Muse Italian Club
Muse Italian Club serves up a fried fish sandwich with three pieces of cod.
Beth McElhaney, a member of the Muse Italian Club, assembles two fish sandwiches on Ash Wednesday.
I had heard Muse Italian Club’s fish sandwich is “the best,” and although it’s still early in the Lenten season, I won’t dispute the claim.
The club at 283 Muse-Bishop Road is the place to go if you’re looking for a delicious, fresh-tasting sandwich without the shame and regret you feel after eating at a seafood drive-through.
The cod is delivered once-frozen, rather than twice-frozen. (I didn’t realize this, but apparently it makes a difference in flavor.) The fillets are washed, cut and hand breaded, then lightly deep fried. The breading is thin and just crispy enough to complement the perfectly flaky fish. It’s “not all breading and no fish,” said Ellen Del Vecchio, one of the organizers who has helped coordinate the fish fry dinners for 30 years.
And they definitely don’t skimp on the fish. Three fillets are sandwiched between a Cellone’s roll.
Some of the side dishes, including macaroni and cheese and coleslaw, also are homemade. If you like your slaw more minced than chunky, you’ll definitely like this. And if fish doesn’t catch your interest, try the shrimp dinner, crab cakes or seafood platter.
The best part is the fish-fry dinners are held year-round on Fridays between 11 a.m. and 7 p.m.
And make sure to grab a cold beer at the bar to wash down that fish.
– Emily Petsko