ode to a fish sandwich

now there are not many foods i care to talk about. and tonight, a full week--no, two weeks and a day after having it, i am still fondly remembering the fish sandwich i had at a little diner here in nj. i'm even telling a co-worker about it. that's insane. i'm not a foodie by any stretch of the imagination (as this post will prove).

the diner is a phenomenon. why don't we have them in cali? (though, i forget i'm not from cali, haven't been in years. but they need diners in cali).

anywhoo, i ask the waiter,

what is your fish sandwich like?

i mean if it's this little pressed square that i can get on any corner, why bother right?

he tells me it's on a deli roll

is it hard?

(and i'm really not picky, but if it was a hard roll, forgeddaboutit)

so he says,

it's just a roll.

i take my chance, and order it.

i get this roll that's the size of a cup plate. giant.

the filet of fish is actually in the shape of something that once had a life. an actual fish, not a pressed square of processed fish parts, an actual fish! can you believe it (you can tell my dining expriences rank right up there. think of it this way, i look at that commercial of the couple who are out on a date and order to get this huge plate with a beautiful presentation of something tiny and they rush out and load up on junkfood after. i love that commercial).

anyway, i didn't have nearly enough tartar sauce (it is one of my vices, tartar sauce. there aren't many sauces i go crazy for but tartar and hoisin, mmmm).

though, in lieu of massive amounts of mayonaise, relish and horseradish (i think that's what's in tartar sauce), i get an actual wedge of lemon. (not a packet of lemon--okay, i'm just kidding there, but i do go to places that actually have real lemons, it wasn't that big of a deal, but the "fish" sandwiches in a geometric shape do not really need lemon, they need tons of sauce ala tartar, now i'm being silly).

so i squeeze it on. and dig in.

wowza.

a week after having it my girl and i are driving home and i'm composing an ode to a fish sandwich. i loved that sandwich with fish in the shape of a fish. it rocked my world.

i'm not hard to please. but give me a fish sandwich in the shape of a fish, or carne asada with extra lime and baby i'm yours.

(the onion rings were good too, but the fish sandwich, o'm'god!)