AIN'T NO FISH STORY

Ken Hoffman reveals the best fish sandwich in town — named in his honor

Ken Hoffman
Dec 9, 2019, 3:44 pm
Could this be the best fish sandwich in Houston? Photo by Victoria Christensen

This article originally appeared on CultureMap.

This week, The Union Kitchen on Bellaire Boulevard is debuting the newest addition to the Ken Hoffman Signature Collection of Finer Foods. Dig into the Hoffy Giant Fish Sandwich and Chips, reasonably priced at $14.99, available at lunch and dinner.

The Hoffy Giant Fish Sandwich joins the Ken Hoffman New York Hot Dog at Minute Maid Park, the Hoffy Twist at Shipley Do-Nuts, Ken Hoffman is Totally Nuts Ice Cream at the Chocolate Bar, and the legendary Hoffy Burger at Demeris BBQ. These foods are my legacy — I'm not going to win a Pulitzer Prize for my Pizza Hut reviews.

Here's the Hoffy Giant Fish Sandwich breakdown: a heavy-duty, 6-to-8-ounce slab of beer-battered cod, malt vinegar tartar sauce, red cabbage slaw, lettuce, and tomato on a fresh pretzel bun. Served with house-made potato chips. It's the real thing, all right.

The Hoffy Giant Fish Sandwich started with a conversation I had with Union Kitchen owner Paul Miller. We decided to create an authentic British fish sandwich, like you'd find at corner chip shops in Merry Olde England. I wanted the fish filet to stick out all sides of the bun, so customers get a good deal. Then executive chef James Lundy took charge. He got after the assignment so seriously, at some points he frightened Miller and me. Before commandeering the back of the store at The Union Kitchen, Lundy worked for 10 years at Landry Restaurants plus other upscale restaurants.

Building the perfect giant fish sandwich
The best fish sandwiches in England are made with cod, and Lundy uses a Pacific cod that is sustainably sourced. The fish is battered senseless and deep-fried. You can request the fish to be grilled. The slaw and tartar sauce are prepared daily by Lundy. If you prefer a lower-calorie version, hold the tartar sauce and ask for malt vinegar (like I do).

Continue on CultureMap to find out when and where the sandwich will be available.

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IN DEFENSE OF FIERS

Ken Hoffman jumps to the defense of Astros whistleblower

Photo Courtesy of Say.

This article originally appeared on CultureMap.

Former Astros pitcher, Mike Fiers, might not have been the right person — but he did the right thing.

Voices on radio and social media are complaining that the Astros were unfairly singled out by Major League Baseball's lowering the boom and suspending manager A.J. Hinch and general manager Jeff Luhnow in the sign-stealing scandal, followed by team owner Jim Crane firing both of them, preceded by the owner firing the assistant general manager and demoting the team president.

Assistant general manager Brandon Taubman was dismissed after he made vulgar comments to female reporters. Astros president Reid Ryan was demoted because, well, that's an owner's prerogative.

I don't understand why anybody in the media or Astros' fan base is furious at Fiers for squealing on the Astros, or Major League Baseball for punishing the Astros so severely. They're screaming, "the Astros got screwed!"

No they didn't.

Don't be angry at Fiers — be angry at the Astros. They cheated. The Astros broke the rules on their way to winning the 2017 World Series. This was after they, and every other team, were warned not to use technology to steal signs.

The Astros aren't denying it. Hinch has apologized for it. Former pitcher Dallas Keuchel said "apologies are in order … for everyone on the team." What's hard to understand what happened? Fiers doesn't have clean hands in this saga. He played for the Astros in 2017, didn't go public about the cheating back then, and took the bonus money and glittery ring for the Astros championship.

None of that changes the facts about the Astros wayward ways. The argument — "everybody does it" — is a weak excuse. Didn't your mother ask, "If Billy jumped off the Empire State Building, would you?" Agent Scott Boras' claim – "the players just did what they were told" – is historically inexcusable. I cheer for the Astros, but I am disappointed that they cheated.

The sad part is, they probably didn't have to. The lineup was loaded with amazing players. I'm also surprised that ESPN announcer Jessica Mendoza and Hall of Fame pitcher Pedro Martinez believe this entire cheating scandal should have been dealt with in-house by MLB. That's not how things get accomplished. In-house is how problems get buried. In-house is how problems get fixed with settlements and non-disclosure agreements.

Continue on CultureMap to read why Ken Hoffman believes whistleblowers should be honored.

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