By Jay Furst
Post-Bulletin, Rochester MN
The walleye is Minnesota's state fish. Does that mean the walleye sandwich is Minnesota's state sandwich?
You bet. There's no better combination, in the Land of Sky Blue
Waters, than a fillet of flaky, delectable walleye, lightly fried and
caught between two pieces of homemade bread. It's the equivalent of the
grouper sandwich, a tradition on the Florida Gulf Coast, the lobster
roll in Maine and just about every other fish-bread combination in
between.
"We sell a lot of 'em, I'd say around 20-30 a day," says Derek
Jensen, executive chef at Chester's Kitchen & Bar, the downtown
hotspot that serves one of the best in town. The parmesan-crusted
walleye fillet, on the entree side of the menu, is likely the
second-best selling item on the list, says Jensen, 46, who has led the
Chester's kitchen since it opened last year.
There are roadhouse versions of the walleye sandwich --
plain-and-simple versions best washed down with Schell's beer -- and
more uptown versions. As long as the fish is good, you really can't go
wrong.
The Rochester area isn't blessed with a lot of walleye waters aside
from the Mississippi, but we have our fair share of restaurants and
grills that serve up a great sandwich. Beetle's Bar and Grill on Second
Street Southwest has a good one, as does the Hubbell House in
Mantorville and the Rainbow Cafe in Pine Island (until 4 p.m. only, not
on the dinner menu). Now and then, Culver's adds a walleye sandwich to
the menu and it's better than most, plus a bit cheaper.
Four sandwiches stand heads and tails -- well, just fillets,
actually -- above the others. Here they are, and if you know of a
better sandwich, let me know and we'll add it to the list.
Chester's Kitchen & Bar
Shops on University Square, Rochester
424-1211
Chester's has more buzz than any other dining place in town, and
leaving aside the flashy bar and loud, stylish atmosphere, it's because
the food is fresh and original. Their version of the walleye sandwich
is, of course, uptown -- a flaky, lightly beer-battered fillet served
open-face on toasted ciabatta bread, with lettuce, vine-ripened tomato
drizzled with olive oil and homemade tartar sauce on the side. The
batter is whisper-thin and subtle, not greasy, and the fish is moist
and flaky.
It's a four-star sandwich, and it's priced that way at $14
(including a side dish -- try the spicy campfire beans). This is the
walleye sandwich to make sure your uncle from Pennsylvania tries when
he comes to visit.
Mr. Pizza North
4040 28th St. N.W., Rochester
252-9400
Don't be deceived by the restaurant's name or by the enticing pizza
-- the North Mr. Pizza along West Circle Drive has a lot more on the
menu, and the walleye sandwich is a hit. Like Chester's, it's served on
ciabatta, with plenty of red onions, tomato, romaine lettuce and a
dilly of a tartar sauce -- ask for it on the side if you're not sure.
It's $9.95 with a panoply of side options, including outstanding onion
rings.
Canadian Honker
1203 Second St. S.W., Rochester
282-6572
The Honker's walleye sandwich is like most items on the menu --
consistently good and fairly priced, at $9.99. You have to look hard
for it on the menu -- it's an alternative to the fresh fish sandwich,
which is $2 cheaper. The fillet was a catfish-whisker smaller than that
at Chester's and was simply deep-fried, with a fairly light coating of
batter. Served on a French roll with a choice of fries, slaw or cottage
cheese, it's a good deal, especially when you get a table out front,
with the best people watching in Rochester.
Slippery's Bar and Grill
10 Church Ave., Wabasha
(651) 565-4748
There's nothing fancy about Slippery's walleye sandwich -- a fairly
small fillet, fried and served on a grilled bun with a single leaf of
lettuce and tartar sauce on the side -- but it's respectable and you'll
have a better view than anywhere else on this list, about 10 feet from
the Mississippi River. If you're a boater, you already know this, but
you can tie up at Slippery's dock and enjoy your walleye sandwich out
on the deck, with a pint of Slippery's Red (like Chester's house beer,
brewed by Schell's in New Ulm). With the sandwich priced at $7.99, you
can afford to upgrade the side order to "Slippery spuds," fried
seasoned potatoes topped with melted cheese.
Four Stars
Four Stars is a new monthly column in Life/Mealtime, highlighting
first-rate food in the Rochester area. Next month, we'll recommend four
places to find the best bowl of the Gopher State's quintessential soup
-- no, not gopher soup, chicken-wild rice. Pass along your
recommendations and we'll check them out.
If you know of other places to find a terrific walleye sandwich,
send us a note, tell us what you like about it, and we'll add it to the
record, in print next week and online at Postbulletin.com.
Send a note to Four Stars column, Post-Bulletin, P.O. Box 6118,
Rochester, MN 55903 or Post-Bulletin, Rochester MN . You can also post
comments to the Great Taste restaurant blog at Postbulletin.com and
we'll publish the best comments in print.
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