Local parishioner-turned-amateur Lenten food connoisseur reviews parish offerings

St. Clair Shores — He’s not a food critic, but he’s always down for a parish fish fry.

Going from parish to parish, Mitch Koleczko and his daughter, Sofia, are on a mission: to find the best fish fry in the Archdiocese of Detroit.

“I’m the kind of guy who doesn’t like eating at the same restaurant,” Koleczko said. “My wife works late on Fridays, so it’s me and my daughter, and we go to different ones and see how they are.”

With a “Frozen” notepad and camera phone in hand, Mitch and his daughter show up to various parishes in Macomb County, meeting new people, seeing new churches and trying the Lenten cuisine.

Then he returns home, chronicling his visit on his Facebook page, “Mitch’s Friday Fish Fry Review.”

“Going to all the different parishes, there is a wide variety in setups,” Koleczko said. “One may have the restaurant style, while others offer the buffet style. Each one runs it differently, but usually it’s the local Knights of Columbus or men’s clubs who do a great job.”

Mitch and Sofia have been “touring” for two years. Each Friday night, Mitch leaves his job at Fitzgerald Public Schools in Warren to pick up Sofia at St. Thecla School in Clinton Township and drive around the area, usually settling on a parish that’s been suggested by one of his friends or coworkers.

“I do it for entertainment, really,” Koleczko said. “I go to the ones someone mentions, mostly people who belong to the parish or send their kids to school.”

When Mitch and Sofia arrive at the parish, Mitch snaps some pictures of Sofia near the church, before heading in, where Mitch begins to evaluate what the parish’s Lenten meal has to offer.

“Anywhere with beer and wine is bonus points,” Koleczko said. “The Knights of Columbus in Center Line and St. Anne in Warren are some of my favorites. I like the ones with bigger menus that have a lot of options.”



Koleczko doesn’t fashion himself a food critic, so he keeps his reviews short, usually five sentences and 10 pictures on his Facebook page, which has 106 “likes” to date.

“I really am big on variety,” Koleczko said. “Some have cheese pizza, mac n’ cheese, pierogi, fish that’s either baked or fried — I try to stick with the baked fish now that I’m getting older. The reviews are meant to be informative; I’m not really judging or anything.”

Koleczko’s Feb. 26 visit to St. Germaine School in St. Clair Shores was his 11th fish fry review. He’s gotten a little feedback from friends, but Koleczko doesn’t claim he is the “go to” source for Friday fish fry reviews.

“I don’t really get a lot of comments about the page; mostly I hear feedback from people who go to church at the parish or have kids in the school,” Koleczko said. “I don’t think it’s that big yet, I just do it for fun. My friends wait for the review to get posted, and it leads to suggestions of, ‘Hey, you need to try this parish.’”

Koleczko, parishioner of St. Paul of Tarsus Parish in Clinton Township and alumnus of Eastpointe St. Veronica and Harper Woods Notre Dame, has picked up a few tricks of the trade while reviewing fish fries with his daughter — he occasionally brings a can of Mountain Dew in his coat pocket in case the parish only offers water or fruit punch.

While each meal — and review — is different, Koleczko said one thing he always appreciates is the way the parish communities come together to share in a Lenten meal.

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Mitch’s Friday Fish Fry Review

Like “Mitch’s Friday Fish Fry Review” on Facebook to read all of Mitch Koleczko’s reviews and see what other parishes Mitch will visit this Lent.