Location:

147 Harbord Street, Toronto

Cost:

$8.99 for the Halibut ($11.99 at Chippy's)

As far as I'm concerned, you can't go wrong with eating a good meal of fish n' chips once in a while. And it's pretty hard to mess up deep fried fish and strips of potato. The real issue is how much you are paying for eating the deep fried goodness. At Chippy's you pay an arm and a leg and are lucky if you get to rest the other arm and leg on a stool inside the tiny compound (especially if it's raining outside!); it's also pretty hard to eat battered fish from a chinese take-out container.....okay, so I guess it's not that hard to mess up deep fried fish and fries, but don't get me wrong, I'll still eat at Chippy's if I'm ever craving some fish n'chips in the west-end. For the East-enders, the ultimate fish and chips place used to be mom n' pops' Woodgreen Fish n' Chips, which I believe has shut down (can anyone confirm this?). I'd love to try British Style Fish & Chips on Dundas/Coxwell which I've heard is superbly authentic.

However, around the Spadina/College area and at Harbord FnC, you can get deep fried goodness for less and a place to rest your whole being (on the picnic tables outside). The joint also feels very sea-shore-ish; with the mom n' pop serving you piping hot fish atop fresh fries (on paper), which you get to douse with vinegar and salt the way you please, but be cautioned, the tarter sauce comes in wee lil' packets.

The fish sits fresh and tender inside a wonderful deep golden interior of golden crust, whilst soft, yellow, starchy pods of potato poke out of the breaks in the crispy, skin-covered edges of the chips.

With the right amount of malt vinegar, salt, ketchup and tartar sauce (and a beer if you can manage to sneak it in as we did this time) you're all set for a trip to fish n' chip heaven.