Doug's Fish Fry warms you up on a cold day

Doug's Fish Fry is worth the drive from Ithaca. It's a small privately owned Central New York chain with restaurants in Skaneateles, Cortland, Mattydale, and East Syracuse, that prides itself on simple, quick food, with no table service, no wait staff, and no tipping. Yes, a lot of the food is fried, but not all of it.

On a recent visit to the original Doug's Fish Fry in a snowy Skaneateles, I started with a cup of lobster bisque while I waited for a friend. It was creamy without going overboard, and there were lots of pieces of lobster. I tried not to stand right in front of the lobster tank while I ate it... especially after I saw the sign that said "Beware of Attack Lobster."

Once my friend arrived, we split a fish onion dinner... Doug's humongous fried fish sandwich overflowing its roll, with their excellent onion rings instead of fries, and delicious cole slaw. She also had a bowl of seafood chowder, with big chunks of fish.

They use 100% peanut oil, for healthy-as-possible frying; peanut oil adds no cholesterol, and Doug's filters its oil at least daily. The incredible steamed clams and lobster are of course not fried, so if you're skeptical of the health value of frying in peanut oil, you have other options.

The original Doug's, half a block up a side street from Route 20 in downtown Skaneateles, is in a tiny storefront with just two large tables, and a bar with a row of stools opposite the counter where you order and pick up your meals. Luckily, there's a "dining room" in an adjacent building, a couple of yards from the back door. It's an odd arrangement, no fun in bad weather, but at least there's someplace to sit down.

In Cortland, Doug's was renovated not so long ago, so it's much less of a shack than it used to be, and there's more seating. Better weather also means you can use the outdoor picnic tables, at both locations.

We love the attitude at Doug's, such as the "no tipping" sign, as well as the food. We also love the postcards (5 cents for one, a quarter for four), for which Doug's will pay the postage if you want to send one to a friend or relative. Owner Doug Clark famously announced before a planned Skaneateles visit by President and Mrs. Clinton that they wouldn't be welcome at his establishment. If you don't like Doug's politics, we found the lobsters agreeably neutral on the subject.

Plan on spending $5-10 for lunch or dinner, unless you have a fresh steamed lobster. There's also beer on tap, including a Doug's brand made by Middle Ages Brewery. There isn't really anything for strict vegetarians, though if you're not into fish, there are chicken options as well as Doug's famous hot dogs.

Call Doug's in Cortland at 607-753-9184, or in Skaneateles at 315-685-3288.