Brandy’s Old Fashioned Fish Fry Review

Cooper Flagg, a basketball player from the state of Maine, was the number one pick in the NBA this year. He was only 19 when he played in his first NBA off-season game last week, and he didn’t play particularly well. He scored some points and grabbed some rebounds and had one breakaway dunk that some people liked. After the game the writers got busy writing. Cooper Flagg, 19 year old guy who just played against NBA competition, was critiqued. His handles were sloppy. His shot was rushed. His defense was lazy. He looked confused, maybe scared. This was the best college player in the country?

I tell you this so you don’t get angry with me for writing a fish fry review about a restaurant that just opened. If the reviewers of sports can skewer a 19 year old kid, why can’t I give a thoughtful review of a restaurant? Is newness an excuse? Don’t forget, I’m the guy who thinks newborn babies are often tragically ugly, and I think people overpay absurdly for houses because they seek and receive bad advice from unqualified sources, so should it be any surprise to learn that I think a restaurant that opens for business is fair game for immediate judgement? With that, this: A review of the newly opened Brady’s Old Fashioned restaurant on South Lakeshore Drive just across from Reed’s Construction, the pier company which is not to be confused with Reed Construction the superlative Chicago contractor or Reed’s Marine, the Delavan based boat dealership.

I had been hearing about this new restaurant for several weeks, so once I saw their social media announce their opening date, I went online and booked a reservation for a 5 pm fish fry. Yes, I eat early. That’s because I go to bed early and then I wake up early. Everything is sped up in my life, so let’s not act like a guy who goes to bed at 9:30 should be eating dinner at 8 pm. I asked my parents to join, which complicated things because my mom then asked my aunt and uncle to join, meaning my reservation for four was now for six. When I checked my reservation that day to attempt to add in another two diners, the booking system showed no availability at 5, so my mom and dad and aunt and uncle showed up at 4:45 to accommodate that only available booking slot.

When my wife and I arrived we found our guests seated in a corner booth in the north facing sunroom. The restaurant consists of a Northwoods style, dimly lit bar area with some tables, and this back sunroom, which was a bit warm on this hot afternoon. In spite of the reservation system showing no available 5 pm tables, the restaurant was probably 80% empty. I assumed the lack of availability online was because they were attempting to limit the diners on this, their first open Friday. We shuffled into the corner booth, which was a bit tight for six. Several bothersome flies kept us busy while we waited for our waitress. I fidgeted on my phone, sweating with nervous anticipation.

Our waitress was quickly table side, and she was very nice. She reminded me of my dad’s cousin, and we all agreed that she was indeed a dead ringer for Debbie. We requested waters all around, and my aunt ordered a beer. Spotted Cow on draft. The Spotted Cow, it turned out, wasn’t available because there was an issue with the tap. This posed no real issue, (though she did say her replacement choice was not particularly cold) and this is something that might be expected and forgiven during a restaurant’s opening week. The fish fry is Cod, which is good because I dislike Haddock. I asked if the fried was battered in house, which it was. The choice of potato included mashed, baked, or fries. You read that correctly. I didn’t forget something, though it seems as though they did. No potato pancake option at a fish fry in Wisconsin in a setting that calls itself a supper club? I didn’t understand this and tried my best to not let it impact my review.

The table ordered a mix of fried and broiled, of mashed potato and fries. Shortly after ordering, two small containers of cut vegetables with a little tray of what I assume was ranch dressing were presented to the table. I guessed this was supposed to be a relish tray of sorts. I had been disappointed two years ago when the Village Supper Club on Delavan Lake re-opened, and they provided a $5 relish tray option. That relish tray was not very good. If this was Brandy’s relish tray then this was also not very good, and in fact, it wasn’t even a relish tray. Give me a real tray with some processed cheese and crackers and maybe some pickles and cut vegetables and maybe something I don’t expect. But a few cut vegetables does not equal a relish tray. I was also somewhat confused as to why a table of six would receive two of these not-really-relish-trays, but whatever. This is such an easy thing to do right, yet no one in this market seems compelled to do it right. It’s all very frustrating.

The fish was out quickly, which I appreciated. My fried consisted of two thin pieces of cod and a sprinkling of French fries. There was some coleslaw (there was a “spicy” coleslaw option), a lemon wedge and tartar sauce. The plates were oval and substantial, but the food portion was too small for the plate, which created an underwhelming appearance. If we eat with our eyes, my eyes were still hungry. The fries were crispy and hot, and several of my dining companions agreed the fries were very good. The mashed potatoes were a miss, not because they didn’t taste good, but because mashed potatoes and fish? There was a thin piece of rye bread on each plate except mine, and I thought for a moment that perhaps they knew me and knew I hate rye bread and omitted my piece as a kind gesture, but then I realized that wasn’t likely. The bread was crispy like Zwiebeck bread, so it was more like eating a large thin crouton than a piece of soft dinner bread. Even the rye bread eaters at my table didn’t enjoy the bread.

My fried fish pieces were small, thin, and not visually appealing. The batter was perfectly light and crispy, but the fish inside lacked salt and was rather bland. Good Cod has a sweetness to it that can’t quite be understood, and this Cod was not sweet. My wife’s broiled/baked was similarly cut into small pieces (tail sections), very thin and very bland. Some of the other fish on the table looked better, i.e., thicker cuts, but it was all similarly uninspired. My dad is a fish fry authority and he was unimpressed. We finished our dinners and thanked our very kind, very attentive waitress, and headed home.

I left dinner that night in my typical Lake Geneva dining mood: Sadness. Why is it so hard for Lake Geneva to offer up good food? Do the people who own restaurants in the area not travel? Do they not eat at the amazing restaurants in Chicago? Am I the only one cursed with a discerning palate? Is this what I get for not drinking? If I were drinking, does that buzz make small fried tail sections of fish taste good? Why must I make excuses for every restaurant? I wanted to like this new place. I’m glad it’s open. That corner needed some new life, and it now has it. But for how long? If a restaurant relies on liquor and beer to draw its patrons, this is a losing formula because liquor and beer are consistent and ubiquitous. If you want to succeed in Lake Geneva, just do one thing: Serve good food. Make me want to come back. When your food vendor gives you three options for quality of protein, choose the best option. Build your relish tray so it’s the thing people tell their friends about. Charge me two dollars more for dinner, but impress me. I may have been premature in my visit, but for now Brandy’s Old Fashioned needs to up their game if they want curious patrons to return.

Brandy’s Old Fashioned

W3230 South Lake Shore Drive, Lake Geneva (Linn)

$23

3.9/10