South Side Cheap Eats: Skylark's Friday Night Fish Fry

By Chuck Sudo in Food on Jun 26, 2006 3:15PM

Chicagoist doesn't frequent the Skylark as often as we should. It's close to home; not as close as some other places, but close enough that it shouldn't be ignored completely. Located on Halsted, where 22nd Street separates Pilsen and Bridgeport (call it "Bridgepilsen"), Skylark is the sister tavern to Hanna's favorite Wicker Park hangout. Although it does draw its clientele mainly from the Pilsen artists' community, Skylark has also become a haven for longtime working-class residents who want nothing more than to nurse a bottle of Old Style, while the bartender spins some Hank Ballard and the Midnighters on vinyl. The economic advantages of living on the South Side (cheap rents, cheap shopping, et al) also allow those hipsters who have moved out south to invest in things that we take for granted. Like toiletries.

One major advantage Skylark has over Rainbo is a kitchen that serves up homogenized, but still tasty, versions of southern cooking. Chicken and waffles are no longer on the menu, but their Friday Night fish fry is unbeatable from standpoints of cost-efficiency and quality. For the budget-busting price of eight dollars, you get three honking filets of whitefish, breaded and seasoned to perfection; home cut fries; tartar sauce; and coleslaw prepared from red cabbage. We graced our filets with a persistent drizzle of malt vinegar and went to town. The breading was light and fluffy, which kept the filets tender inside. Paired with a pint of Staropramen lager, we were getting in touch with our inner Wisconsinite (there's one in all of us) and getting ready to ask for a "doggy baig."

Although Skylark seems at times like a hipster bar waiting for a scene, it's yet another reason for us to champion the South Side. If you're willing, Chicagoist doesn't mind being the Pied Piper leading people here. Skylark is located at 2149 South Halsted. Their phone number is (312) 948-5275.