Yesterday was a long day. I was practically passed out on the couch in front of the boob tube with nothing to watch... except Restaurant Makeover. They were renovating a fish and chips place in my 'hood: Reliable Fish & Chips on Queen St. East, between Logan and Carlaw. I've walked by it a dozen times but never wandered in. Something about it seemed old and not particularly exciting. So I perked right up and stayed glued to the show for the full (and seemingly endless) hour.
Chef Lynn Crawford helped Reliable's chef Martin add some pizzazz to his menu. She did not change a thing about the staple menu items, that is the fish and the chips; although she highly advocated seasoning the chips, a concept Martin found strange and disturbing. On second thought, that was probably just the editor adding 'drama'. Crawford added a lobster roll, which I am dying to taste. It's one of the ultimate sandwiches and I'm curious to see if it's really, really good, with huge, sweet hunks of lobster bursting out of a fresh top-loading bun (very important to get the bun right!) or whether it's just fast food. She also changed the coleslaw. What is so special about coleslaw anyway? Frankly, it's the most unimaginative salad ever: mayo and shredded cabbage and carrots. There is nothing redeeming about cabbage -- said by someone who has an Eastern European heritage. Maybe I'm just jaded from all the mayo-doused salads during recent travels to Eastern Europe, so we'll have to see about Crawford's version. Another new dish on the menu is a Manhattan Clam Chowder.
Tonight is the test. Apparently the Reluctant Chef and I shall have to starve ourselves all day because Crawford also raved about the batter, so it looks like we will have to order almost every item on the menu. Oh, it's a tough job, but I'm volunteering for it!
~~~
I'm back from Reliable and here's my verdict: it's going to be one of my reliable local joints from now on! Sadly, the lobster rolls and clam chowder are nowhere to be found. Owner George says they are too expensive to keep on the menu. But his fried fish more than make up for the absence of these dishes. The batter is unbelievably good. It's very light, like tempura, fried to a perfect golden crispness. They use only the very best ingredients; salmon is wild pacific salmon; shrimp is fresh, delicate and sweet. Also on offer are haddock, halibut, cod, clam strips and calamari. Fries are made from (usually) PEI potatoes -- pure home-made goodness -- and yes, we did have to season them ourselves! Coleslaw... well, what can I say about coleslaw? George's coleslaw was tangy but could have used more carrot and the cabbage was slightly bitter. I'm not sure if it's Crawford's recipe or George's, but it does not change my opinion of this side dish. I'd never come back for slaw anyway. But I'll be back for those sweet, tender shrimp gently fried in the best batter in the city.
Oh, and yes, the new décor is charming.
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