If you're looking for a truly local fish fry, look no further than Larder Delicatessen and Bakery. Though it cooks up a fish fry like no other, the four-time James Beard-nominated restaurant is no stranger to the city, taking the title of Best Deli at last year’s Silver Spoon Awards
Hosted every Friday during Lent, this fish fry from chef Jeremy Umansky features smelt, a greener-tasting whitefish about the size of a finger, in addition to walleye and perch. All three are fresh from Lake Erie, every week.
“We only use fish out of the Great Lakes and local rivers,” Umansky says. “We source our fish from Kate's Fish at the West Side Market, who source it directly from fishermen in Port Clinton."
Using fish from our backyard is not only integral to Larder’s taste, but also to Chef Umansky’s mission to change the way we view Cleveland and its fresh food scene.
“We need to think about our area as the Blue and Green Belt with one of the largest freshwater resources in the world,” he says. “We can't be thinking of ourselves as the Rust Belt, no matter what anybody tells us. We’re repurposing, and we're managing our resources. We put that message out in our food.”
Larder’s three-fish platter is accompanied by fries, slaw, toast, pickles and tartar sauce. The regular menu is also available, providing extra sides such as latkes and potato salad, “for all those midwestern carb lovers,” as Umansky puts it.
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