Blackened Catfish Fillet with Brown Rice & Smoked Gouda Mac N' Cheese from Handlebar

Item Purchased: Blackened Catfish Fillet with Brown Rice & Smoked Gouda Mac N' Cheese from Handlebar
Location Purchased: Handlebar Bar & Grill / 2311 W. North Ave. / Chicago, IL
Price: $11.75 + tax

Review: If you are reading this review from inside of Chicago city limits, stop now and get over to 2311 W. North Ave. to try this amazing piece of food yourself! (unless you are at O'Hare, because that ridiculous tendril of the city limits shouldn't really be considered part of Chicago anyway)

Catfish is everywhere in the Midwest. It's one of the few types of fish that you can catch in this area and serve fresh virtually year-round. As with most other foods that are so widely available, there is a lot of poorly prepared catfish to be had in this city. I suppose the fact that Handlebar's menu is pescetarian gives them a slightly better chance of being competent seafood cooks, but even that is no sure bet. Take a chance, however, and you will find this blackened catfish dish to be one of the better fish dishes to be found in the city. Not only is the fish itself of solid texture and consistency, but the combination of flavors used to prepare it are worthy of any four star restaurant.

Served without lemon or sauce to accompany it, this confident charred fillet has a slight citrus flavor cooked into it, a fragile smoky crust and a barbecued spiciness that could put most grilled land animal flesh to shame. Instead of dissolving to much in your mouth as most catfish does, the texture remains and you find yourself chewing something substantial and worth far more than its price tag.

The entree comes with two side dishes of your choice. Because fish usually doesn't fill me up, I chose the carb-full brown rice and Handlebar's specialty... Smoked Gouda macaroni and cheese which, for me, is a prerequisite for eating here. Though I finished everything on my plate, I could have ordered a lite salad and still walked away clutching my satisfied belly, which was full of flavor and amazement when I walked through the entrance I plan on walking through much more often.

Rating: 4.75 / 5

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