Last week Heide and I rode the blue Geo Metro out past the west side of Janesville a bit to go out to Ding-A-Ling Supper Club in Hanover. I had never been there. Mom used to mention it once in a while and I saw a general write up on the place recently in the Janesville Messenger. The impetus of the Messenger article focused on that a year or so ago Kyla and Jerrad Wilke purchase the restaurant. They did not dwell on the Friday fish fry. That is my job. 

   It is best to make reservations because even a bit later in the evening we still had to wait a half hour to be seated. Not all places take reservations on Fridays so I did not think to do it. But they do indeed take them here. 

   Ding-A-Ling offers three styles of fish all for $8.95 per dinner. And it is also all-you-can-eat. There is beer-battered Cod which is thickly breaded. You get large pieces so I did not need to order more when I finished. It was crispy, yet tender on the inside. They also have plain Cod. The skin of the plain fish is only browned. It reminds me of the fish we used to cook at our Thursday church fish fries. It brought back some memories. They say taste and smell will do that. In recent years restaurants are heavy into the beer battering. It had been a long time since I have had just regular fried Cod. They also offer fried Perch. It was cooked just right, not too dry and not too soggy. 

   With your fish you can get a baked potato, hash browns, French fries, Boston Browns, or potato pancakes. I ordered the Boston browns. They are skinned slices of potatoes that are seasoned. I thought they were a nice departure from the ubiquitous French fries most places serve up with fish. Heide ordered the potato pancakes. They are home made. This is a big deal because in my opinion they are labor intensive to make. 

   One last note, the cole slaw is exceptional.  It is so creamy and rich in taste I will no-doubt remember it when ever I think of Ding-A-Ling. A little side like cole slaw can make or break a fish fry.  It is one of the nuances of the tradition of fish fry. 

   Ding-A-Ling Supper Club is cool with Cool Dadio. 

   Ding-A-Ling offers a variety of other daily specials. There is every thing from lobster tail, prime rib, fillet mignon, Walleye, and pork chops. Call (608) 879-9209 to get all the details. From the west side of Janesville, take Highway 11 a few miles to County H and take a left. Hanover is a couple miles down the road. Ding-A-Ling is one of the first places you will see. 

   This week's Wisconsin soldier to remember is Captain John F. Kurth, 31, of Columbus. Captain Kurth died Saturday, March 13, 2004 in Tikrit, Iraq. Kurth was one of two soldiers killed by a roadside bomb. John was a member of Company B, 1st Battalion, 18th Infantry Regiment, 1st Infantry Division. Captain Kurth was the 12th Wisconsin soldier killed in Iraq. According to the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel and the Associated Press, John had been in Iraq less than one month. His unit patrolled roads in and around Tikrit. He had been based in Schweinfurt Germany for the three years prior to his death. His company had been dispatched to Iraq in rotation of forces. The Journal Sentinel also mentioned John went by "Hans," he had played on the 1991 high school championship football team, and had graduated West Point in 1995. Kurth had also served in the 82nd Airborne. Captain Kurth had also served two tours in Kosovo.

   3,576 Americans have been killed in Iraq since Spring 2003.

   26,350 U.S. troops have been wounded in action in Iraq since Spring 2003.

   76 Wisconsin soldiers have been killed in Iraq since Spring 2003.

   108 journalists (several nationalities) have been killed in Iraq since Spring 2003.

Soldier of the week, military casualty, and journalist casualty information sources: Committee to Protect Journalists; cnn.com; and, Milwaukee Journal Sentinel.