Fish and Chips

Hi

I'm looking for suggestions for the best place in Chicago to try fish and chips as near to the English way of doing the food as possible? Any recommendations will be appreciated!

Thanks

Yeknod

Best? Don't know. Very good, but more Irish than English:

Celtic Knot
626 Church St., Evanston

Thanks for the reply nr706, that one will go on the list. I'm looking for somewhere that does nice crispy batter and fresh, moist cod or haddock with good sized chips. Takeouts, pubs or restaurants - all considered!

Duke of perth will meet your requirements. Crispy wondrous fish, somewhat soggy fries and canned green peas.

HI,

I have never eaten there and cannot vouch for quality: The Red Lion has it on their menu. Not surprising since they consider themselves an English pub.

Chief O'Neill's has fish and chips. Poster Octarine has liked their fish and chips in the past. Earlier this spring he was not so charmed, but things can change favorably just as they do negatively.

Chief O'Neill's Pub
3471 N. Elston Ave.
Chicago, IL
773-473-5263

I hope once you have concluded your personal survey, you will report back here on your rankings and why.

Regards,

I can vouch for the good quality of the fish and chips at Red Lion. The fish is clearly better than the fries there, too.

Thanks for the suggestions!

I actually live in the UK but visit Chicago regularly and want to share the delights of fresh fish and chips with someone I know. All this talk made me take a trip down to the local chip shop tonight to sample a freshly fried cod with, moist white fish meat poached inside the batter casing and eaten on the hoof in its paper wrapping with just my fingers.

I'll take up the challenge and post on fish 'n' chips next time I visit Chicago.

Actually, someone I know might well want a good sample of shepherds pie as well.. Red Lion has that on the menu... but that might take another thread?

Ahhh, fish and chips... Yeknod, you and the others writing in this thread are helping bring back some fond memories from earlier in the year...


from
http://lthforum.com/bb/viewtopic.php?p=44947#44947

Buon anno,
Antonius

Ah! Memories from just a few days over a year ago (though not exactly English)...
click for larger size


and of course, the sauces


Yeknod and others, do update with a Chicago find.

Hi,

Practically every place mentioned above has a version of Shephard's pie.

I wonder if you would approve of Long John Silver's or Arthur Treacher's Fish and Chips ("the meal you cannot make at home!")?

Long John Silver's Seafood Shoppe
3901 West Touhy Avenue
Lincolnwood, IL 60712
http://www.longjohnsilvers.com
847-674-7040

Arthur Treacher's
2220 45th Ave.,
Highland, IN 46322
Tel No. 219-924-5859
http://www.arthurtreachers.com/

Arthur Treacher History wrote:Did you know fish and chips were the first convenience food?

Back in the 1860s, a London restaurant called Malin's of Bow began serving deep-fried whitefish with a dousing of malt vinegar accompanied by oversized fries. The fish and chips craze soon spread throughout England, and the dish became the world's first convenience food.

In 1969 the founders of Arthur Treacher's purchased Malin's and with it, the original fish and chips recipe. Since then we've adjusted the menu to accommodate American tastes and expanded it to include shrimp, clams, fried chicken, and popular side orders including tasty hush puppies and unique cole slaw. All of which makes Arthur Treacher's Fish & Chips the traditional English meal perfect for today's All-American appetite!

While Arthur Treacher has left the Chicago area. Highland, IN is a mere 32 miles away. If you want to try it out just for chuckles, then let me know when you're in town next time.

Regards,

I've been to the Red Lion several times and didn't see a ghost, but i did buy Janet Davies a beer there- long ago.Fish and Chips are great there as are the Bangers and Mash.I do hide my secret desire for LJS.

Try Galvin's near Austin and Lawrence. It's a pretty good Irish pub and their fish and chips is the closest I've come to anything from a pub back home in the Uk. Their portion is of course about 4 times the size you would get in the Uk!

Yeknod wrote:Hi

I'm looking for suggestions for the best place in Chicago to try fish and chips as near to the English way of doing the food as possible? Any recommendations will be appreciated!

Thanks

Yeknod

Not venturing too much into the Chicago proper(though I should after reading all the wonderful posts about restaurants in Chicago) I found that Fox and Hound Pub and Grille makes good fish n chips. Though I haven't tried it yet, I want to try two restaurants one in Schaumburg, The Curragh and one in Algonquin, The Claddagh. Both are pubs, and Irish pubs at that, if you couldn't tell by the names. I'm always up for trying an authentic English fish n chips.

My standard for fish and chips was set a few years ago on a visit to London, where, in a pub across the street from Parliament, we were served a really remarkable piece of fried fish. It was about 8 inches of perfect crunchy goodness. This is what I mean by perfect: when picked up at one end, the whole piece cantilevered over the plate without breaking.

Back in the US, I've tried fish & chips a few times, but while I've had stuff that tastes good, there hasn't been anything as good as that.

To my mind, Duke of Perth (which I tried for the first time a couple of weeks ago on one of the all-the-fish-and-chips-you-can-eat nights) gets the texture right, but both the fish and the crunch are remarkably tasteless. At Blue Bayou--which we stumbled into, starved, after waiting the length of a movie (Classe Tous Risque) to get into Tango Sur and failing--the fish tasted all right, but nothing like London. Also this year, tried the supposedly authentic fish and chips at an Elephant & Castle in Streeterville.

Not.

So I look forward to trying some of the other places mentioned in this thread.

Duke of Perth
2913 N Clark St
773-477-1741

Blue Bayou
3734 N. Southport
773-871-3300

Elephant & Castle
160 E Huron St
312-440-1180

Cathy2 wrote:
Arthur Treacher's
2220 45th Ave.,
Highland, IN 46322
Tel No. 219-924-5859
http://www.arthurtreachers.com/

While Arthur Treacher has left the Chicago area. Highland, IN is a mere 32 miles away. If you want to try it out just for chuckles, then let me know when you're in town next time.

Regards,

Despite the fact that it is still listed on the website, the Arthur Treacher's in Highand is looooong gone.

The Globe Pub has fish 'n chips, bangers 'n mash, and shepard's pie.

1934 W. Irving Park Rd.
773-871-3757

Four Moon Tavern also has fish 'n chips.
1847 W. Roscoe St.
773-929-6666

My son the musician loves the fish and chips at


Abby Pub
3420 W Grace St
Chicago, IL 60618-4215
773.478.4408

Mister. Beefhead wrote:Despite the fact that it is still listed on the website, the Arthur Treacher's in Highand is looooong gone.

Welcome to LTHforum!

Thanks for saving me a potentially pointless trip. Of course it is a gentle reminder to myself to phone first before venturing!

Again, thanks!

Regards,

Sazarac,

Found this nifty site: http://www.minimus.biz/SearchResult.aspx?CategoryID=10

It doesn't have all of the sauces pictured, but quite a few.

This was actually a great find for me, already placed an order I wanted more variety in the low calorie individual salad dressing and a better price than the convenience store.

pdaane wrote:Sazarac,

Found this nifty site: http://www.minimus.biz/SearchResult.aspx?CategoryID=10

Thanks for the link, Daane.

This will allow me to "spice up my routine" considerably:

<Peering into my wallet>

Cash? Check.
Credit Cards? Check.
Driver's License? Check.
Condoms? Check.
Texas Pete? Check.



E.M.

Erik, that's what caught my eye, too!

That and the malt vinegar.

Texas Pete in wallet - that's interesting. However I'd need too many packets. (I wish that I had need for a larger wallet too)

Thanks to LTH I tried Texas Pete some time back and now we're hooked* and well stocked. Later there was a thread which mentioned the limited availability in Chicagoland.
Our supply has been from Wal-Mart - either the Sturtevant, WI or Merrillville, IN (both are Supercenters). I have looked and not found it in some Chicago area Wal-Marts. I don't know if it is not available in the Chicago Wal-Marts or just not available in non Supercenters. (IIRC Bruce mentioned he gets it in Southbend WalMart)

Texas Pete is available at the Bolingbrook Meijer.


*A2Fay's one fine morning at breakfast episode: 2 eggs over easy, 2 slices toast, 3 oz. Texas Pete.

-----
I'd be interested in a Chicago source for Heinz baked beans, if anyone sees it.

Texas Pete in wallet - that's interesting. However I'd need too many packets. (I wish that I had need for a larger wallet too)

You could always fill a Camelbak.

Heinz baked beans

moremusicmoremusicmoremusic

Mike G wrote:moremusicmoremusicmoremusic

Did you mean to point me here?
(I know I'm slacking)
Heinz on my mind since I had occasion to be in Pittsburgh recently. I was wondering about the availability of the range of Heinz (brand) sauces in the US. Their website isn't particularly helpful.

More like a free-associative connection to here.

sazerac wrote:*A2Fay's one fine morning at breakfast episode: 2 eggs over easy, 2 slices toast, 3 oz. Texas Pete.

-----
I'd be interested in a Chicago source for Heinz baked beans, if anyone sees it.

Sazerac,

3.0z of Texas Pete with a couple of eggs and toast, geeesh, remind me not to get in a hot sauce eating contest with A2Fay.

Far as Heinz baked beans go, not much help, but when I pick up lunch for my grandmother and me at Benji's deli (Milwaukee), I get a couple of three cans of the vegetarian type, along with pastrami, corned beef and rye bread. My grandmother absolutely loves Heinz baked beans. I'll keep an eye out for a someplace slightly more local.

Enjoy,
Gary

Benji's Delicatessen
8683 N Port Washington Rd
Milwaukee, WI 53217
414-228-5130

sazerac wrote:I'd be interested in a Chicago source for Heinz baked beans, if anyone sees it.

I have got them before at the CostPlusWorldMarket (or whatever it's called) in Evanston. I imagine that the other CPWMs all over the city would carry them too.

You can also pick up a tin of this while you're there.

I've seen Heinz Baked Beans in the international aisle at the Jewel on Ashland between Diversey and Belmont in the British/Irish section.

A lot of British foodstuffs can be found, of all places, at many Cub Foods in their international aisles. The one on North Ave in Melrose Park is one I know for sure has a decent selection.

Gwiv wrote:3.0z of Texas Pete with a couple of eggs and toast, geeesh, remind me not to get in a hot sauce eating contest with A2Fay.

Actually, Gary, that was an anomaly. I emptied the last couple of tablespoons of the bottle onto my plate upon which A2Fay said, "Fine! Be that way, I'll get my own!" and did. (I did say we stockpiled – especially as LTH reports suggested low availability in Chicago). Anyhow, only when putting the 6 oz. bottle back did we both realize she had gone through half.
As for contest, A2Fay would defer to you. She's seen the gnomish firepower you carry around (or does it follow you?) Habanero and high heat she cannot handle.
The reason I'm continuing on this tangent is that I've noticed an interesting phenomenon with regards to chile heat. While I can stand much more fresh or green chile heat which A2Fay cannot, I find dishes which include dried red chili powder fried/heated in oil much hotter than she does. In making dishes that include both an initial red chili powder in hot oil, followed by green chile that simmer in the gravy/curry base I have started to learn temporal heat effects. The red chili 'attacks' first while the simmered green chile comes in later with a fullness and then black pepper, if included, will round out the end and at the back of the throat. The simmered green chile (say Serrano) has a deeper flavor that just fresh cut added at the end of cooking – not unlike parsley or cilantro similarly added during and at the end. Of course, the type of red chili (powder or otherwise) makes a difference, but I'm still working on those (in combination as well) in my quest for better and better bbq sauce…


Thanks for all the leads on the Heinz baked beans. Along with eggs, toast and some bacon or so it makes for a terrific breakfast. So good that every six months or so that's what we have for dinner!

Pardon the tangent, just so nobody gets cross I'll try and get this back to the original subject of the thread.
So here's a close-up of Fish and Chips Edinburgh, (Dec. 2004)

and since I sort of posted that already, here's another pic taken a couple of weeks later
Fish and chips, Kerala