ANN ABOUT TOWN: Eastside Fish Fry

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Tuesday, May 12, 2015, 6:00 am
By: 
Ann Nichols

Eastside Fish Fry can do lots of things. They can fry anything you pick out of their cases, including whiting, cod, tilapia, frogs’ legs, shrimp, gizzards, livers, crawfish, alligator, calamari and clams. They can sell you grilled salmon, a chicken dinner, a beef kabob, a burger or a deep-fried Twinkie. They can deliver food to your East Lansing home, whether you want dinner for your family or enough to feed an army.

Pretty much the only things you can’t get from Eastside is a place to sit down and eat “in,” and English-style fish and chips. The seafood batter seems to be a Southern-style “fry” with cornmeal and seasonings, and there’s no malt vinegar to be had. Eastside is a taste of the South, from the catfish to the banana pudding, okra and hush puppies.

Captain Carnivore and I had ordered from Eastside in the past, after a family member waxed enthusiastic about what regulars call “crack” fried chicken. I haven’t tried actual crack, but I can say with some assurance that there are potentially addictive ingredients in that chicken in addition to the well-known intoxicants of fat and salt.

Last week we decided to make an actual visit since we were hungry, it was dinner time, and we were headed to a concert venue where there wouldn’t be so much as a bar snack. Eastside, located in Lansing on Kalamazoo Street next to a barbershop, was hopping. I noticed immediately that it didn’t smell like fish or like fryer oil, both of which seemed unusual in a place that specializes in fried fare, most of which is seafood.

The interior of the store is long and narrow with one side taken up entirely by a glass case of potential ingredients and a register area. At one end is a case of cold groceries, and across from the cases are shelves of drygoods. At the other end of the room are several chairs pushed against the wall. There is one two-top table near the front window, already occupied when we arrived by two gentleman waiting for their orders. The front door was held open by a box containing a drum of oil, and an older gentleman with a dog placed his order, asked one of the men at the table to holler when his order was up, and headed across the street to walk in the park.

We’d had the chicken, so we decided to do fish. Captain Carnivore ordered the whiting meal, and I ordered cod loins (wondering if cods actually have loins). We also ordered a banana pudding for after the concert. Although whiting is fish that actually tastes like fish, I picked the relatively bland cod because I really wanted to get a sense of what went into the batter or breading.

Both meals were quite large, and included fish, French fries and a soft roll. Since we couldn’t eat there, and it seemed weird to sit in the parking lot, we drove across the street to park near what appeared to be an elementary school and ate in the car, watching a group of young men play pretty good basketball. The coating on the fish was smooth, shattery and cornmeal-based, and the fries seemed to be seasoned. (Note: Captain Carnivore disputes the use of "shattery" to describe the coating, and asks that I emphasize that it isn't thin, just less lumpy and more cornmeal crunchy than battered fish). 

It was kind of a glorious mess there in the car, but it’s not the kind of food that holds up really well in transit. We did what we had to do, grateful for napkins and wetnaps.

As I said, Eastside isn’t a place you would pick for, say, a family occasion, unless there are only two people in your family and those people don’t mind eating in the car if the table is already taken. You could, however, call ahead and place your order, pick it up and feed your family. You could also stop by and pick up lunch during a work day.

There are choices for the pickiest of children, including chicken tenders, and a vegetarian could put together a selection of sides that include okra, fried mac and cheese, fried green beans and cheddar cheese broccoli or cauliflower. Diners looking for generally healthy food can actually do pretty well despite the whole “fry” thing by choosing grilled seafood.

Mostly, honestly, Eastside Fish Fry is not the place to go if you are just starting a diet. It’s where you go when nothing will do but some catfish nuggets, some hush puppies and a gallon of sweet tea. And maybe, later, when you’re dog-tired and hoarse from yelling during a loud concert you’ll try a little banana pudding and it will be just like you remember.

Eastside Fish Fry is located at 2417 E. Kalamazoo Street in Lansing, about 3 minutes from the Breslin Center.

 

 

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