SAINT CLAIR — The kitchen at St. Michael’s Social Hall on Friday afternoon was filled with volunteers preparing meals and the sizzle of haddock in a frying pan.
“Last year, on average, we had a 100 people turn out for one of our Lenten Fish Dinners. We’re hoping to see about the same today,” Charlie Udit, Harrisburg, one of the cooks, said just after noon Friday at the 110 N. Morris St. social hall.
By the end of the day Friday, they got 120. “Very nice! It’s excellent for the first week,” Udit said Friday night.
This time of year, numerous churches and civic organizations in the area host meatless dinners. This is the third consecutive year St. Michael the Archangel Orthodox Church, 106 N. Morris St., has held them, Udit said.
Helping Charlie in the kitchen were his brother, Michael, Saint Clair, and Michael Mistishen and his wife, Ann Marie, both of Barnesville.
“Charlie’s the head guy. We all follow Charlie,” Michael Mistishen said.
Just before noon, Charlie and his brother were putting together to-go orders.
“I’m taking these over to Liberty Travel up here at the mini mall near Wal-Mart and to Schuylkill Center,” Michael Udit said.
The pastor, the Rev. Jeff Zias, was also there. Feasting were parishioners like Walter Vacula and his wife, Anna, Schuylkill Haven, Gloria Harley, Saint Clair, and Michael Mochnoc and his wife, Colleen, both of Saint Clair.
“It was very good,” Walter said after finishing a haddock dish.
“They’re serving potato halushkie. I’m going up for another one. A lot of places don’t make potato halushkie. Usually they make it with noodles. Here they use grated potatoes,” Harley said.
“And the clam chowder’s delicious,” Colleen Machnoc said.
“I’ve been cooking here for a while. This is the third year we’ve been doing fish dinners. We rent our hall for functions, including weddings. You can fit 250 people upstairs and 120 down here. Some of that business is falling off so we had to find alternate ways to make money for the church and the fish dinner was it,” Charlie Udit said.
“People don’t like to cook anymore on Fridays. With this event, you get to go out, plus you get to socialize,” Colleen Machnoc said.
“And the prices are reasonable,” her husband said.
To prepare for Friday’s fish dinner, Charlie Udit and the staff collected a lot of groceries.
The list included 50 pounds of haddock, 80 pounds of potatoes, 20 pounds of macaroni, six 6-pound, 9-ounce cans of crushed tomatoes, 20 pounds of onions, 15 heads of cabbage and 15 quarts of clam chowder, according to Charlie Udit.
The menu included: haddock, either breaded or baked; stewed tomatoes; mashed potatoes; vegetables; rolls and dessert. Tickets were $10 each for adults and $6 for children. Side dishes of macaroni and cheese, clam chowder and halushkie were sold separately.
The dinners will be held from 11:30 a.m. to 6 p.m every Friday during Lent at the 110 N. Morris St. social hall. The dinners on March 25 and April 29 will only run from 11:30 a.m. to 2 p.m., according to the sign on the front of the hall door.
“We’re Orthodox, and May 1 is our Easter. For 12 weeks we’ll do this,” Charlie Udit said.
For takeout information or reservations, call 570-429-2138.