Minnesota Fried Walleye Sandwich

RE: Minnesota Fried Walleye Sandwich (Davydd)

Wed, 18 Jun 2008 12:02:24 GMT

Sunset's in Wayzata, MN serves a decent Walleye Sandwich. I had this one recently.

RE: Minnesota Fried Walleye Sandwich (iqdiva)

Tue, 05 Feb 2008 19:55:24 GMT

Davydd,when my husband & I have been in Rochester,MN. , we always make time to go to Wabasha & Slippery's...I've never tried the walleye sandwich , but I've had the burger...It was delicious !

RE: Minnesota Fried Walleye Sandwich (Davydd)

Tue, 05 Feb 2008 19:50:41 GMT

This past weekend we visited Wabasha, MN on our way home from La Crosse, WI. Wabasha has the newly opened National Eagle Center, a recommended stop if you are ever in the area. After our visit to the Eagle Center we stopped at Slippery's Bar & Grill for a late lunch. They had both breaded pork tenderloins and Walleye sandwiches on the menu so my wife and I ordered both and shared them. The Walleye sandwich was so so. I guess their hamburger carries the day for them. That and the fact they live off their reputation of being featured in the 1993 movie Grumpy Old Men and 1995 movie Grumpier Old Men with Jack Lemmon and Walter Matthau. They have a nice riverside view of the Mississippi River and soaring American bald eagles. Here is the sandwich.

RE: Minnesota Fried Walleye Sandwich (Davydd)

Fri, 25 Jan 2008 23:07:25 GMT

Robeajr,

We Midwesterners are simple folk who enjoy community activity. What I do miss is our local Excelsior South Lake Minnetonka volunteer fire department used to have a spring smelt fry where the whole community showed up to raise money. The smelt, little sardine like fish, used to run every spring in the rivers feeding Lake Superior. People collected them with buckets. The smelt were deep-fried, heads, guts and all. The smelt runs have died out on the Minnesota north shore but I understand other areas of the Great Lakes still have them. Minnesota may still have them but not in the volume that would send thousands up north for the spring ritual like back in the 1970s.

RE: Minnesota Fried Walleye Sandwich (Robearjr)

Fri, 25 Jan 2008 22:57:06 GMT

I've always wondered why the Friday fish fry is mostly a midwestern thing. Maryland is a catholic state with easy access to fresh fish, yet i've never see any anouncements about a fish fry at a church or community group.

RE: Minnesota Fried Walleye Sandwich (easydoesit)

Fri, 25 Jan 2008 03:16:21 GMT

Well, I've got to say that growing up in Winona we always crossed the river into Wisconsin for those fish dinners. It became habit, first with my parents and later with my dates. We never looked deeper into Minnesota, always over that bridge, then there were dozens of places to choose from, and a 30 mile drive one way was just part of the evening. It was just natural to go east, and not just us, but everyone we knew. Cod and walleye both readily available, and AUCE was the rule on Friday.

Having said that, there were some memorable fish places in Minnesota, a couple in Winona and the Anderson House in Wabasha (still there)...but those are border towns.

But now I'm thinking about Minnesota being one of the healthiest states, and Wisconsin one of the fattest....maybe we can blame Wisconsin on the beer, or the cheese, or the brats, or.....LOVE OF LIFE!

Now we've spent 20 years in several Wisconsin cities, and you can't swing your arm without spilling some tartar sauce. But there are some differences within the state. We lived 10 years in Fond du Lac, and over there perch replaces walleye. Perch is everywhere (cod also) and walleye harder to find. And maybe taste is what you grow up with, but we could never warm up to the perch like we did to walleye.

But how about french fries and tarter? We grew up with that in Minnesota (border town) and it is just a natural expectation in Wisconsin. When we moved to Omaha in 1971 we found a place famous for chicken, and ordered fries as a side. The lady who took the order could not get over that we wanted tarter sauce with our fries. It was just wrong to her. But that was a long time ago. Maybe it's different now. How about Indiana?

RE: Minnesota Fried Walleye Sandwich (Davydd)

Thu, 24 Jan 2008 10:29:11 GMT

quote:
Originally posted by iqdiva

Thank you Mr.Davydd ! We love the Mall of the Americas,but the Twin Cities Grill is new to us ... My hubby ,Paul,and I will have to give those establishments a try !

The Twin Cities Grilll is on the north side first level.

easydoesit,

It is interesting how fish interest changes in short distances. Rochester is tucked in the southeast corner of Minnesota near Wisconsin and Iowa. The idea of a fish fry all you can eat seems more popular in Wisconsin than Minnesota. And once you cross the border into Iowa the Walleye just about disappears and cod or catfish becomes the equivalent sandwich. Maybe Rochester is influenced by this. Rochester is located totally outside of the lake regions of Minnesota.

RE: Minnesota Fried Walleye Sandwich (easydoesit)

Thu, 24 Jan 2008 04:56:48 GMT

I googled "rochester walleye sandwich" and got a few hits. There is a place called Beetles with a decent website, and a seafood discussion on Chowhound. And the Green Mill, a small local chain, I haven't tried them.

Davydd, we had a good cod fish fry tonight at Syl's, a local spot in Barre Mills just outside of La Crosse. It was recommended by local friends, and they were right. Long, thin pieces of fish, real clean and nicely fried. All you can eat on Fridays.

RE: Minnesota Fried Walleye Sandwich (iqdiva)

Wed, 23 Jan 2008 22:36:53 GMT

Thank you Mr.Davydd ! We love the Mall of the Americas,but the Twin Cities Grill is new to us ... My hubby ,Paul,and I will have to give those establishments a try !

RE: Minnesota Fried Walleye Sandwich (Davydd)

Wed, 23 Jan 2008 22:32:14 GMT

iqdiva,

I don't have a lot of knowledge about Rochester. The same question about good restaurants came up on the LTHForum and I realized I don't think I have ever stopped in Rochester but one time to visit my old boss in the Mayo Clinic waiting for a heart transplant. I was the architect for the SuperTarget there but Rochester is so close to the Twin Cities that it was a dash down and back trip without exploring road food. Now I am blasting through it on my way to La Crosse, WI and back without stopping. Rochester is a community of doctors and professional people. You would think there would be some good places but I draw a blank.

If you are flying in to the Twin Cities catching a flight to Rochester or then driving down to Rochester I would recommend stopping at the Mall of America's Twin Cities Grill. Also, Axel's Woodfire or Ike's in the Lindbergh main airport terminal have excellent walleye sandwiches.

RE: Minnesota Fried Walleye Sandwich (mayor al)

Wed, 23 Jan 2008 22:19:32 GMT

Culver's down here in Indiana has just brought their Walleye Dinner and Sandwich back on the menu as a 'seasonal specialty'. While I don't know how long the Walleye "Season" lasts, I will attest to the quality of the fish serrved by the FF Chain !

RE: Minnesota Fried Walleye Sandwich (iqdiva)

Wed, 23 Jan 2008 22:10:50 GMT

Davydd,my husband and I will be in Rochester,Mn in late Feb. Can you recommend a restaurant that has a good walleye sandwich ?

RE: Minnesota Fried Walleye Sandwich (Davydd)

Wed, 23 Jan 2008 20:59:17 GMT

Today we had dinner at Maggie's Family Restaurant in Wayzata, Minnesota. We had our kitchen counters installed today and the adhesives were overwhelming us and with a minus 1 degrees we could not air it out. That was good enough of an excuse to get out the house. So we went to Maggie's. Maggie's is an eclectic restaurant with a full line up of breakfast items served all day, appetizers, salads, American dinners, Italian dinners, pizzas, hamburgers and sandwiches. They'd give Cheesecake Factory a run for their money with their menu listings at a lower price point.

I ordered the Walleye BLT sandwich consisting of breaded walleye sticks, bacon, lettuce, tomato and mayo with a side order of fries.

RE: Minnesota Fried Walleye Sandwich (buffetbuster)

Sat, 29 Dec 2007 17:21:41 GMT

quote:
Originally posted by Davydd

The Mall BTW is a liberals anathema. All my Twin Cities friends hate the Mall and denigrate it every chance they can and claim they refuse to go there. They said it would fail. But I was the architectural technical director that put three years of my career into helping create it. I enjoy going there just to walk around indoors in the winter if nothing else. Even if I don't shop I never leave without sampling and buying cheese at Rybicky's Cheese Shop on the 3rd level west end.

Then I offer you a thank you and a job well done! Even though I am not much of a shopper, I always enjoy visiting the MOA. There have been many years when I have flown into MSP and done all my Christmas shopping in one day.

I do remember reading that while it was being built, many were predicting it to be a colossal failure. Instead, it has been an amazing success. Congratulations again!

If that cheese shop is the one I am thinking of, I agree about the quality and I always stop in myself.

RE: Minnesota Fried Walleye Sandwich (Nancypalooza)

Sat, 29 Dec 2007 17:04:45 GMT

Well I heard you guys talking about it (the Twin Cities Grill) and we were desperate for a touristy thing to do that my nephew (who was making his first trip) would enjoy, so we ended up at the MOA. I don't hate the MOA, I just don't really enjoy malls in general so it's not something I really look to do when we're up there. It's always fascinating to look at the roller coaster area--so hats off to you for that Mr. Davydd. It's astounding.

I thought it seemed not trashy enough for my tastes, but like you said, I didn't hold it against them. And the food was really good for a corporate type place, so thanks for the rec. I still haven't hit any of the really terrific Twin Cities RF list places--we're always doing family stuff and I'm not hardcore enough to just wander off alone.

We went to Rybickys! My partner's best friend was scouring the joint for a Packers knit cap for her hubby and somebody said they were loaded with Packers gear. And then I discovered the Nordstrom's Rack and that's all I have to say about that. ;) This same BF used to work at Camp Snoopy back when it was Camp Snoopy and she never hesitates to sniff condescendingly at whatever it is these days. :)

RE: Minnesota Fried Walleye Sandwich (Davydd)

Sat, 29 Dec 2007 13:43:27 GMT

quote:
Originally posted by Robearjr

Outside of Minnesota, how far east can you go and still get a good walleye sandwich? Can I get one in the lake erie area?

Probably the port cities on Lake Erie in Ohio, and then the lake country in Michigan and Wisconsin. Upstate New York may have them too but I have no direct knowledge. Of course Canada. Walleye is a cold freshwater lake fish.

RE: Minnesota Fried Walleye Sandwich (Robearjr)

Sat, 29 Dec 2007 10:45:38 GMT

Outside of Minnesota, how far east can you go and still get a good walleye sandwich? Can I get one in the lake erie area?

RE: Minnesota Fried Walleye Sandwich (Davydd)

Fri, 28 Dec 2007 23:07:28 GMT

Nancy,

The Twin Cities Grill is one of my favorite places at MOA. Interestingly it is a corporate owned restaurant by a Chicago company but I don't hold that against them.

The Mall BTW is a liberals anathema. All my Twin Cities friends hate the Mall and denigrate it every chance they can and claim they refuse to go there. They said it would fail. But I was the architectural technical director that put three years of my career into helping create it. I enjoy going there just to walk around indoors in the winter if nothing else. Even if I don't shop I never leave without sampling and buying cheese at Rybicky's Cheese Shop on the 3rd level west end.

RE: Minnesota Fried Walleye Sandwich (Nancypalooza)

Fri, 28 Dec 2007 18:03:31 GMT

I was at the Twin City Grill in the MOA on Wednesday and I split their fried walleye sandwich with a friend and it was quite delightful. Fries and slaw were great too, not at all an afterthought.

RE: Minnesota Fried Walleye Sandwich (Robearjr)

Sun, 23 Dec 2007 22:22:41 GMT

Well, a beer for $6.50 is still better than at a football stadium. $6.50 would feel like happy hour.

As to the latest pic, the fish looks great, but I'd prefer the tomatoes and onions sliced rather than diced.

RE: Minnesota Fried Walleye Sandwich (Sundancer7)

Sun, 23 Dec 2007 10:49:53 GMT

DavyD: A plate well presented. As a fairly frequent visitor to MSP, I will definately try your selection while I am waiting for a flight. A little pricey but $14.00 is not out of the picture.

Paul E. Smith
knoxville, TN

RE: Minnesota Fried Walleye Sandwich (ann peeples)

Sun, 23 Dec 2007 10:22:12 GMT

OOOOH, That looks good!!

RE: Minnesota Fried Walleye Sandwich (Davydd)

Sun, 23 Dec 2007 10:09:37 GMT

We headed out to Washington DC Friday and got to the Minneapolis/St. Paul Airport early with enough time for lunch. There are two relatively new restaurants in the main concourse of the Lindbergh Terminal in Axel's Bonfire and Ike's. Both served a fried walleye sandwich. Decisions, decisions. Ike's got the nod though I am sure Axel's would have come through as well. Actually Ike's got the nod because the Lady wanted a burger and Ike's has one of the best in the Twin Cities. But this is a walleye thread. The Ike's beer battered walleye came through. It was excellent and a salad was practically sprinkled over the top of it. It came with fries and a vinegar based cole slaw at an airport captive price of $13.99. I think there is also a conspiracy to keep you sober on your flight with Summit Pale Ale draft at $6.49. What the heck, we were in a festive holiday mood and fast food around the terminal was out. If you are just passing through the airport and want to sample Minnesota's specialty I am sure both Axel's Bonfire and Ike's can satisfy you.

RE: Minnesota Fried Walleye Sandwich (Davydd)

Fri, 09 Nov 2007 20:14:10 GMT

It has been a few months. I've been so busy pursuing the breaded pork tenderloin sandwich out of state (of Minnesota) that I had been neglecting the breaded Walleye sandwich. Would you believe the closest restaurant to my home less than one mile away has one and I had not tried it? Yep this is the Hazellewood Grill & Tap Room.

RE: Minnesota Fried Walleye Sandwich (Davydd)

Thu, 12 Jul 2007 13:57:09 GMT

For the record more walleye sandwiches. You can read more about them here...

http://www.roadfood.com/Forums/topic.asp?TOPIC_ID=20686#309892

Trails End Cafe walleye sandwich at the very end of the Gunflint Trail in Northern Minnesota's Boundary Waters Canoe Area

The Rustic Inn Cafe Po Boy walleye sandwich in Castle Danger, Minnesota on the North Shore of Lake Superior

RE: Minnesota Fried Walleye Sandwich (Robearjr)

Sat, 07 Jul 2007 11:34:37 GMT

Northern Lights sounds familar. I'm pretty sure I also had a local beer there. (Yes, I know this is not really narrowing it down.)

RE: Minnesota Fried Walleye Sandwich (Davydd)

Sat, 07 Jul 2007 10:28:23 GMT

quote:
Originally posted by Robearjr

I have only been in Minnesota once, and that was only the airport; however, I did make sure to get a walleye sandwich and a cup of wild rice soup. I don't remember the name of the airport restaurant. It was some place with a faux lodge motif. Anyway, even though I'm sure what I had was by no means the best the area has to offer, I did enjoy both the sandwich and the soup.

It is interesting to see the different fried fish sandwiches from around the country. In Maryland we have lake trout, which is not trout but whiting, and flounder as our contributions to the deep fryer. I seem to remembe the walleye being a bit sweeter than both the flounder and the lake trout.

Robearjr,

Since I usually fly out of Minneapolis/St. Paul I rarely take in the restaurants there or pay a lot of attention. I'll get a coffee at the Caribou Coffee Shop at best. I could guess it could be Axel's Bonfire. There is the Itasca Grille and Northern Lights as well that might meet your description of a faux lodge motif. If it were Axel's Bonfire, a local mini chain of restaurants, you might have gotten a fairly good walleye sandwich. One of the local AM radio hosts swears they have the best walleye. I'll have to try the one near my home and find out.

RE: Minnesota Fried Walleye Sandwich (Davydd)

Sat, 07 Jul 2007 10:14:34 GMT

There is an almond incrusted fried walleye sandwich in that basket somewhere. I was sitting out on the wharf under an evening sun and could hardly see the picture to compose it. I should have realized the fries were hiding the walleye. Anyway we sat out on the wharf at Lord Fletcher's Old Lake Lodge restaurant where you can watch the many boats cruise by. It was a perfect summer evening at 82 degrees and not a cloud in the sky.

RE: Minnesota Fried Walleye Sandwich (Robearjr)

Sat, 30 Jun 2007 21:49:13 GMT

I have only been in Minnesota once, and that was only the airport; however, I did make sure to get a walleye sandwich and a cup of wild rice soup. I don't remember the name of the airport restaurant. It was some place with a faux lodge motif. Anyway, even though I'm sure what I had was by no means the best the area has to offer, I did enjoy both the sandwich and the soup.

It is interesting to see the different fried fish sandwiches from around the country. In Maryland we have lake trout, which is not trout but whiting, and flounder as our contributions to the deep fryer. I seem to remembe the walleye being a bit sweeter than both the flounder and the lake trout.

RE: Minnesota Fried Walleye Sandwich (Davydd)

Wed, 27 Jun 2007 22:02:04 GMT

Oh, but I am not done. Today I went to lunch at Hell's Kitchen in Minneapolis (not the TV show). Hell's Kitchen is more known for its breakfast fare and usually gets fantastic raves in that category. Lunch is not too shabby either with some interesting menu items. I could not resist this one. This could probably be the only breaded walleye BLT sandwich in existence on a restaurant menu.