I will eat anything that
is fried. I would probably eat my shirt if it were fried. Things just taste
better that way. If you disagree you are just lying to yourself. This is why
southerners are so polite and friendly, they are happy because they are eating
fried chicken all of the time. I am happy just knowing it is in my future.
Heck, I am happy knowing just where to go to get something that is fried,
golden, crispy, and therefore ultimately delicious.
I love all
chips. Just hearing the word chip has me salivating all over myself. Now in the
U.S.A. that usually means there is a Pringle or Doritos chip with my name on
it. But make no mistake if I am going to eat a French fry instead there is no
love lost there (http://thequeenoff-ckingeverything.blogspot.com/2012/08/for-eating-your-french-fries-and-all.html).
Now if you want to add a
little culture to your fried treat you may want to treat yourself to something
from across the pond, such as something from our mother country England. Lads
in England are unanimously known round the world for eating their fish and chips.
Fish and chips are as simple as an idea as they appear. They can be different
kinds of fish depending on where you go and what you order, that are then deep
fried to perfection along with those crunchy fries for the culmination of the
ideal afternoon snack or light dinner. I imagine a cold brew would be appropriate
here too.
When I went to London in
2009 it was on my must eat list. I went to a pub and properly ordered my fish
and chips. According to Frommer’s travel guide they may also appear on the menu
as cod and chips, or rock and chips, and should be eaten with salt, pepper, and
vinegar as the locals do.
On that first fish and
chip eating experience I didn’t fall in love with the first bite. This was also
my first night there and I had been sick on the flight over. I remember
thinking the food was good but not eating it all. That doesn’t mean I was
turned off by the combination or idea of it. Quite the opposite ending up
happening actually, I ended up finding the best placing in my hometown to bring
a little bit a Britain out of the girl from Brooklyn.
My first taste
of the good stuff since that trip was in 2010 at, “A Salt and Battery” here in
New York City. God how I love that name, it cracks me up each time I think
about it. I had learned about it on the Food
Network from Sunny Anderson. She was talking about the deep fried candy bar
they had there. After that anything else they had fried was a bonus to me once
I got there. (http://thequeenoff-ckingeverything.blogspot.com/2011/04/for-keys-to-my-new-york-city-part-iv.html)
When I did get there and settled down
the place was incredibly cute and smelled amazingly appetizing. I decided on
the fried shrimp with my chips. They had so many variations of fish it was
almost impossible not to find something you liked on the menu. I knew
immediately after I was done that a deep fried Mars bar was going to be next on
my plate.
While I like fried shrimp I am
usually hesitate to order it out. You never know what you are going to get, I
am ALWAYS afraid of taking one bite and getting that “fishy” taste and being
instantly sorry for what I ordered. Scenarios like that are such big
disappointments especially when you seek out a restaurant for a long time.
I am so happy to report that was not
the case at “A Salt and Battery”. Not only was the food incredible it was also
lighter than I imagined. It didn’t have that down home greasy feeling that is
often associated with fried food. I didn’t have to worry about being sick
after, which was good since I had another course coming my way. As for that
candy bar, I had never had a Mars bar before but from now I am only eating it
fried. I feel that is the way God intended it to be. The warm, gooey center
with that initial crispy yet soft bite was everything Sunny Anderson said it
would be and more. The only way you will ever be able to appreciate it is if
you go try one for yourself.
After this wonderful experience I
only had one other fish and chips location on my to do list and this was much
closer to my home, it was “Chip Shop” in Brooklyn. A friend and fellow foodie
had been telling me to try it for some time after he had been there randomly
and enjoyed it. What I remember most about his description was that there were
friend macaroni and cheese balls and I was sold. Besides the fried fish, fries,
and candy bars, this was going to be a first for me and I was eager to taste
one.
When I got there I decided to stick
to my previous order and go with the fried shrimp with my chips. I also got the
aforementioned mac and cheese ball and decided to skip the candy bar this time.
I had a different dessert in mind this day and you will read all about that in
my next blog.
First off the mac and cheese ball was
amazing but tastes exactly how you would expect. Kind of like a rice ball but
with cheddar cheese. Don’t get me wrong I could and would eat one everyday of
the week but it’s not worth a whole trip for.
As for the main course I wasn’t over
the moon. The food was good but here I felt like I was running into my “fishy”
tasting shrimp that I was worried about earlier. The batter was fine and it was
totally edible, I just wasn’t as interested in pounding them down the way I was
at “A Salt and Battery”. That was my favorite place. To be sure I feel another
more recent visit is required to make sure my memory matches my recommendation.
Usually they are “dead on balls” accurate, to borrow a phrase from one of my
favorite movies, “My Cousin Vinny”.
All and all fish and chips are
glorious but you have to find the place that speaks to you and if you can use
that as an excuse to go on vacation more power to you.
For Fish and More:
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