Fish & Chips Tour: Pike Street Fish Fry

Since this F&C tour's inception, no other place has been recommended to me more frequently than the Pike Street Fish Fry. For that reason alone, I was excited. But I was blessed enough to have some quality company with me.

This gave me the opportunity to try the many and varied kinds of fried fish options available. We tried the cod, catfish, and salmon. They were out of the halibut (for which I've been told I needs must return) and I half wish we'd tried the oysters (because oysters are freaking awesome).

Let me just say this: Hands down the best Fish & Chips so far. And what's more? It wasn't the catfish, which was good but the fishy flavor overpowered the batter. It wasn't the salmon, because the post-battering, the whole experience was  just a bit rich. It was, to my surprise, the less adventurous cod. But the fish was fresh. The batter was fried to a perfect, goldeny crisp that left a slightly oily residue on your fingers, even as it burned a little (fresh from the fryer). The batter was also lightly seasoned. Something so simple, and yet it made for absolute deliciousness--that slight touch of salt.

Their fries are also hand cut and fried. Real, mother bleeping french fries. Just as hot and fresh as the fish.

And what's more! You have a bunch of sauces to choose from. We got the lemon aioli, traditional tartar, and curry ketchep. I must say that the plain ol tartar was my favorite, chalk full of fresh dill and thus, bright tasting. But the lemon aioli was certainly a close second, I think made with lemon zest.

What I will say I was sad about: the fish wasn't served with a lemon.

It seems kinda gripey, I know, but I'm much more likely to eat my fish with just a touch of fresh lemon than, say, vinegar.

Still, if that's the biggest complaint... I don't know... I just didn't have many complaints.

And who knows, maybe the halibut is better. I know I'll be back.

From what I've heard, pretty much the only places I really, really need to check out are Sunfish in West Seattle, the Red Mill Totem House in Ballard (who kept the original Totem House fish & chips on lock), and I think Anthony's Home Port & Ray's Boathouse.

Not a big list. But one I look forward to immensely.

ps, (I have one from Old Town Alehouse to post too. It was up there on my favorite overall experience...that is until I had Pike Street)

pps, I'm ditching the old format. It's easier for me to write about food without those kinds of restrictions.

Fish & Chips Tour: Pacific Inn

Pacific Inn is another place that claims to have the *best* Fish & Chips. I had heard of the pub from a friend who used to live here. That and the chef from a bar I used to frequent also happened to do some cooking here also.

It's been a long time since I ate there. The picture has been sitting on my camera for so long. I just don't feel confident enough to elucidate its various factors, but I remember liking it. Though it certainly wasn't mind blowing enough to make the top of my list. Kind of boring fries as I recall, and nothing special tartar, but I remember the fish & batter being better.

Still, enjoy the picture. Mmmm. Fish & Chips.

Fish & Chips Tour: The Sloop

Fish: It's been so long since I've gone. I have to say that, so far, of the sort of standard Fish & Chips recipe, this is my favorite so far. It was light and easy.

Batter: Again, traditional Fish & Chips. But definitely the best so far. Crispy and not too greasy. A fairly light batter. I have no doubt that this is fish from a bag, but I feel like I must still take into account the preparation, and the Sloop, in all of its divey glory, still did it better than plenty of other places.

Fries: I was at the Sloop with a friend. He was certain that the fries were from a bag, but they seasoned them at the pub. I disagreed. That they were most certainly entirely delivered, and they just dumped them in the fryer. We asked our bartender/server, and he was on my side. And you know what? I didn't mind. They were pretty tasty. And asking for anything more at The Sloop, a sailing bar that prides itself on not being pretentious, well then you're asking too much.

Tartar: This was the most dill pickley tartar I think I've ever had. My companion said: "Oh! I might like it then."

and Slaw (if available): It was ok. Not overdressed. Not particularly stunning either.



**


The food at the Sloop is all under $8 or something. Priced ridiculously low. And even given that, I think this was one of my most enjoyable Fish & Chips experiences. The company was good, first of all, and we were watching awesome football. Ok. Maybe not totally awesome football because I watched the Seahawks lose. Again. But still, for the price, I'd totally get their F&C again, which I probably wouldn't say about most of the other places on the tour to-date. Sloop wasn't my favorite, but it was a plenty enjoyable experience for some basic, no nonsense, Fish & Chips.

Fish & Chips Tour: Pies & Pints

Fish: Eh. I mean, it wasn't gross or uber-fishy or clearly old. But it wasn't exactly spectacular either.

Batter: Double eh with a touch of too greasy.

Fries: I started going to P&P for their sweet potato fries, but let me tell you, their standard fries are kinda gross. Straight from a bag, potato mush in the center, and blah blah blah. What a waste.

Tartar: I tried it. I remember thinking that it wasn't terrible. But I don't remember finding it particularly memorable.

and Slaw (if available): I actually liked their slaw. It was alright. But maybe that was only in comparison to the rest of it.



**

I guess you could say that I found it altogether unmemorable. But oh well, it is all about the Pies & Pints at Pies & Pints. Their savory pies are soooo good.

Fish & Chips: The Loft

I've been busy, but not forgetting my mission to find the Best Fish & Chips in Seattle. Not that long ago I met my friend at The Loft, in Ballard, to watch the BSU/Nevada game. I decided to try the Fish & Chips.

Fish: When it came out, quickly, steaming, a bit glistening, looking crispy and light, I was pretty goddamned excited. I can't lie about that. I mean look at it. It looks glorious, right? Unfortunately, the fish just kind of disappeared inside the batter. It's not that it was bad, just that it wasn't great.

Batter: Like I said, it looks glorious. Unfortunately, it turned out not quite how it looks. Rather than light, heavy and greasy. Rather than crisp, soggy. And what's more, the batter was just kind of bland.

Fries: Let me say one thing to start this off: Beer Batter. Whaaaa??? Yeah, that's right. They beer batter their french fries. And that was a damned fine idea. It offered the fries that little something extra, something subtle, a kick. I would totally go back for the fries.

Tartar: I remember saying, "Hm. Pickles." Which I kind of like in a tartar sauce. But I wouldn't say it was outstanding. I'm pretty sure it's like any other tartar you could get at the store. Maybe a high-end store-bought tartar sauce.

and Slaw (if available): I think I liked their slaw better than any  yet. It was light, not sopping, and let the cabbage flavor come through over its dressing. I say: Huzzah!


I have avoided going to The Loft since my first experience, when I walked in on Football Sunday and found HORDES of people. And not just people, those douchey frat boy types that I hate watching football with. In one instant, I thought I had the place figured out. However, coming back at brunch time, for college football, I thought my mind had been changed. (That was, until the WAZZU game started and brought in the exact kind of riffraff I was trying to avoid).

My point being, I probably wouldn't come back for the Fish. I probably wouldn't come back for the ambiance. I might come back for the french fries and their somewhat killer happy hour.

Fish & Chips, Elysian Brewery

After an awesome weekend of backpacking, hiking, camping, lake swimming, and general woodsyness, down to the plethora of bugbites, my friends and I treated ourselves to an awesome viewing of the new Conan the Barbarian, wherein Jason Mamoa proves he is a foxier version of Brendan Fraser, and then headed to Elysian Brewery, where we had hoped to try their Rhubarbarella Beer. I have a love of rhubarb. Unfortunately, the Tangletown Elysian didn't have the Rhubabarella. (Headed to the Capitol Hill Elysian on Friday, which according to the website, is stocking the Rhubarb Brew... so hopefully I'll get to try it then).

Anyway... the point of this little tale (besides rubbing in how awesome my life is), is that the Elysian Brewery was a recommended stop on my Seattle Fish & Chips Tour. Unfortunately, I forgot to snag a pic. Still, here are the stats:

Fish: It was a little heavier than I would like, and very mild flavored. It wasn't bad, but it wasn't particularly striking either.

Batter: Golden, crispy, not too greasy, but bland. I mean, I tried this fish in waves. There was an initial bite, which left little to be desired. Again, not to say it was unpleasant, it just wasn't particularly desirous. So then I squeezed the lemon, which did little to persuade me. So then I tried it with the vinegar, and still nothing. The tartar (which I will get to in a moment) was the saving grace. Ultimately, it was just like the fish needed some seasoning. or, it's the perfect pallat for a tartar lover.

Fries: So. Good. These are like the "joe" style fry, again, or as my friends' called them: steak fries. I wouldn't call them the traditional steak fry since they were more wedge shaped than what I would consider a steak fry. But these were flavorful, not too greasy, crispy on the outside with light potato-y goodness on the inside. I think these fries with the Hale's fish would make the ultimate fish & chips. Maybe they should work together?

Tartar: Ok, so I will admit that I am not the biggest tartar fan. In fact, pretty much the only time I dig into tartar sauce is with the Fish & Chips, but in that instance, I love tartar sauce. Elysian's tartar sauce, however, was delicious on it's own merits. I wouldn't say it was particularly dill-y, no strong lemon or vinegar flavors, but it was creamy and it was not bland at all. The flavors all subtly combined--some dill, some lemon & vinegar, but perfectly blended.

and Slaw (if available): No slaw offered.

Perhaps one day I'll go back and take a picture. But honestly, their pulled pork sandwich with horseradish slaw looked more inspiring.

On a more exciting note, the beers that I had while there (despite missing the Rhubarbarella), were awesome. I had the Idiot Sauvin, made from New Zealand Nelson Sauvin Hopps. It was nice, citrusy, fragrant. And then I had the Jasmine IPA, which had a light floral taste, but not too strong. Good for me because floral flavors can often overpower for me.

Altogether a productive adventure.

Brunch, Fish & Chips, & a trip to the Zoo

Last week was something of a wild time. I had just finished the Seattle Century, and then all of the sudden a friend of mine was visiting from Missouri. Friends in town, especially friends who have never been to Seattle, means less cooking and more experiencing Seattle from a foodie perspective. I happen to love that perspective, even if it gets kind of expensive. Still, it starts with brunch.

When thinking of my brunch options, tons of places came to mind, but I wanted my friend to have her choice. I suggested some of my favorites: Cafe Presse (for the croque madame), Cafe Flora, Toulouse Petit, the Hi-Life. I sent her to their websites, to their menus. In the end, she chose Toulouse Petit, and who was I to argue? It was a weekday and their menu is half-off for weekday brunch. She got the salmon & asparagus omelett with gruyere.

I got the Duck & Pistachio Benedict:

It's even better than it looks, I'll tell you. The duck wasn't greasy, but was light, spicy, rich. The holindaise sauce was awesome. The potatoes crisp on the outside, and light and fluffy on the inside--their spice nicely balanced. I've been there before, a couple times. I've always done the Pork Cheek Confit (which is excellent). This was too. The Omelett, which I got to try, was also fantastic. I think I'll have to keep expanding on my Toulouse tasting.

It was a bit heavy, so we walked about 15 miles through downtown Seattle, to Pike Place Market, and then along Elliot Bay, the SAM's Sculpture Garden. We didn't want anything too snappy for dinner that day, but she did want Fish & Chips before she left. So I took her to Hale's Ales where I think, so far, live Seattle's Best Fish & Chips.

Parmesan & Panko Crusted Rock Fish with Seasoned Potatos. Also witness the Hale's Amber Cream Ale, and the Snoqualmie Stout Cream Ale.

The beers weren't as good as I had hoped, but they were alright.

I have to say that these Fish & Chips were much better than the Fish & Chips at the Lockspot Cafe, which were named the Best Fish & Chips in Seattle. Lockspot had good fish, no doubt. But the breading was falvorless and a little mushy, the fries were nothing special, and the tartar sauce was actually so boring I wouldn't eat it. It did nothing for the fish.

This little experiment has inspired me to commence a Fish & Chips of Seattle Tour with the flavor, freshness, and consistency of the following items taken into consideration: Fish, Batter, Fries, Tartar, and Slaw (if available).

For Hale's:

Fish--it was light, but not bland, and sort of fell apart and melted in your mouth. Outstanding.

Batter-- excellent flavor from the parmesan & panko crust, but it didn't stick to the fish as much as I would have liked letting the fish sort of fall apart on the plate. But totally worth it for the taste. You didn't need, or really even want, to tamper it with tartar or vinegar. Nice with a touch of lemon.

Fries--I'm not going to lie, these aren't mindblowing. The seasoning is good, but not great. They are more like Joes than fries.

Tartar--Really good, sweet and tart dill flavor.

Slaw--Not mindblowing, but ignorable.

Ultimately, I think it's worth it just for the fish.

PS, we earned the Fish & Chips with another long day of walking, this time around the zoo. See the adorable Sloth Bear: