A Chippy in P-town: The Fish N Chip Shop

One of the great things about my trip to the UK several years ago was all the fish and chip shops throughout the region. Wrapped in a cone of newsprint, the fish fresh (usually haddock), crisply battered and expertly cooked to juicy goodness (never dry or overdone) sits atop thick cut and fried potatoes (we call ‘em fries they call ‘em chips) and doused with a generous helping of malt vinegar.

These enclaves of greasy goodness also serve up mushy peas, brown gravy, bottles of HP sauce for the dipping and if you're lucky a deep fried candy bar for dessert. As good as some of our local fish frys are (read Halibuts on NE Alberta) there's just nothing quite like the good ol' British chippys across the pond...that is until now.

Tucked in a small space on N Killingsworth that used to house The Creamery (near a Spanish language video store and the local ice cream man's outpost) this rousing new joint is called simply, "The Fish and Chip Shop" and is manned by a real limey! This, of course, adds to the authenticity and ambience of the sparsely decorated (read one British flag and a few tables) fry house- that and the mushy peas ($3) and curry beans ($3).

The menu is also simple, yet perfect: New England clam chowder, Cod, Halibut, Wild Rockfish, Dover Sole, and the most popular fish used for fish and chips in Britain-Haddock, a tasty morsel we don't see much of in these parts, as it is from the Atlantic. All come in small or large orders ($5.25-$9.75) and can be served with your choice of small or large chips ($1.95-$3.50) as well as battered beets ($4.50), coleslaw ($1), onion rings ($3.75), roll and butter ($1.50), pickled onions($0.75), curry sauce, brown gravy, that yummy HP and copious amounts of malt vinegar...mmmmmmm!

But just when you thought it couldn't get any better, The Fish and Chip Shop also serves Cornish Pasties. A staple in pubs all across the UK, the Cornish pasty (said to have originated in Cornwall, England) came about out of necessity for tin miners. Because these miners were covered in dirt (which also contained arsenic) and could not resurface for lunch, their wives began making them pastries filled with the contents of their lunch (meat and veg.) These pastries were both conveniently handheld and sanitary, as the extra thick-folded edge of the pasty could be held with their dirt covered hands while the rest was eaten, safely untouched by the poison and the thick edge of crust discarded afterward.

The Fish and Chip Shop serves tasty pasties made by Portland Saturday Market's Limey's in Beef, Chicken and Cheese and Onion for $6.50 each.

For dessert, there are battered and deep fried bananas and pineapple rings ($3.25) and- Yes, even deep fried English Mars bars ($3.25-we call it a Milky Way bar here in the US) as well as the tried and true tea time favorite, shortbread cookie ($1.50) and chocolate dipped shortbread cookie ($2).

As if the succulent fish, crisp chips and battered confections weren't enough, The Fish and Chip Shop is even carrying a selection of English soft drinks such as Tizer (a super sweet, kinda fruity soda), Lilt (a grapefruit and pineapple flavored soda) and R Whites Lemonade (a fizzy lemonade) - all for $2.50 a pop (pun intended).

So, if you want a great tasting and authentic English chippy experience, I suggest you head on over to The Fish and Chip Shop, have a look-see and order up some of the paper-wrapped fish and chips along with a Tizer and some mushy peas and Bob's your uncle.