St. Cecilia, the patron saint of music and chile rellenos. Yes, I know...I'm going to hell for this.
According to Wikipedia — the lazy man’s guide to everything — St. Cecilia was a martyr (the Romans attempted to chop her head off not once, not twice, but three times before she finally kicked off) and patron saint of music because, as her head was rolling around zombie-style, she was singing to God. Admittedly, that’s one helluva parlor trick, but I’m much more impressed with the vittles her church here in St. Louis puts out under the banner of her name every Friday during Lent.
Located off of Grand just north of Carondelet Park, this traditionally Hispanic parish offers the usual fried cod and french fries, but don’t waste your time with those pedestrian menu items. If ya go to St. Cecilia’s, you get the Mexican food. Last Fryday, the goils in the Fish Fry Posse made the trek down south so see what all the hubhub was about.
As we walked into the classic, 1950s-style gym (complete with shuffleboard), we were greeted by the fragrance of musky deep-fried cornmeal and cheese, the sounds of laughter and a mariachi band playing “Feliz Navidad” to a table of smiling diners.
Rachel and Karen toast to Friday night. And chile rellenos.
First: Beer. $3 cans of cold, delicious Tecates and Coronas, and it’s a bargain compared to nearby canned-beer-serving haunt, Tin Can Tavern. We arrived lateish (7:15), so the line was entirely manageable, giving us enough time to enjoy our beers and make the all-important decision of the night: what to eat? The menu boasts the typical cod, shrimp and jack salmon, but you can get bean tostadas, fried cheese quesadillas, and chile relleno. Dinners are ten bucks, and you get to choose two entrees and two sides (mac & cheese, cole slaw, fries, rice, beans).
Schoolgirls in their festive outfits dancing for our entertainment. Successfully fought the urge to join them and the other children who finished dinner to accompany them.
After placing your order, get a table number, find a spot at the communal cafeteria-style tables and enjoy your beer, chips and salsa, music, and traditional dance performances.
St. Cecilia’s has a very cool vibe: a happy exuberance that embraces young and old and a mix of ethnicities. Adults and children of all ages were volunteering, and the kitchen looked like one big happy (and exhausted) family.
The wonderful people who made our yummy yummy food.
After ten or fifteen minutes, our plates of goodness emerged from the kitchen, delivered by a pair of friendly parishoners wearing the obligatory orange St. Cecilia’s fish fry tee-shirts.
I had the cod (because this is a fish fry) and the chile relleno, primarily because, on the menu, customers are limited to one chile relleno each. That tells me these things are hella good and I had better give one a shot. Between the four of us, we had sampled almost everything on the menu except the beans and bean tostada, which had run out.
When you go, stick with the Mexican food. I’ll just say it: the dishes are nothing more a perfectly good excuse to eat obscene amounts of cheese that have been deep-fried in one form or another. Chile relleno is fabulous….the delicately-flavored poblano pepper is stuffed with cheese, battered and deep fried. It looks like a deep-fried glob of green that oozes with cheese. There isn’t anything not to like. The quesadilla is different than what you may normally see at a restaurant. My sister likened it to “the Jack in the Box version” of a quesadilla because it was about the size of a large taco, deep fried and topped with tomato and garnish. Crispy and crunchy…again, what not to like? As far as the traditional fish fry fare (i.e. cod, jack salmon and shrimp) goes, it was good, not spectacular.
In the little compartments on the plate, the side of mac & cheese was of usual fish fry quality. The cole slaw was of the creamy variety, but it had a light dose of dressing , so for one who prefers the vinegar style (read: me), it’s not half bad. The fries were good; not greasy, well-salted. Next time we need to get there early to give the beans and rice a shot.
We're so talented.
The verdict? We will return. It’s an efficient and well-run operation , and you get a generous portion of food for $10. (Extra special: this place takes Visa and Mastercard.) The Mexican food made it worth the drive, but the friendly, family vibe with all the entertainment made the experience such a treat for a Friday night. You should go.
St. Cecilia Catholic Church
906 Eichelberger Avenue
St. Louis, MO 63111
314/351-1318
2011 Fish Fry dates: March 18 & 25; April 1, 8 & 15
Feed Me in St. Louis 