KD’s Fish Fry offers good gluten-free meals and more

MILTON

— On a dark and stormy afternoon, my mission was to have a gluten-free lunch. I don’t require gluten-free food, but some of our readers do and they have asked me about places that offer food they can enjoy.

KD’s Fish Fry on Geyser Road between Saratoga Springs and Ballston Spa is one such place. Co-owners Dawn O’Donnell and Kelly Clark offer a menu that features dishes they’ve labeled “AF,” for allergen-free. Those dishes are free of wheat, gluten, dairy products, soy and eggs.
“AF” dishes include Manhattan clam chowder, fried chicken, the house fish fry, and all kinds of fried seafood, all prepared without trans fats.
If you can tolerate soy, you can have french fries on the side. And if egg and soy are no problem for you, there’s the house coleslaw.
My big question was how does such food taste? The answer, I discovered, is that some of it is different from what I’m used to, but still tasty and enjoyable.
I had a cup of Manhattan clam chowder ($2.50) to start. No crackers, though, because there’s gluten in crackers. The soup was chock full of veggies — tomatoes, carrots and celery — along with lots of minced clams and plenty of oregano.
It was served hot, which is always great on a raw winter day, and I complimented the cook.

FISH FRY
Of course, I had to try the fish fry ($4.65). You can’t go to a place with “fish fry” in its name and not try the fish.
My server, who turned out to be O’Donnell, assumed I couldn’t have gluten because I’d inquired about gluten-free dishes. She said the fish usually came on a bun, but because I wouldn’t want that, she invited me to try a hot biscuit she had just baked. It was close to “AF,” though I think she said it contained soy flour. She cautioned me that this was the first time she had tried to make biscuits that were mostly allergen-free, and I found her first attempt commendable. It certainly looked like a biscuit, had the same flaky consistency of a biscuit and tasted pretty much like a warm biscuit.
Later, as I was settling up, she told me she’d tried one of the biscuits in the kitchen and felt she should do some adjusting to the recipe, but I really had no complaint.
As for the entree, it was Boston bluefish (a pollock) that was fried with some light, non-gluten breading and served with a side of piquant house chili sauce. (You can also have tartar sauce or cocktail sauce).
It was really a delightful, generous-sized fillet. There was a bit of crispy skin on one side and the white flesh was sweet and succulent, nicely contrasting with the crispy coating. The house chili sauce was a perfect accompaniment, sweet and tangy. I would order this dish again.
I ordered a couple of fish tacos in soft shells ($2.50 each) to take with me for a workmate who later pronounced them good and said he liked the salsa that accompanied them on the side.
REGULAR MENU
You don’t have to order “AF” items at KD’s Fish Fry. There is an allergy-free menu you can peruse if you have special dietary requirements, but there’s also a regular menu where, among other items, you’ll find KD’s other signature offering, the “Duffy Dog,” a mini-hot dog with meat sauce, mustard and onions (75 cents). KD’s specialties are “big fish and small dogs,” the menu proclaims.
You can also order “KD’s Burger” with sautéed onions, ketchup and mustard ($1.70 or $1.90 if you add cheese), seafood platters, Philly cheese steaks, fried clams and crab cakes.
The prices are reasonable. The costliest item on the menu seemed to be the fried oysters, a half-pound for $12.95.
The usual array of finger foods is available as well, everything from jalapeno poppers and chicken fingers to beer-battered mushrooms and chicken or fish tacos.
They also make desserts daily, and some of these are available for purchase in coolers at the front of the eatery.
KD’s is an informal place where you can eat in or take out. You place your order at the counter, grab your utensils and find a seat until your order is ready.
The tab, for chowder, fish fry with biscuit, soda and fish tacos to go, came to $14.66, with tax and tip.
NAPKIN NOTES
KD’s Fish Fry is a rarity in its emphasis on allergen-free dishes and, in my view, O’Donnell and Clark deserve our commendation and support for their commitment to serving people with special dietary requirements, like those with celiac disease, who can’t tolerate gluten, and those who are lactose-intolerant, who can’t consume dairy products, along with others who are allergic to eggs and soy.
There are other restaurants who make an effort to accommodate the needs of patrons with special diet requirements. But rather than go and be disappointed, always call ahead and inquire about whether they offer food you can tolerate and enjoy.

By Irv Dean (Contact)
Gazette Reporter

Monday, January 19, 2009