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The St. Stephen Protomartyr Lenten fish fry has a few things that other fry’s don’t: sushi made on-site, microbrewed beer, “pink spaghetti,” and a mascot.
The South City anchor, fairly hidden in a Holly Hills residential neighborhood, often welcomes fish-seekers with a man in a shark-mascot costume, waving at passing cars from the sidewalk. “Sharky,” also the parish’s school mascot, lets you know that campy fun is just ahead. (And kids just looooove Sharky).
St. Stephen doesn’t feed the world; they dish out just 500 dinners or so (a modest number, compared to some of the bigger fry’s around town) each week, on tables with festive red and white coverings, and via carry-out.
If you stop in for a spell this Friday, you can choose from an impressive selection of brews at the bar, including Schlafly, Shock Top, and Goose Island beers in bottles, and pitchers of A-B products on draft.
The cod at St. Stephen probably wouldn’t make our top-ten list (and they don’t offer fried catfish), but the sheer creativity displayed by the rest of the menu (see end of article) is worth noting.
A small platter of six different rolls of maki sushi, rolled by ambitious parishioners, includes fillings of fake crab, avocado, and Cajun seasonings, with wasabi, pickled ginger, and soy sauce packets on the side. This one was an experiment this season, said St. Stephen fish fry organizer Tom Roth. Definitely go early if you want to try it, because very small quantities – something like only 15 portions – are made each week.
Fish tacos (below left) are made from same fried cod at the heart of the Lenten menu, but this time it's topped with spicy salsa, lettuce, and cheese, wrapped in a soft, stick-to-your-teeth soft tortilla, and served with a wedge of lime, Baja-style.
Rotating sides include brown sugar-glazed carrots, roasted potatoes with herbs, rice pilaf, green beans almondine, French fries, cole slaw, hush puppies, baked mac and cheese, and something called “pink spaghetti.”
That last one (above right) is the creation of church member Denise Dowd, who, she said, was inspired by a Mario Batali recipe. The pasta resides in a sauce made with basil, thyme, carrots, onions, garlic, plenty of freshly ground pepper, and ricotta folded in at the end of the process, she explained. It’s definitely more pepper-ey than tomato-ey -- a spaghetti for grown-ups. (It’s not pink in color, by the way).
One side dish at the Lenten dinner, fried mac-and-cheese bits, are heavily breaded, triangle-shaped nuggets with centers of orange goo; they’re strictly for kids who won’t eat fish – or anything else.
St. Stephen offers a very fun South City vibe of eating, drinking and kibitzing; plus a weekly 50/50 raffle, some truly goofy posters (below) plugging the fry for those waiting in the chow line, and the fry’s secret weapon: Sharky.
When Sharky, St. Stephen's shark-mascot, enters the gym, the kids – and some of us easily amused adults -- just freak. Bring your camera.
Incidentally, for those wondering what a “protomartyr” is: St. Stephen, who lived at the time of Jesus, is considered the first Christian martyr.
St. Stephen Protomartyr Fish Fry 4 to 7 p.m. Fridays, through March 30 3929 Wilmington Holly Hills 314-481-1133 saintstephenstl.org
