SOLON — The COVID-19 pandemic led to significant changes in the Solon American Legion Stinocher Post 460’s annual fish fry’s last year including a shift to carry out only. This year, with more and more signs of pre-pandemic normalcy popping up, the Legion is announcing a return to fully in-house dining at the Legion Hall, with deliveries for homebound seniors available.
“They can call-in during the week and order meals, and we’ll deliver them,” Denny Hansen said. “We need to have them call-in during the week, and at 4:30 (the day of the fish fry) we’ll start putting those together and have those out of here by say, quarter-of-five, so they’ll have them by five and we’ll start in-house dining at 5:00 p.m.”
Carryout orders will also be available, he said. “It will be like we’ve done in the past where they’ll come in and get in line, and just say they want it to go, and we’ll put it in to-go containers for them rather than on a plate. So, it’s all back to the way it was a few years ago.”
Another change is offering all-you-can eat fish and shrimp every night. In previous years this was offered on the first, middle, and last night.
The menu for the fry’s remains almost the same, but a shortage of the pollock usually served has led to going with hake cod this time around. “It’s really good, they brought us some samples, we fried it up just like we would for the pollock and it’s really, really good.” As with nearly everything else, costs have gone up and the Legion is having to pay nearly double what they did last year. As a result, this year’s meal will cost $15 for adults, $8 for kids 5-12, and preschool will remain free. To ensure their supply, the Legion has prebought all of the fish for all seven of this year’s fry’s.
In addition to the all-you-can-eat fish or shrimp, diners will receive “our World Famous Cheesy Party Potatoes (made from a recipe in the Legion Auxiliary’s cookbook), coleslaw, and desserts homemade by the ladies of the Auxiliary. “We have a lot of people that come in and they’ll specify they want Jeanie Stinocher’s pie.” Bread pudding is also very popular, and goes very quickly, he added. Denny Gruber’s cheesecake is also a very popular dessert.
Beverage choices include coffee, lemonade, or water.
All of the proceeds go toward the Legion’s Capital Improvements Fund, which includes projects such as furnace replacement, replacing the vent system in the kitchen, purchasing (in conjunction with grant money) a commercial grade dishwasher (to satisfy health department requirements), and to create a handicapped-accessible restroom.
“This is one of our largest fundraisers,” Hansen said. “The other is the ‘Raise the Roof’ street party we held last spring. We’ll be doing that again in May, that was a huge success last year.” Hansen pointed out it was attendees who suggested the Legion should hold “Raise the Roof,” which featured live bands and closing Main Street for the evening, every year. “They thoroughly enjoyed it and thought it was great, and loved it, so we’re going to do it again.”
Hansen said it’s the volunteers who really make the fish fry’s a success. “There’s so many positions, it takes about 16-18 people to run a fish fry night.” Volunteers are welcome to sign up by stopping by the Legion or calling. Dessert contributions are also welcome and can be dropped off on Friday afternoons. “We wouldn’t have the success of the fish fry’s without the volunteers, because they’re the ones who make it. Without them, we wouldn’t have it.”
The first fish fry of the season kicks off on Friday, March 4 with service from 5:00 p.m. until 7:00 p.m. each Friday until the last on Friday, April 15 at the Legion Hall on Main Street.