AIN'T NO FISH STORY

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

Ken Hoffman reveals the best fish sandwich in town — named in his honor
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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Yordan Alvarez is still having issues with his hand. Composite Getty Image.

Houston Astros slugger Yordan Alvarez has experienced a setback in his recovery from a broken right hand and will see a specialist.

Astros general manager Dana Brown said Alvarez felt pain when he arrived Tuesday at the team's spring training complex in West Palm Beach, Florida, where he had a workout a day earlier. Alvarez also took batting practice Saturday at Daikin Park.

He will be shut down until he's evaluated by the specialist.

“It’s a tough time going through this with Yordan, but I know that he’s still feeling pain and the soreness in his hand,” Brown said before Tuesday night's series opener at Colorado. “We’re not going to try to push it or force him through anything. We're just going to allow him to heal and get a little bit more answers as to what steps we take next.”

Alvarez has been sidelined for nearly two months. The injury was initially diagnosed as a muscle strain, but when Alvarez felt pain again while hitting in late May, imaging revealed a small fracture.

The 28-year-old outfielder, who has hit 31 homers or more in each of the past four seasons, had been eyeing a return as soon as this weekend at the Los Angeles Dodgers. Now it's uncertain when he'll play.

“We felt like he was close because he had felt so good of late,” Brown said, “but this is certainly news that we didn't want.”

You can watch Brown discuss the setback in the video below.

Also Tuesday, the Astros officially placed shortstop Jeremy Peña on the 10-day injured list with a fractured rib and recalled infielder Shay Whitcomb from Triple-A Sugar Land.

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