Fish fry fast facts:

When settlers came to the Wisconsin area, many with German and Polish backgrounds were heavily influenced by the Catholic Church. Until the 1960s, members of the Catholic religion were forbidden from eating warm-blooded meat on Fridays.
This led Wisconsin families to turn to the many lakes across the state, full of fish varieties such as the perch, walleye, haddock, cod, and bluegill.
When Prohibition was at its height, taverns began turning from selling booze to plates of fish. Frying fish was cheap, and it was not difficult to learn the fish fry cooking processes. This helped the taverns stay in business + spread the love of fried fish across the state.

New to Wisconsin and never experienced fish fry? No worries.

Here’s what you can expect to find on your plate:

Beer-battered + deep-fried perch, walleye, haddock, cod, or bluegill
Potatoes — French fries, potato pancakes, hash browns, fried potatoes, or baby reds
Crisp coleslaw
Slice of rye bread
Assortment of condiments — lemon wedges, malt vinegar, or tartar sauce

Ready to get a taste of a true Wisconsin fish fry?

Check these spots around Madison offering the traditional dish:

Toby's Supper Club | 3717 S. Dutch Mill Rd.
Echo Tap | 554 W. Main St.
Bassett Street Brunch Club | 444 W. Johnson St.
Essen Haus | 514 E. Wilson St.
Nitty Gritty | 223 N. Frances St.
The Coopers Tavern | 20 W. Mifflin St.
Nick's Restaurant | 226 State St.
Oakcrest Tavern | 5371 Old Middleton Rd.
Dexter’s Pub | 301 North St.

And for those passionate about their Friday fish fry, check out this local website that reviews fish fry across Wisconsin and the Madison area, ranking eateries who claim to cook up a true Wisconsin fish fry.

#MUSTDO

Today

Tim Dillon | Fri., Nov. 19 | 7 p.m. | Orpheum Theater | $35+ | Enjoy a night full of laughter with this stand-up comedian, actor + writer.
The Floozies | Fri., Nov. 19 | 7 p.m. | Majestic Theatre | $25+ | Table reservation required for the electric dance-duo show.

Saturday

Art, Glass + Bead Show | Sat., Nov. 20-Sun., Nov. 21 | Times vary | Alliant Energy Center | Free | Shop from dozens of local vendors. 🎨
Full Moon Night Walk | Sat., Nov. 20 | 6:30-8 p.m. | UW–Madison Arboretum Visitor Center, 2880 Longenecker Dr. | Free | Walk under the Deer Running Moon + learn about the name that the Ho-Chunk people gave it. 🌕
3rd Saturday Traditional Gaming | Sat., Nov. 20 | 9 a.m.-5 p.m. | Hawthorne Library, 2707 E. Washington Ave. | Free | One-shot adventures and campaigns open to new + recurring players.

Sunday

Camp Randall Volunteer Event | Sun., Nov. 21 | 8 a.m.-12 p.m. | Camp Randall Stadium | Free | Help Habitat Young Professionals of Dane County in uninstalling seats from the stadium.
Sunday Candle Light Yoga | Sun., Nov. 21 | 7-8 p.m. | Madison Circus Space, 2082 Winnebago St. | Free+ | Relax with a slow flow as you start your week. 🕯️

Monday

Madison Math Circle | Mon., Nov. 22 | 6-7 p.m. | 3255 Helen C White Library | Free | A weekly series of mathematically-based activities aimed at middle school + high school students organized by the UW Math Department. 📓

We have a monthly guide filled with events + activities you can plan for in advance. Click the button below to bookmark ideas for upcoming date nights, family outings, and time with friends.

PLAN OUT YOUR WHOLE WEEKEND

NEWS NOTES

Weather

38º | Mostly cloudy | 10% chance of rain ☁️

Announced

The Wisconsin Dept. of Natural Resources announced that the 2022 state park and forest admission stickers will go on sale next Fri., Nov. 26. The pass will cost $28 for Wisconsin residents and $38 for non-residents + gives access to over 60 state parks, forests, and recreation areas across the state. 🌳 (Channel3000)
Makers Market Sun Prairie has shared the planned dates for the 2022 Makers Market. Join them on Sat., May 14 + Sat., Oct. 1 next year + applications for vendors will go live on Sat., Jan. 1. 🛍️

Civic

The Madison Common Council voted this week to approve the addition of 3 new community connector positions within the Dept. of Civil Rights. These positions will launch in 2022 + help with translation, interpretation, and community outreach services for Spanish, Hmong, and Mandarin speaking communities. 🗳️
The Madison Common Council also passed a resolution proclaiming Nov. 25-Dec. 10, 2021 as the “16 Days of Activism to End Gender-Based Violence.” Read more about the resolution here.

Development

An updated proposal has been shared for a 12-story housing and commercial project near the Alliant Energy Center at 232 E. Olin Ave. This project would bring 258 housing units,18,808 sqft. of commercial space, and 308 covered parking spaces to the area + efforts to preserve the Wonder Bar are stalling the approval. 🏗️ (Wisconsin State Journal)

Traffic

The work to expand Interstate 39/90 to 6 lanes is almost complete after 6 years of construction. This project — which started from the Madison Beltline to the Wisconsin/Illinois state line — is complete in Dane and Rock counties + work in Beloit will finish in early December. Watch the timeline of the project, captured by the Wisconsin Dept. of Transportation. 🚧

Ranked

Gotham Bagels — a shop with locations in Madison and Chicago— ranked fifth in Chicago’s Top 10 bagels by the Chicago Tribune. You can check out Gotham Bagels at 112 E. Mifflin St. + the Madison shop recently added a new Venezuelan collaboration offering dubbed The Reina Pepiada. 🥯

Cause

Today, the Madison Public Library is hosting its “Making the Most of Year-End Charitable Giving” virtual event from 12–1 p.m. This event will host a panel of experts discussing the best strategies for maximizing your end-of-year donations, covering topics such as tax-saving tips when contributing from an IRA or gifting stock. 💰
Henry Vilas Zoo is looking for donations this Giving Tuesday (Tues., Nov. 30) in order to purchase enrichment toys for the zoo inhabitants. Animals such as polar bears, bison, and the rhino require expensive toys made specifically to withstand their behavior + all donations are tax deductible. Learn more about the Zoo’s requests here. 🐅

DYK

Ready to impress your family and friends around the dinner table this holiday season? OnWisconsin has compiled a list of interesting fun facts from UW-Madison faculty and staff to share with the entire family. Did you know that when a cow chews, its brain waves resemble that of a humans’ brain waves while sleeping? Learn more fun facts + help keep the conversation going at your next social gathering.

COVID-19

UW-Madison announced yesterday that it will extend the current campus mask mandate until Sat., Jan. 15. The university cited upcoming holiday travel + an increase in Wisconsin COVID-19 cases as the reasoning for extending the mandate. (Wisconsin State Journal)

Sports

Matt LaFleur has led the Packers to an 18-2 record at Lambeau Field during the regular season. With this stat, he is tied for the most wins by an NFL head coach in the first 20 games at home. This Sat., Nov. 21, the Packers will head to Minneanpolis to face off against NFC North division rivals Minnesota Vikings. 🏈

Job

The Cider Farm is currently hiring for multiple part-time server positions. You can learn more about the team, the position + send your resume on The Cider Farm’s Instagram page. 💼

📸 @wndmadisonwi

Ready to snuggle up under your own creation? 🧶

The locally owned + operated Madison Wine & Design has openings throughout Dec. and Jan. to create your own chunky blanket.

Tickets start at $90 and will get you 6 rolls of yarn to create a throw-sized chunky blanket. You can pick up to 3 colors for your blanket + can add charcuterie boxes from Tricky Foods or Macarons by Sim to your ticket.

Check all the available December and January dates here.

#DYK that your photos and quotes could be featured in our newsletter?

Just use #608today on social media.