rye bread are $4.
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Dine-in communal seating is provided in the school gym/cafeteria which also houses three carryout lines. Scouts and church youth serve as the bus staff and church ladies work the optional wine and dessert tables while the men oversee the lobby beer and soda stand.
St Francis of Assisi Catholic Church is located at 4556 Telegraph Road. Serving hours are from 4 to 7 p.m. Dinners will be held each Friday through Good Friday.
