And the winner is…

Restaurant reviews

No, it’s not the Academy Awards, but perhaps the unofficial Academy Awards of fish ‘n’ chips. Okay. Alright. Yes, it’s a photo of fried oysters and chips. It’s all I had on file without bootlegging someone else’s image off Google. But this is the moment many of you…okay, several of you…well, a couple of you have  been waiting for:

Where can you find the best fish ‘n’ chips in Seattle (I’ll even add a bonus “best” fried oysters, too, if you promise to read until the end)? image If you’re looking for a simple Top 10 list, though, I can’t do it. I won’t. It’s not fair.  Why? Because you have (at least) four varieties of fish fry in Seattle:

  • English style – simple wheat flour battered and deep fried
  • Panko breaded/encrusted – breaded wheat flour; crispy, not heavy battered/doughy
  • Beer battered – minus the crumbs; add beer to English style (see above)
  • Corn meal/flour encrusted – option to above with less wheat/gluten, lightly coated, yada, yada…

And one last thing. To qualify for this “best of” list, the fish (usually cod and sometimes halibut) needs to be fresh or fresh frozen hand cut fillets/pieces. No exceptions. So here we go, in no particular order.

English-style (regular or beer batter dipped):

  • Spuds – Getting a little pricey for take-out, guys, but still darn good quality and big pieces. Some locations now owned by Ivar’s (be patient “Keep clam!”), but they boast a different (corn flour) recipe, too.
  • Chippy’s – Ethan Stowell’s latest industry foray. Excellent fresh oysters and halibut, too, but those big flakey pieces of cod are a must during your first visit.
  • Murphy’s Pub – If you crave beer-battered fish (and some good Irish beer), this is a great traditional Wallingford hangout.
  • The George & Dragon Pub – This Fremont English pub boasts the “best” beer-battered fare and non-stop soccer (ahem…European football) on the tube, too. Cheers!

Panko-breaded:

  • Pacific Inn Pub – A little cayenne pepper, garlic, basil…and the manager couldn’t give away the rest of the recipe. But if you like a little kick to your fish (I think there’s some rosemary or thyme in there, too, but don’t quote me), this Fremont staple has been going strong for 23 years. What did that Godfather’s pizza guy used to say? Oh yeah…”Do it!”
  • Ray’s Café – Best deal? Get ‘em during Happy Hour (and check out their steamed clams and smoked salmon skewers, too).
  • The Barking Dog Alehouse – Fish sandwich or lunch/dinner entrée, you can’t go wrong at this hidden gem in Greenwood, which also offers a ton of great Belgian beers, both bottled and on tap.

Corn flour:

  • The 5 Spot - I know, right? But their cod has a nice, light, thin coating that doesn’t make you feel weighed down, and a nice entrée sized portion, too. Used to get them at the Coastal Kitchen, too, but that place is no longer owned by Chow Foods, so I reserve the right to keep that location off this list for now.
  • Ivar’s - Okay. I wouldn’t consider myself a true Seattleite if I left these guys off the list, but try the halibut first, then try the cod.

Bonus – Best Fried Oysters: 

  • the Walrus and the Carpenter – I just couldn’t end this article without mentioning this Ballard gem. Light, crunchy, corn meal/flour fried oysters. Chippy’s (see above) are quite good, too, although boast a different batter. But these babies, along with a great dipping sauce, are the bomb. Everything, including raw oysters, sardines, etc., is so fresh on their entire menu, no wonder people begin lining up at 4pm.

Ta-da! So there you have it. Remember, this list is for Seattle. I know there are other fine establishments in the Puget Sound area, but had to limit this article. And of course, I also recognize that some of you might likely have your own favorites, too. So assuming I’ve set this blog up correctly to leave comments, please don’t hesitate to do so. If something is broken, you can let me know that as well (or maybe you can’t).

Happy Fry-Day!

Editor’s note: Hey, Pike Street Fish Fry. You would have made my list if you didn’t serve such tiny portions of fish. I might as well have just ordered fries.

 

Got friends?

Miscellaneous

My friend, whom going forward I’ll simply refer to as Julius, also the person who initially helped me set up this blog space/website, says I need to start publishing or he won’t assist me with my future web operations needs. So here I go (BTW, Julius, typing/editing in WordPress on an iPad is a bee-otch)…Generic-Friends-Logo-730x328

I recently met another friend, whom I’ll refer to as Eddie, for Happy Hour one evening. Eddie and I used to live together and hang out in college, and he and his family now live near my family in the Ballard neighborhood of  Seattle, although we hadn’t previously seen one-another more than once since college. Soon after we arrived at one of our favorite local brew pubs, he asked me, “Who do you hang out with these days?”

I knew the question was coming (like in a job interview),  but the first words out of my mouth were something to the effect of “I don’t know.” I told him I’m lucky if I get together with a handful of my “best” friends, who currently reside in various parts of the country, more than once or twice a year. Guys nights out are becoming seemingly more infrequent, regardless of whether they occur with married or single friends. Even Julius recently moved away to California for business (and pleasure).

Eddie said he rarely sees anyone from his high school and our college days, and says he mostly hangs out with his family and neighbors on his block. I, too, hang out with a couple neighbors, but even that’s not more than monthly.  Who has time when family is commitment #1? Do I envy my single friends like Julius, Larry, and others? Sometimes I do, since they have more freedom, but probably not as much as I miss my youth. Don’t we all?

My thirtieth high school reunion (sigh) is coming up next month just down the road in Tacoma, and I’m certainly looking forward to catching up with at least a handful of people. Oh sure, some of them probably throw big bashes with lots of friends and neighbors, but even those probably aren’t more than a couple times per year. So now I’m reaching out to those whom I haven’t seen in some time and making more of a concerted effort to get together.

Bottom line?  We’re not getting any younger, and watching several senior citizens with their walkers on a daily basis makes me yearn for days gone by.  So Julius, I’m getting off my ass and writing. And who knows? Maybe I’ll even attempt some standup comedy again soon, too, although certainly nothing too funny about this post.

Next time, folks. Next time…and sooner than later.