DISH OF THE WEEK: Filet of Fish at Wrecking Bar Brewpub in Inman Park
The sandwich section of chef Terry Koval's menu at Wrecking Bar Brewpub includes a crowd-pleasing grass-fed burger with all the fixings, house-cured-and-smoked local beef pastrami with baby collard kimchi, and the "Korean Vegan" with seared seitan loaf and spicy tofu mayo.
But the sandwich I return to time and again is a clever take on an old school fast food favorite. Koval's Filet of Fish is a bit of fun and games that celebrates the pop culture place of McDonald's Filet-O-Fish.
Basically, it’s a big hunk of corn meal-crusted cod, with shredded iceberg lettuce, smoked jalapeño tartar sauce, thinly sliced radishes and pickled jalapeños served on a grilled brioche bun.
Instead of a slice of melty American cheese — undoubtedly the mad genius of the original — you have the option to add a slice of Wisconsin cheddar, which you absolutely must do.
In toto, this fish sandwich both recalls and bests McDonald’s. It’s much bigger and bolder, with alternating levels of spicy and tangy notes and layers of crunch from the corn meal, lettuce and radishes.
Honestly, I might prefer the soft squishy bun and American cheese for old times' sake. But I don’t think that combo would hold up as well in Koval’s heartier configuration of textures and flavors.
Ultimately, the Wrecking Bar Filet of Fish is a triumph of nostalgia and invention, delivering the slutty pleasure of the prototype with the happy goodness of real food.
Filet of Fish with cheese, $15. Wrecking Bar Brewpub: 4-11 p.m. Mondays-Thursdays; noon-midnight Fridays-Saturdays; 11 a.m.-10 p.m. Sundays. 292 Moreland Ave. N.E., Atlanta, 404-221-2600, wreckingbarbrewpub.com.
More Dish of the Week picks:
Kale pakoras from Chai Pani in Decatur
Read the AJC Fall Dining Guide, Atlanta Around the Clock, here.
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