There was a good turnout at Christ Church of Longboat Key's annual fish fry Thursday, Aug. 27, a social event planned late in the summer which has been a tradition at the church since 2012.
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Pastor Julia Piermont donned a peacock-feather-adorned blue pirate hat as she addressed church members before they dug into their plates of fried cod at Christ Church on Thursday, Aug. 27.
Piermont prayed, thanking God for the people who came to the annual social event, for nature and, of course, the fish. “You had some experience with fish,” she said during the prayer, alluding to Bible tales like “the miraculous catch of fish.”
Christ Church also has experience with fish. Mark Huber, George Rauch, Sally Rauch and Lucia Eihlein served the fish from behind a counter before attendees fixed their plates with side items from mac and cheese to pasta salad. The four have been fixtures at the annual fish fry which dates back to 2012. When the fish fry was still new and small, George and Mark would go out on the water and catch trout for the social event. As it grew, they switched to store-bought cod, which shined thanks to Huber’s recipe and frying talent.
“The best way to fix Florida fish is to use flour, roll it in flour, then eggwash, then japanese bread crumbs, then saute it in butter and olive oil and season it with Old Bay,” Huber shared.
After dinner, church members helped themselves to an array of cakes and pies baked by Jim Seaton, a crowd favorite.
Christ Church of Longboat Key pastor Julia Piermont addresses attendees of the 2025 edition of the fish fry at the church Thursday, Aug. 27. When Piermont moved to the Gulf Coast from the midwest, her husband said she needed a pirate hat and a pirate name — she chose Longboat Julia.
Christ Church of Longboat Key pastor Julia Piermont poses for a picture with her husband, Dennis Piermont, at the church's annual fish fry Thursday, Aug. 27.
Eleanor McConnell fixes her plate at Christ Church of Longboat Key's annual fish fry at the church Thursday, Aug. 27.
George Rauch serves a filet for Rich Raymond at Christ Church of Longboat Key as Mark Huber looks on Thursday, Aug. 27, for the annual church fish fry.
Joyce and Jerry Fox pose for a photo together at Christ Church of Longboat Key's annual fish fry Thursday, Aug. 27.
Jim Seaton fixed an array of cakes and pies for Christ Church of Longboat Key's annual fish fry Thursday, Aug. 27.
George Rauch, Sally Rauch, Mark Huber and Lucia Eihlein pose for a photo together at Christ Church of Longboat Key's annual fish fry Thursday, Aug. 27.
Joe Deugenio and Patty Buck pose for a photo at Christ Church of Longboat Key's annual fish fry Thursday, Aug. 27.
Alma Westfall and Jo Anne Hall pose for a photo at Christ Church of Longboat Key's annual fish fry Thursday, Aug. 27.
Chris and Cheryl Mills pose for a photo together at Christ Church of Longboat Key's annual fish fry Thursday, Aug. 27.
Ernie and Judy Strauss pose for a photo together at Christ Church of Longboat Key's annual fish fry Thursday, Aug. 27.
Jerry Fox helps himself at Christ Church of Longboat Key's annual fish fry Thursday, Aug. 27.
There was a good turnout at Christ Church of Longboat Key's annual fish fry Thursday, Aug. 27, a social event planned late in the summer which has been a tradition at the church since 2012.
S.T. "Tommy" Cardinal is the Longboat Key news reporter. The Sarasota native earned a degree from the University of Central Florida in Orlando with a minor in environmental studies. In Central Florida, Cardinal worked for a monthly newspaper covering downtown Orlando and College Park. He then worked for a weekly newspaper in coastal South Carolina where he earned South Carolina Press Association awards for his local government news coverage and photography.
