Madison Fish Fry

The Gods and Goddesses of Greek mythology were known for many things, not the least of which were their vices. They warred with each other, they flirted with disaster, they gave into temptation time and again. I, like lord Zeus, am fallible and easily tempted. This Friday the muse, Athens Grill, stole my affection.

Athens has held a special place in my heart since COVID-times when they scaled to the top of Olympus becoming the champion of the carryout. Their fish came to be the stuff of legend through these trials and I knew this Friday they would impress upon me their wonders yet again.

AG has cod and perch on Fridays (both beer battered) and I went for the $16 2-piece cod as beer batter on freshwater fish rarely curries my favor. I remembered the cod as being solid for the most part, but whether I was blinded by lightning or the fish has evolved, today’s cod was simply divine. The fish itself was flaky and pure and graced by a skin of a beer batter with a noteworthy creaminess. It held tight to the house tartar which elevated it to a non-mortal plane neither individual could achieve on its own.

A side of basic fries proved their worth much like they would have alongside their gyro brothers, while the colorful slaw provided an alluring contrast to the heavenly cod. Sitting at the side of the thrown was “Grandpa Mac’s Squishy Bun” and this crusty little demigod served as a superb addition to the Pantheon.

Athens has morphed into something truly special and I’m glad I’m here to see it in its current state. They always had amazing gyros, but now feature a great bar to meet at, a superb little version of Knoche’s butcher shop, and a Fish Fry worthy of standing shoulder-to-shoulder with giants. Overall, we highly recommend this Fish Fry and will be back to spend time among the Gods and Goddesses again soon hopefully. 🤞