Earlier this evening I went through a stack of magazines and papers that had been piling up for months next to my computer and came across an old issue of Shepherd Express, Milwaukee's free weekly. SE has a column written by the "History Guy" who answers questions regarding local history and culture. One of the questions in this issue was: Why are Milwaukeeans so crazy about Friday night fish fries?
I print an abbreviated answer here as it applies to Milwaukee specifically but also to the whole of Wisconsin generally.
After consulting with three of the top fish fry experts in the state, I can safely say that Milwaukee's long fish fry tradition is the result of a few factors: religious dietary restrictions, availability of fish and the desire to keep corner taverns in business, even during Prohibition.
According to Jeff Hagen, author of Fry Me to the Moon and its sequel, Codfather II, the German Catholic tradition gave rise to the Friday night fish fry. Since Catholics were unable to eat meat on Fridays throughout the entire year, they were able to feast on fried fish and not feel deprived. Bob Milkovich of Serb Hall on Milwaukee's south side said that Eastern Orthodox Christians were prevented from eating meat on Wednesdays and Fridays, too, and therefore ate a lot of fish.
Janet Gilmore, a folklorist and assistant professor at UW-Madison, said that the Pomeranians and Kaszubes, communities from the Baltic region that settled on Jones Island in the 1870s, were great fishers and developed a thriving fish trade in the city. "It was a fish peddler's paradise," Gilmore said, "because of all the Catholics in the area."
In the early 20th century, fish fries moved indoors and became a year-round meal to save our corner taverns. According to Gilmore, taverns were able to stay open during Prohibition by luring in customers for free fish fry lunches. Since taverns weren't allowed to serve liquor – openly, at least – they offered free fish fries, then made diners pay for illicit booze under the table. Hagen added that after Prohibition, adults would bring their children to the taverns since Wisconsin, unlike surrounding states, allowed children to be in establishments that sold liquor. Fish fries remain a family tradition today.
(Hagen) added that any fish fry worth its salt must be all-you-can eat, beer-battered, and served with cole-slaw, French fries or potato pancakes and some type of bread. Asked if it was possible to eat it without a beer, Hagen said, unequivocally, no.
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