Seton Parish- Zombies come to Pickerington

Seton Parish, 600 Hill Road, Pickerington, OH

We’re still under-manned in the tasting and talent department, but nonetheless we venture on in search of fishy treats to eat.

If you’ll recall last week, Bob, the singing buckeye, suggested that we try Seton Parish in Pickerington. He really enjoyed their set-up and their baked fish. Always a group that follows life’s streams of conscious, we decided to give it a try.

We headed out to brave the traffic. It seems at times as if all of Columbus’ work force lives in Newark. The commute was made doubly slow with a passing thunderstorm.

The Seton Parish offers a Fish Fry after Stations of the Cross at 5:30pm. What are Stations of the Cross? You can read about it here….http://www.cptryon.org/prayer/child/stations/index.html. The actual fish fry is open from 6-8pm, but seniors can get in early at 5:30 pm. Not sure what seniors do who want to eat early AND worship.

We were frightened when we saw the fire department pull up in front of us. Turns out they were there for dinner, too. We were encouraged thinking that they would certainly know a good local meal.
There is a sign on the street, but no door signage. You can follow the stream of people entering the fellowship hall. They have a take away window if you want to eat at home and maybe catch the basketball game.

Getting your food is quick and easy. The cash till is efficient, with four or five people taking your order and your money. The line moves quickly as long as they keep the fish coming. We got there during a rush and they were a little backed up.

The overall atmosphere is not only institutional, but penal. Gun metal grey paint accents the white walls and storm-cloud grey floors. Long tables seat 6-8 each. The masonry walls reflect every single sound, creating a conversation-damping din. The room when we were there was filled with partially deaf seniors shouting at each other from 18 inches apart.

The place is clean enough, but could use some semblance of life or color or hope. Who knows? Maybe that comes after Easter.

The fish was the high-point of the event. Atlantic Pollock hand battered and fried nice and hot. The batter was light and crunchy. Zee liked it because it was not too salty. It did complement the fish quite nicely.

Another high-point was the Mac n Cheese which had a nice tang to it. Someone took the time to spice it up a little which was a nice touch.

The remainder of the meal was as soul-robbing as the surroundings we ate it in. The green beans, already not a family favorite, looked unappetizing, with bits of tomato or other red substance mixed in. The applesauce was Motts’. I was initially dismayed by the miniscule quantity of coleslaw as they served a mere dollop in a medicine cup. However, I don’t think you one could eat more. Well shredded, the dressing seemed to be thinned tartar sauce and had a medicinal quality.

The tartar sauce, itself, was also odd tasting and seemed to be mixed with butter. I thought it tasted like McDonalds, but Zee though McDonald’s sauce tasted better.

No fries were offered. Indeed, no potato product of any kind. Your starches were Mac ‘n cheese or Rice.

The meal was $8.00 for adults and $6.00 for kids. They do offer the option of baked fish or, for a dollar more, salmon. Those are the only options. Water, Lemonade or coffee/tea is included, as is dessert. Soda can be had for a $1.00 donation.

From the dreary décor to the soulless food, we came away largely underwhelmed. Zee, thought last week’s site at Holy Spirit was worlds better in terms of life and interest. I’d have to agree.

At Seton Parish, perhaps the zombies have arrived and they’re feeding before the apocalypse. Unless you’ve nowhere else to go for fish on a Friday night, I’d give this a miss. If you do go, have your Zombie defenses ready. How do you kill a zombie? See this link for helpful hints.…http://http://www.cptryon.org/prayer/child/stations/index.html

Our regular crew is back for the last week of Lent next week. Not sure where we will be, but we are always open for suggestions. Feel free to leave a comment…