Meat-free Fridays are no longer a challenge, thanks to the city's strong selection of seafood-fueled dishes. From fried calamari to tasty tempura, these local spots are serving up plenty of tempting dishes throughout the Lenten season.
David Burke's Primehouse
Sure, David Burke's may be known for its expertise in the meat department, but executive chef Rick Gresh also knows a thing or two about fried oceanic fare. The tempura shrimp salad with cucumber, carrot, bell peppers and ginger-soy dressing, for one, is enough to strike envy in the guy chomping steak at the table next to you. To make it even better, the savory salad can be ordered during lunch as part of a three-course prix fixe, which also includes an appetizer and dessert, for just $20.09. And hey, if you can't indulge in steak at a steakhouse, you might as well be a little naughty and order up the fried calamari with tomato olive ragout—the dish even comes with a few grilled pieces so you don't have to feel too guilty, $11-$13.
photo: courtesy of C-House
Fish and chips
If there's one thing this downtown restaurant knows how to do, it's seafood. The menu's fresh selections are endless and the restaurant's raw bar is just as pleasing. And while all these options promote figure-friendly eating, we recommend the one that encourages frequent trips to the gym; C-House's classic fish 'n' chips, $20 ($17 for lunch). Executive chef Seth Siegel-Gardner adds a gourmet touch to the dish with homemade ketchup and tartar sauce for dipping. And hey, if you're going all out, you may as well finish your meal with a handful of bergamot chocolate truffles, pistachio brittle or a cup of hazelnut hot cocoa, prepared by pastry chef Toni Roberts.
sola
It's tough to steer clear of Chef Carol Wallack's popular bacon burger, but if you must, she's got an Asian-inspired calamari dish that'll help you miss meat a little less. Wallack prepares the dish tempura-style and serves it up with cippolini, lime and sweet saffron aioli dressing for dipping, $12. If you've got room for more fried fare, try Wallack's award winning hand-cut fries, drizzled with truffle oil and sprinkled with Parmesan cheese.
Red Light
Red Light's regular vegetarian menu offers a bevy of meatless alternatives, including a lineup of small plates for sharing. Crispy tempura artichokes get served with sweet, spicy and salty dipping sauces, $7. Another tempting choice is the classic Vietnamese spring roll with vegetables and rice noodles, rolled in a Vietnamese rice paper and served with sweet chili vinaigrette, $6. If you're steering clear of the fried stuff this season, try the roasted eggplant with sweet peas and potatoes in a shiitake mushroom broth, $6. Entrees include phad see ewe with shiitake mushrooms, egg and sweet soy ($17) and the popular kung pao tofu with peanuts, scallions and pea shoots, $14. If you can handle the spice, go for Red Light's potato curry with bean sprouts, mushrooms and sweet peas, or keep it simple with a the pesto fried rice and veggies.
Fulton's on the River
Here's to another local spot that knows how to please with its traditional English preparation of Pembrokeshire fish 'n' chips, $14.95. The fried favorite is served with tartar sauce and malt vinegar, just like the Brits enjoy it. While you’re waiting for your entree, try one of Fulton's meatless appetizers, like the deep-seared calamari with lime-mustard sauce or the Maryland-style crab cake with coleslaw and tartar sauce.
photo: courtesy of Martini Park
Shrimp tempura
Martini Park's recently revamped menu offers a sweet and sour lineup of sizzling seafood options for Lent. First, there's the Thai-style calamari with a sweet and tangy flavor that just might make you swear off meat for good, $11. And if that's not enough to soothe your carnivorous craving, order up a plate of the bar's sweet and sour tempura shrimp with fried veggies and Thai dipping sauce, $12.
Duchamp
Sometimes abstaining from meat means having to choose from a seriously limited menu, but at Duchamp, it means getting to pick from a separate (and affordable) Lent-inspired one. Every Friday during Lent, the chic Bucktown restaurant is offering a $25 prix-fixe menu, complete with three meat-free courses. First, you can choose from a selection of soups and salads, or start with something more indulgent like the white pizza with royal trumpet mushrooms. After that, the main course boasts a lineup of seafood items, like a roasted roulade of salmon, seared cod sandwich and Duchamp's version of fish 'n' chips with crispy skate wing and garlic fries. And if you've still got room after all that, you can finish with a dessert trio of caramelized lemon tart, chocolate cupcake and ice cream sandwich.
Glen Prairie
Suburban folks can stay on track during Lent with Glen Prairie's down-home menu. Crispy appetizers like the buttermilk-fried garlic and herb cheese-stuffed mushrooms (served with horseradish sauce for dipping, $7) are a welcome substitute for the restaurant's tempting beef tenderloin with pearl couscous. And while Glen Prairie's main selection of meat dishes warrant a good once-over, its chervil-crusted Wisconsin Northern pike, served with mac 'n' cheese and sauteed green beans ($18) will quickly divert your gaze, along with any ill intentions.
Karma
This pan-Asian spot's got a Lent-friendly dish or two up its culinary sleeve as well. We recommend starting with the restaurant's Hawaiian panko crab cakes appetizer, served with pineapple-almond salsa and ginger tobiko butter, $10. You may have trouble sharing this one, but you'll need room for the striped bass entree, anyway. The tempura-style fish gets served with sesame jasmine rice, wok-tossed veggies and black bean garlic sauce, $25.
Subscribe in your favorite reader using the links below. To learn more about feeds and RSS, click here.
