Grilleiant Fish The Majestic Grille’s fish (and chips) fried just right
By Jennifer Biggs – The Daily Memphian
F
ishy Friday is back at The Majestic Grille, and owners Deni and Patrick Reilly are going through considerable trouble to make sure we get a stellar plate of fish and chips. If COVID supply snarls weren’t bad enough, we had that crack in the bridge, too. “We bring our fish in from Boston,” Deni said. “Normally it’s trucked in twice a week, but then they closed the bridge and the truck stopped coming through Memphis, crossing at Dyersburg instead. “Hopefully they’ll pick that route back up, but for now, we’re flying the fish in.” Patrick discovered Foley Fish, a 115-yearold fish purveyor, many years ago, when he worked in Boston, and that’s where he gets his salmon and his cod or haddock, whichever is best that week for the fish and chips. “We were bringing in whole salmon and breaking them down, using all of it,
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Chippy Chat & Fast Food Magazine • January 2022
but now we’re getting fillets because we don’t want to pay to fly bones,” Deni said. At present, The Majestic is only open for dinner Wednesday through Saturday, brunch on Saturday and Sunday and lunch on Friday, though the Reillys plan to return to a more robust schedule when more Downtown workers return to the office. I was barely in my seat last week when the server told me it was Fishy Friday. I already knew it – I was there for it – but there was still one question pending before my order was final “Steak fries or parmesan fries?” he asked. As I started to speak, he said, “Parmesan. Excellent choice.” And so it was. Look, I love fish and chips. Years ago, I’d eat a plate any time I had the chance, usually doused in malt vinegar, but at some point I became an adult who didn’t eat fast food and there Chippy Chat & Fast Food Magazine • January 2022
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