Crispy, flaky, steamy and fried — the popular, limited menu item sells out quickly
By Krista Johnston
It’s March and the Lenten season is well on its way. And what do I crave more than anything right now? Fish! Crispy, flaky, steaming, fried fish!
Coming from southwestern Pennsylvania, our family tradition has always been to indulge in some of the area’s best fried-fish goodness. The selection is huge, as hundreds (yes, hundreds!) of churches, restaurants and shops serve this Friday special through Lent.
Since moving to Vermont, I’ve been looking for the seafood tastiness of home. Well, last Friday, my partner and I found just that at Taso On Center in Rutland. The pre-order Friday fish special comes with the tagline, “Let Taso help get you into heaven.”
Ordering was quick and easy and so was the pick-up. I was greeted by two welcoming staff members and our meals were already on the counter.
The aromas of steamy, beer-battered haddock crept out of the small pizza boxes where our meals were nestled. We couldn’t wait to open them. As soon as I got into the car, I ripped open the box and we drooled over the sight of something we had not seen in some time — two large crispy fillets sitting on a bed of mixed fries, with a side of cole slaw, tartar sauce and a slice of rye bread.
Sometimes when you go to a fish fry, you find that one component is lacking, but this meal was not. Even down to the homemade caper and banana pepper tartar sauce, we found this meal delightful and filling.
For $18 a box, we got our Lenten fish fry fix. As much as we tried to eat it all, we couldn’t and had to save some for the next day —but the leftovers where tasty, too!
So now, do you want some then? Starting at 3 p.m., every Friday during Lent, Taso begins to take phone pre-orders.
“We cap our orders to 100 fish dinners each Friday,” Taso On Center owner Jay Sabataso said.
They sell out, so be sure to call early. There are only four Fridays left in Lent, so be sure you don’t miss out. And who knows, if there is enough demand, it might make it to the permanent menu. I hope so!
Taso On Center is located at 22 Center St. in Rutland. Currently, it is open three nights a week and offers catering options.
“We hope to be open more nights a week soon,” Sabataso said. “We have a few ideas planned for Cinco de Mayo.” Stay tuned.
For more information visit tasovt.com or find them on Facebook. For orders, call 802-775-8276.
