My family did a lot of fishing when I was a boy growing up in Manitoba, Canada. It was fun but we were also on a mission to catch our dinner most of the time. Our favorite fish were walleye (pan-fried) or goldeye (which my dad smoked). We’d sometimes catch a catfish and immediately threw it back as they were not favored because of their greasy muddy taste (these were channel catfish).
So I was surprised as a young man on my first visit to the deep south to see how commonly catfish appeared on the menu. Why would people want to eat a fish that we routinely threw away?
It wasn’t until I’d actually tried some of the southern style catfish that I realized what I’d been missing out on. It was terrific — fresh farm-raised fish, breaded in cornmeal and fried in peanut oil, and served with hushpuppies.! Delicious!! Now every time I’d traveling in the south, I try to have a least one catfish meal.
We visited Mr. Whiskers in Hot Springs, Arkansas, because it was recommended on the roadfood.com website. The restaurant has an interesting decor and a menu focused on catfish, but with lots of other options for people who what different choices.
(my dinner of catfish, hush puppies, cole slaw and fries)
Everything was cooked to order, so it’s delivered hot and fresh. And it was as tasty as it looks.
