Caleb Westphal hasn’t missed a Friday fish fry since 2013. Follow his never-ending adventures—sponsored by Miller High Life—HERE. This week, fish fry #566: In Plane View in Milwaukee, Wisconsin.
“Are you aware that we have a road closure at 5 or 5:30?” the voice behind the pine cautioned. “You’d be stuck here from 5-9.
I was aware, although the news reports I had read were not clear that the closure would take place that early. The two leading presidential candidates were both coming to Milwaukee on the final Friday before one of the most consequential—if not the most consequential—presidential elections of my lifetime, and I was at In Plane View (700 E. Layton Ave.; 414-988-9700), directly across from the airport, revved up to get a Friday fish fry with two of my stepsons.
I looked at my phone. It was 4:35. I was willing to risk it for a fish fry. If I had to abandon my vehicle in the parking lot and we had to hoof it to Howell Avenue after dinner, then so be it. The implication seemed to be that we’d at least be able to leave the premises, even if my vehicle couldn’t, so we wouldn’t get stuck at In Plane View watching Trump’s plane and motorcade, then Harris’s plane and motorcade, and then Trump’s motorcade and plane again. (Harris was slated to spend the night in Milwaukee.) We settled into a booth.
I grabbed one of the yellow laminated Friday menus to look over, and when our server came by, promptly ordered two Kiddie Cocktails ($3) and a Brandy Old Fashioned Sweet ($10.50). In Plane View, which has been open since 2021, offers a three-piece beer battered cod ($17), three-piece hand breaded cod ($17), baked cod ($19), and a breaded shrimp basket ($17). The three-piece cod dinners come with french fries, coleslaw, rye bread, and tartar sauce, the baked cod with fresh vegetables, rye bread, and tartar sauce, and the breaded shrimp basket with fries, coleslaw, and cocktail sauce. Clam chowder is also on the menu ($4 cup/ $6 bowl). When we got our drinks, we put in our food orders. I went with the hand breaded cod and a cup of chowder.
Served in a mason glass mug, the Old Fashioned was muddled with an abundance of fruit and garnished just the same. It was smooth, chilled, and sweet, and had traces of cinnamon. The Friday menu said that Old Fashioneds were buy one get one half off, but there was no time for that tonight—we were up against the clock. (At $10.50, the Old Fashioneds seemed overpriced anyway.)
Before I had fully downed the cocktail, the chowder arrived. It was creamy, with clams galore, and with enough celery and potato to match the meat. In short, the restaurant didn’t skimp on the filling. The flavor wasn’t lacking either, with seasoning intertwining with the cream, clams, and vegetables to create a robust, taste-bud awakening stew.
A few groups of people walked in and were given the same warning as we had about the street closure. Some left. Some stayed. There were a few pockets of patrons, but the restaurant was mostly empty. It was generally unclear if the patrons were hunkering down for the duration or intending to make it out in time, although one patron wearing a black MAGA hat did make it out, perhaps to head to the rally of her preferred candidate before he landed.
It felt like a storm was brewing outside and we were holed up like Bogart, Bacall, and Barrymore in Key Largo. Indeed, strong political winds were converging on Milwaukee. While we were safe inside with fish frys on the way, it was unknown at the time which way the winds would ultimately blow. Was there impending doom? Would fear, divisiveness, and authoritarian forces prevail, or would a battered Republic survive and strive to heal its wounds?
At 4:50, as the clock ticked down until the time the road would close, and the collective pressure of a country just hours away from a critical presidential election continued to build, inside In Plane View three fish frys landed on the table of the second booth from the window.
Given its run-of-the-mill appearance, the rich caraway flavor of the rye bread came as a surprise. The seasoned straight-cut fries were largely filler, being just fine but not setting themselves above other fries. The most memorable side was the coleslaw. Marked by green onion slices and celery, it had a distinct flavor, and also didn’t disappoint with its juiciness. In a world of assembly-line slaws, anything that deviates just a little from the norm is noticed and appreciated, and that was the case here.
The breading on the fish was only lightly seasoned, not swaying the flavor much in any direction. It fully encased the cod, keeping it piping hot. Under almost all circumstances this would be an asset, but it wasn’t conducive for quick eating—not that I’m complaining about it. The fish was dense and chunky, yet moderately moist. Uniform in its smooth consistency, and with a familiar but elusive flavor, the tartar worked with the fish but was not transformational.
One of my stepsons cleared his plate and looked across the table, asking if we were ready to go. It was almost 5:00 and I made the decision to request the check, as well as boxes for myself and my other stepson. We scurried out the door at 5:04 and beelined it to the vehicle. Layton Avenue was still open, and we made it home.
There was another reason that I didn’t want to be marooned at In Plane View for the next four hours. My three stepsons, my wife, and I were planning to make it to the Harris rally at Wisconsin State Fair Park. We made it, and as we sat in the bleachers waiting for Vice President Harris to take the stage, a stream of speakers warmed up the crowd. County Executive David Crowley said some words, and I thought about about how it was just last month that we had shared a fish fry. Soon after, Senator Tammy Baldwin took the stage, and I thought of the time we shared a fish fry this past spring. If only at this moment we all were sitting at tables in Serb Hall—traditionally Milwaukee’s foremost political fish fry destination—waiting to have a fish fry with the vice president. Now that would have been a Friday!
The title of this column is Enjoy Every Fish Fry, and it’s worth asking if I enjoyed this one, being that I consumed it at such an accelerated pace. The answer is yes, of course, but it wasn’t only because of my experience at the restaurant. When I made it home, shortly after seeing the Vice President’s motorcade zip down 84th Street, not Layton Avenue, I reheated my leftover fish and fries, took out the cup of coleslaw that my stepson hadn’t wanted, and had what felt like a bonus fish fry. Regardless of your political views, and regardless if your candidate won or lost, there’s lots of work to do, and lots of fish frys to eat. Now let’s roll up our sleeves for both.
Takeaways: Chowder exceptional in both flavor and texture; unique green onion and celery slaw; large and chunky pieces of cod; fast service; you can view some planes while eating; located on a road that is sometimes closed down when important people come to town.
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