The first Friday of Lent is fish fry Friday in Wisconsin, a Midwest tradition. And now, officially, it’s a holiday recognized by the governor’s office!
That’s a celebration nearly all Wisconsinites can get behind. It might be no surprise to you that the Milwaukee man who created the holiday has a deep love for all varieties of fish; deep-fried, hand-battered, or breaded. But you’ll likely be shocked to hear just how committed he is. Caleb Westphal has enjoyed more than 500 Friday fish fry dinners — in a row!
TMJ4’s Andrea Albers met Westphal at one of the city’s busiest Friday night spots, The Packing House, to hear the (fish) tale.
“If you don’t have a good tartar, it’s not going to work,” said Chris Wiken, owner of The Packing House . Wiken knows what makes a good fish fry and knows how to serve it up, in big numbers.
“There have been Good Fridays where we’ve done like 1,200 fish frys,” he recalled. His family-owned restaurant is launching into its 50th Lenten season and Wiken is grateful, attributing much of the restaurant’s longevity and success to its dedicated staff.