Savage Pacer - Smelt fry set for April 19 - Comments

I like peel-and-eat shrimp,

Joanna Miller — Wed, 09 Apr 2008 16:07:52 -0500

I like peel-and-eat shrimp, and popcorn shrimp, so I guess it's kind of similar?
I could probably eat smelt no problem if I didn't have images of minnows and fishing bait in my head after Ruth Anne's comment. (Thanks Ruth Anne! j/k)

Lisa failed to mention that,

Ruth Anne Maddox — Wed, 09 Apr 2008 13:31:12 -0500

Lisa failed to mention that, at smelt frys, they dip the slimy critters in batter whole -- yep, heads, shoulders, knees and toes all cooked up and slapped into a basket for your dining pleasure. (Their size is not exactly conducive to filleting.)

I tried them once and I can tell you that I didn't get my "all-you-can-eat" money's worth -- but that's OK.

On the other hand, my sister the tofu queen actually likes them. Go figure!

They're not completely bad

Lisa Steinbauer — Tue, 08 Apr 2008 13:29:27 -0500

They're not completely bad tasting - more of an acquired taste. They'll go down easier with baked beans, coleslaw and tap beer ... and the area's VFWs and Legions always do it up right!

So, give us the dirt - are

Joanna Miller — Tue, 08 Apr 2008 12:45:26 -0500

So, give us the dirt - are smelt good to eat, or should we avoid trying them at all costs? Or is it more of a joke?

Slimy little fish - slightly

Lisa Steinbauer — Tue, 08 Apr 2008 08:45:39 -0500

Slimy little fish - slightly bigger than a minnow - that I've seen battered, fried and served with several cold beverages (to help wash them down, I think!). For many years, my husband and his smelt-loving buddies would travel north to the Knife River near Duluth on one weekend in May - THE one weekend in spring when the smelt were officially "running." They would stand in waders, in knee-high water, to catch the smelt. Rumor has it the smelt run at the Knife ran dry several years ago, but many of his friends still make the trek ... bringing home no more than a small Ziploc bag of smelt!

What is smelt? What's the

Nancy Huddleston — Tue, 08 Apr 2008 08:01:42 -0500

What is smelt? What's the best way to cook it?

Smelt fry set for April 19

Nancy Huddleston — Mon, 07 Apr 2008 14:39:09 -0500

Dan Patch American Legion Post #643, 12375 Princeton Ave., in downtown Savage, will have an old-fashioned smelt fry on Saturday, April 19.

Serving begins at 2 p.m. for “all you can eat” smelt with baked beans and Cole slaw. Serving will continue until 125 pounds of smelt is gone. The price is $5 in advance or $7 at the door. Advance tickets are available at the Legion.