By Bobby Tanzilo Senior Editor/Writer Published Feb 22, 2012 at 8:50 AM Photography: Whitney Teska

Lately, I've been seeing the signs at some local restaurants touting fish fries on days other than Friday during Lent.

Today is Ash Wednesday, the first day of Lent. You don't have to be observant of any religion to rejoice at the explosion of fish fries around town for the next 40 days.

One place that might not spring to mind as a fish fry joint is Le Reve, 7610 Harwood Ave., in Tosa Village. But every Friday during the Christian season, the patisserie and cafe will offer a traditional fish and chips: beer-battered Atlantic cod with pommes frites, caraway rye bread, coleslaw and house-made tartar sauce.

"We will also have some fantastic seafood specials during this time for lunch," says Le Reve's Cat Yee Cramton. "We have a wonderful selection of craft beers available to pair with our fish fry (too)."

Across the street at Cafe Hollander, 7677 W. State St. – as well as at all its Lowlands Group sister restaurants – there are lenten specials, too.

Among the numerous options are oven-roasted tilapia stuffed with spinach and fire-roasted artichokes, served with lobster butter sauce, pureed potatoes and haricot vert at Trocadero Gastrobar, 1758 N. Water St.; and bier-battered or potato chip-encrusted cod fish fry, served with frites, coleslaw rye bread, and housemade remoulade at Cafe Benelux, 346 N. Broadway, Cafe Centraal, 2306 S. Kinnickinnic Ave., and at Hollander Tosa and Downer Avenue.

See complete menus for the Lowlands eateries here.

Bobby Tanzilo Senior Editor/Writer

Born in Brooklyn, N.Y., where he lived until he was 17, Bobby received his BA-Mass Communications from UWM in 1989 and has lived in Walker's Point, Bay View, Enderis Park, South Milwaukee and on the East Side.

He has published three non-fiction books in Italy – including one about an event in Milwaukee history, which was published in the U.S. in autumn 2010. Four more books, all about Milwaukee, have been published by The History Press.

With his most recent band, The Yell Leaders, Bobby released four LPs and had a songs featured in episodes of TV's "Party of Five" and "Dawson's Creek," and films in Japan, South America and the U.S. The Yell Leaders were named the best unsigned band in their region by VH-1 as part of its Rock Across America 1998 Tour. Most recently, the band contributed tracks to a UK vinyl/CD tribute to the Redskins and collaborated on a track with Italian novelist Enrico Remmert.

He's produced three installments of the "OMCD" series of local music compilations for OnMilwaukee.com and in 2007 produced a CD of Italian music and poetry.

In 2005, he was awarded the City of Asti's (Italy) Journalism Prize for his work focusing on that area. He has also won awards from the Milwaukee Press Club.

He has be heard on 88Nine Radio Milwaukee talking about his "Urban Spelunking" series of stories, in that station's most popular podcast.