bish 'n' batter

ardmore tea room

2006-10-06T15:21:00.000-03:00

second to last halifax bish and batter! we're running out of places to go, and just in time too, as I need to head back west. today we had co-investigators smolyn, mandryk, kellar, mandryk, mack and reilly out. although investigators kellar and reilly had their own agenda for hotdog.blogspot.com and spaghetti.blogspot.com respectively. we don't talk to them any more.

fortunately the rest of us got the memo and had the fish and chips, since today is friday (fish and chips on special at the ardmore tea room on friday!). the tea room is a bit of a halifax institution, and the placemat will tell you all about it. I didn't read it, so I can't even paraphrase here, but I will say this: go there for breakfast, not fish and chips. oops, did that give away the rest of the review?

I'm getting a little tired of writing fish reviews: this is the seventh I've written today because I've been busy, and left them all to the last minute. there's only so many ways you can say generally the same thing: the fish was just ok, the fries were nasty, processed and frozen, and my coke came in a lovely plastic cup.

so there you have it. to sum up, go to the ardmore tea room for breakfast, and order the baked beans. that's their specialty, not the fish and chips. I can't decide if the flies take away or add to the atmosphere score. you'll have to judge that one on your own.

price: $6 + pop & hst
food: &&&/5
atmosphere: &&&/5
overall: &&&/5

ches's

2006-10-02T10:55:00.000-03:00

technically not a friday bish 'n' batter run, but I was in newfoundland again and had to stop at world (?) famous ches's, a nfld tradition. co-investigator g joined me to check out what all the fuss is about.

two words: disappointment. ches's is bland. the fish tasted slightly old, and was cooked dry. the fries were frozen and everything was greased up. I like the grease obviously, otherwise I wouldn't be doing this, but there can be too much of a good thing. or bad thing, depending on your perspective.

definitely not worth a trip to nfld just for ches's. instead, talk a local into making you cooked dinner on sunday afternoon. now _that's worth a trip. atmosphere gets an extra point because even though it was a regular diner-like restaurant, it was in nfld so everyone had awesome accents.

price: ~$8 + pineapple crush! & hst
food: &.5/5(fish & chips), &&&&&/5(pineapple crush)
atmosphere: &&&/5
overall: &&&/5

mic mac beverage room

2006-09-29T10:55:00.000-03:00

this week co-investigators smolyn and wallace joined me in the hunt for camille's fish and chips, the last dedicated fish and chips joint on our list of places to visit. alas when we reached the location, there was no camille's to be found. asking at a nearby library, they said it had been closed for years, and suggested the nearby mic mac beverage room. we booted over there to find a neighbourhood pub full of teachers, as it was a professional day.

things were a little slow to get going since the place was so busy, so we started with a plate of dry roasted riblets. tasty, but expensive for a dish that's mostly bone. the fish was exactly what one expects from a pub, generous, evenly covered in a substantial batter, and accompanied by a mountain of fries.

the mic mac beverage room has what margaret would call honest fish and chips. the blue-collar down home atmosphere worth a trip to dartmouth if you can coincide with a professional day, or really any busy friday. we were expecting a "sociable" to erupt at any moment.

price: ~$6 + riblets & hst
food: &&&.5/5
atmosphere: &&&&/5
overall: &&&.9/5

la hoyo

2006-09-22T10:54:00.000-03:00

la hoyo is an african restaurant that has taken on a broaster chicken franchise to try and boost sales (my assumption). their chicken is the best fried in the halifax region, and I was curious to see what their broaster technique would do for fish and chips. co-investigator smolyn joined me to check it out.

the fish here was slender, lightly coated in a very tasty peppery seasoned batter. I'm not sure if this is standard broaster chicken batter or their recipe, as it did have a hint of (what I assume to be) northern african spices. complementing the fish was a garlic tartar sauce that while not traditional, went extremely well. the fries are their standard broaster chicken breaded potato wedges. I couldn't go to la hoyo without getting a piece of chicken as well, which was also tasty.

la hoyo was a very pleasant suprise. for a non-traditional take on the fish and chip recipe, they deliver impressive flavour. I'm not a fan of potato wedges, but they're better than a frozen processed chip. cheap, tasty, downtown.

price: $5.50 + mango smoothie & broaster chicken breast & hst
food: &&&&/5
atmosphere: &&&/5
overall: &&&&/5

old triangle

2006-09-15T10:54:00.000-03:00

the old triangle is a downtown establishment noted for it's trifecta of food, drink, and song (I'm parroting the menu here). co-investigators smolyn and mack give a thumbs up on the second (guinness), we didn't experience the third, and the remainder of the review will focus on the first with a specific look at a sub-genre, the so-called fish and chips.

fish was wrapped in a thick batter, dripping with grease. the 'slaw was excellent, trading mayo for a light poppyseed vinaigrette and incorporating red onion and pepper. fries were greasy, and the tartar was far too rich.

this one was floated by the guinness.

(full disclosure: it's been almost a month since we visited the old triangle, and my memory is a little fuzzy)

price: ~$8 + pop & hst
food: &&/5
atmosphere: &&&/5
overall: &&.6/5

little fish

2006-09-08T10:56:00.000-03:00

little fish is the casual little brother to the five fishermen, the best seafood restaurant in halifax. regardless of whether they share a kitchen, expectations were high for the belgian beer battered haddock, fennel slaw, shoestring fries and red onion ketchup.

the fries were the best part of this meal: thinly cut and just the right amount of cooking. the fish didn't fare so well, with the belgian beer batter suffering from an excess of porosity resulting in the dreaded overcooked grease saturation. 'slaw gained from the addition of fennel, but red onion ketchup? that's going a little too far, ketchup's processed nature doesn't benefit from being fiddled with.

for a reasonable price it's nice to have close to real restaurant service, decent cutlery, and beverages in glass glasses. unfortunately little fish trades some hoity toit for actual fish and chip quality. fine for entertaining business guests, but not great for getting your bish 'n' batter on. I'm going to dock 1/2 an & for wasted potential.

(full disclosure: it's been almost a month since we visited little fish, and my memory is a little fuzzy)

price: $10 + pop & hst
food: &&.5/5
atmosphere: &&.5/5
overall: &&.5/5

willman's fried foods

2006-09-01T10:54:00.000-03:00

we'd had conflicting reports from locals as to the fitness of willman's fried foods. since it's our job to report on any and all comers regardless of prior assessment, co-investigators smolyn and david joined me to check it out today.

service was fast and friendly. the batter suffered from an uneven application, so the fish was slightly dry as a result. chips were a little under-cooked, and seemed more like chip bits than fries but that's a minor complaint.

willman's appeared to be under new management. between the food and the staff, the staff made a better impression, as they seemed genuinely interested in how we liked the food, and even going as far as to offer us extra fish on the house (sadly I was full). if they tweak their batter and fry the chips a little longer, willman's could be great.

(full disclosure: it's been over a month since we visited willman's, and my memory is a little fuzzy)

price: ~$7 + pop & hst
food: &&&/5
atmosphere: &&&/5
overall: &&&/5

wharf wraps [final revisit]

2006-09-01T10:06:00.002-03:00

this week taryn's sister laurel was visiting from the west coast so we thought a trip to fisherman's cove might be a nice idea. this obviously means wharf wraps, and it was an opportunity for co-investigator mandryk to check it out as she had missed the previous two trips.

service was terrible on this visit. the server kept telling us how busy she was with the customers inside. I'm sorry, but that's not our fault. are they paying more in there for better service? I didn't think so. the fish was overcooked and unevenly battered, definitely the lowest quality fish we've had there so far.

sorry wharf wraps, but you're losing the title of best fish and chips in the hrm. I don't think we'll be back again.

captains' catch [revisit]

2006-09-01T10:06:00.001-03:00

last day in the edgelab for co-investigator cressman! to celebrate, we had a lovely lunch down on the waterfront. it was busy as heck due to the busker's festival, but we managed to fight through the crowds and take care of some fishy business.

the food portion of this review is much the same as the previous visit with the following changes: chips were cooked to perfection, there was malt vinegar available, and the fish was a little more variable in the batter coverage, resulting in a few pieces that were over-cooked. as such, the ampersand rating doesn't change. a solid choice for fish in halifax.

deer lake irving big stop

2006-09-01T10:06:00.000-03:00

this bish'n'batter review found me waiting in deer lake, newfoundland for 5 hours for a bus. the bus stop was at an irving gas station, and fortunately this one had a big stop restaurant attached. I wasn't really feeling the fish and chips, but since it was friday and they were available, grease was consumed.

things looked good on arrival, with big chunks of smoothly battered fish, and a generous portion of truck stop fries. sadly it was an illusion; the fried items were saturated in grease, and thin strips of fish were well protected by a thick layer of batter. too bad the batter didn't cook all the way through. there was also a lemon wedge for good measure.

if you're waiting on a 5hr bus ride, you could do a fair sight better than big stop fish and chips beforehand. had the fish filled out a more substantive portion of the fish/batter combo it may have been a decent meal, but $9.99 for two tiny pieces of fish is inexcusable.

price: $9.99 & hst
food: &/5
atmosphere: &&&/5
overall: &&/5

murphy's fish & chips

2006-09-01T10:02:00.000-03:00

we've been meaning to hit murphy's since we learned of their lofty claim of the best fish and chips in canada. we would have been hastier with our review had the superlatives not been tempered by several other joints around here variously offering the best in nova scotia and the best in north america. however, we were given a chance to stop in on a recent trip to newfoundland so we took the hit.

things started off rough with my fountain root beer containing only colouring and no flavour (read: sugar). the sprite replacement wasn't much better in terms of syrup content. the fish was well coated in a very light batter, and cooked in fresh oil. the batter itself was rather bland (perhaps this is where the "english style" comes in?) and just tasted like oil. fries were of the terrible breaded frozen variety, taryns mashed potatoes were very obviously from powder/flakes and were extremely bland and had no place being served in a restaurant.

murphy's gets the big thumbs down on this visit. I'm unclear as to whether the people offering testimonials on the website (chatelaine magazine, don cherry and jay leno, globe and mail) have ever bothered to eat fish and chips anywhere else.

price: $5.55 + pop & hst
food: &/5
atmosphere: &&/5
overall: &&/5

murphy's website

fries and co. [revisit]

2006-07-28T14:47:00.000-03:00

looking for a quick place to grab some grease, co-investigators smolyn, mandryk, and g joined me for a return to fries and co., as regan hadn't been there yet. conveniently our visit coincided with the release of the local entertainment rag's "best of food" edition, which declares fries and co. to have the best fish and chips. do they continue to live up to the hype?

the place was rammed today, so we hit the patio at the edge of the parking lot to find seating. service was a bit slower, but not suprising given the amount of traffic they were seeing. fries and co. offers the standard 1, 2, and 3pc plus family pack options, but they are simply equivalence sizings; quite frequently their fish is a little smaller so you generally get more of them than expected. this can have an adverse effect on the bish:batter ratio however, and is often not a welcome change.

today's visit was marred by soggy chips, possibly caused by the unusually high customer throughput. regardless of the reason, this slip in quality is unacceptable and puts our title of "best on the peninsula" for fries and co. in jeopardy. on the up-side, they have remodelled their bathrooms since our last visit, and they are now a pleasant place to wash off excess grease. overall we have to kick fries and co. down a notch, and contender captains' catch closes the gap towards the "best on the peninsula" designation.

price: $8 + pop & hst
food: &&&/5
atmosphere: &&&&/5
overall: &&&/5

fries & co.
2603 connolly street
halifax, ns b3l 3m4, canada
(902) 455-5250

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mckelvie's

2006-07-28T14:36:00.000-03:00

mckelvie's is a mid-to-upscale downtown seafood restaurant that offers the unfortunately named "tall ships fish'n'chips", complete with a propeller beer batter and shoestring fries. co-investigators smolyn, regan, kevin, and muffin joined me in the exciting world of halifax power lunches to see if the food lives up to the hoity toity name. note to self: next time wear a suit.

the restaurant itself is quite pleasant, bright and open, with a clean modern feel that's unusual in the faxxy. the meal was preceded by a selection of different breads which were quite good. as we waited for the meal we could hear the low hum of the city's elite doing dirty deals under the table.

the fish was generous and cooked well, but the batter was thin and somewhat insignificant: more of a light shell than the substance that should share centre stage with the bish. the shoestring fries were crisp and hot. there was a hint of fennel or anise in the 'slaw, which was also dotted with pepper for a bit of extra kick. a pleasant suprise arrived in the form of a squeeze bottle of tartar sauce, unexpected in a restaurant of this style.

for sit-down restaurant service in the downtown area, mckelvie's is the one to beat. co-investigators regan and muffin were disappointed that the server ignored their hints for beverage refills after pushing one on greg. the food is decent and the price is quite reasonable considering the upscale atmosphere. a good place to take business partners, but for the full experience a slightly saltier establishment is required.

price: $9.95 + pop & hst
food: &&&.%/5
atmosphere: &&&/5
overall: &&&/5

mckelvie's
1680 lower water
halifax, ns b3j 1t1
(902) 421-6161

murphy's on the water

2006-07-28T14:06:00.000-03:00

murphy's is our last stop on the touristy halifax waterfront bish 'n' batter run. we do this for you, dear readers, to save you from the pain we subject ourselves in our mission to find good fish and chips. murphy's is not good fish and chips. I'm not even going to dignify their sub-par product with a picture. the restaurant has a nice patio sticking out into the harbour, but that's the only redeeming quality. the 2pc fish and chips is the most expensive we're reviewed so far at $12.99, and was mostly greasy batter with a thin sliver of fish inside. the fires were the frozen breaded variety. worst of all, the product was served on fake newsprint food paper. either do it right and use newspaper, or don't fake it.

avoid this and hit the captains' catch instead.

price: $12.99 + pop & hst
food: .#/5
atmosphere: &&/5
overall: .%/5

murphy's on the water
cable wharf, halifax, ns b3j 3e4
(902) 420-1015

harbour fish n' fries

2006-06-30T12:00:00.000-03:00

as a fledgling bish 'n' batter reviewer, kirstie inspired me with stories of her mother who worked in a fish & chip shack as a teen and who now has the age and experience to review with great authority. since then it has been a goal of mine to do a review with margaret as a co-investigator. I had decided that harbour fish n' fries in musquodoboit would be the place to check out as it was one of margaret's favorite shops until an incident a few years ago when they switched to cheaper frozen fries. today we loaded co-investigators kirstie, jim and jeff in one car, while regan and I took margaret and her husband bev. we'd hoped that without kirstie present margaret might take the opportunity to divulge juicy blackmail material about kirstie's youth but alas, the conversation focussed on travel, and of course the all-important fried fish.

we arrived shortly after kirstie's carload, who had prepped the dining room by shuffling a large table together. the last time I'd been to harbour fish n' fries they had already added the space, but it was new to margaret and bev. orders for 9x 2pc plus various coke and pepsi products was put in. while we waited for our food, margaret and bev explained how the previous space had only fit one or two tables, plus the picnic area outside. the weather was on-and-off foul, so the expanded inside seating was welcome. the chairs were an interesting faux wrought iron with plastic wicker design, and seemed a little out of place. overall the room was quite clean uncluttered, and what one should expect from a fish and chip shop.

the fish at harbour fish n' fries was fresh, battered evenly, and cooked well. the batter was not doughy or oily and did its job, although it didn't have a lot of character and could use more sparkle to set it apart. fries were notably frozen, and rather low quality even amongst those with that shortcoming. a bottle of lemon substituted for a wedge, and unremarkable coleslaw and tartar sauce further disappointed.

reviewing fish and chips in halifax has caused my standards to be raised and expectations to be lowered. I know there are shops out there that are capable of greatness, but for the most part mediocrity prevails. margaret and bev have reminded me to review against standards and not expectations, therefore while harbour fish n' fries was better than most of the fare we've had lately, it is still not great. if you're in the area and you're hungry it's worth stopping in for a snack, but it's certainly not rewarding enough to justify a 1hr drive from halifax for the express purpose of eating there. if you're going with a group of friends for an afternoon of fishy adventure, then that's another story altogether.

price: $7 + pop & hst
food: &&&.&/5
atmosphere: &&&&/5
overall: &&&.&/5

harbour fish n' fries
7886 highway 7
musquodoboit harbour, ns b0j 2l0, canada
(902) 889-3366
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captain john's fish company

2006-06-23T12:00:00.000-03:00

running in stealth-mode, co-investigators kirstie and jim joined me for a high-speed bish 'n' batter lunch, once again down the waterfront. this time our target was deep in the heart of touristville: captain john's fish company in the harbourside market at historic properties. I think I may adopt a new policy whereby rating length is proportional to bish 'n' batter goodness. this is going to be a short one.

things got off to a bad start with a 2pc costing $9.14 before pop and tax. while we waited for our food, I noticed a substantial number of $3 bags of dulse, or dried seaweed, in a glass display case and asked the server if I could try some. after spending 5 minutes asking every other employee in the shop if that was possible, she finally located the sampler bag and gave me a small piece with the warning that the bag had been open for a couple of weeks and thus it probably wouldn't taste very good. note to budding retailers: this is _not the way to sell your wares. for $3, you can afford to open a new bag and let people sample fresh product. while all of this was going on, we also had ample opportunity to view the racks upon racks of pre-cooked fish sitting in the back.

the food looked ok, but the fish was substantially over-battered, resulting in the dreaded uncookedbits. this was to make up for the fact that the fish itself was tiny, and hiding in the middle. the fries were of the ok-if-very-hot-but-soon-after-not-so-good frozen variety. the malt vinegar and lemon wedge did not make up for the offbrand ketchup and tartar sauce, the latter of which was far too sweet.

captain john's fish company is the tourist gack we managed to dodge with captains' catch. a pretentious name, overpriced product, unhelpful staff, and just generally a letdown. avoid.

price: $9.14 + pop & hst
food: &/5
atmosphere: &&&/5
overall: &/5

captain john's fish company
historic properties
halifax, ns b3j 3m8, canada
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captains' catch

2006-06-16T12:00:00.000-03:00

this week we were in the mood to take advantage of the good weather, and check out one of the little shops down on the waterfront. these can be hit or miss: it's so hard to tell when a place will be too touristy and have poor quality food for far too much money. co-investigators smolyn, kirstie, david, and I started towards the south end and headed north until we found captains' catch. I don't know if it was supposed to be captain's catch, but the former is what's on the sign out front so that's what I'm going with.

even though captains' catch is just a small takeout shop, I was impressed by bags of potatoes visible towards the back of the kitchen. it's always comforting to know that the fries are cut fresh and in-house, instead of being frozen pressed-starch products. we ordered a round of 2pc and pepsi-branded beverages, and received our food in 3-4 minutes. in my opinion, this is the ideal waiting time for fish and chips - just long enough that they had to prepare it for you, not too long that you wonder what the heck they might be doing while you're waiting.

after jockeying for position at one of the few coveted picnic tables in the area, we managed to get seated and hit the grease. aside from a problematic uneven batter application on some pieces, the fish was quite well received. it was paired with the standard kraft tartar sauce which, much like mcdonalds, is not very good but can be comforting in its reliable ubiquity and resistance to deviation from the standard recipe. the homecut fries are a nice change, and while not crispy, were preferred to the frozen competition. no coleslaw or malt vinegar were to be had.

captains' catch could have very easily taken advantage of their neverending supply of fresh tourists to turn out a shoddy product at huge markup, but they go the extra mile to make decent food for a reasonable price. they certainly beat my expectations for the location, and I would recommend them to anyone looking for an enjoyable summer lunch on the boardwalk. kirstie was a little saddened by the rough looking baby starlings in the area, and especially the one that got its head nipped by a seagull in it's quest to nab a chip. this might be a good time to tell the kids in the audience: never feed the wildlife, as it hurts them more than it hurts you. or something.

price: $7 + pop & hst
food: &&&&.%/5
atmosphere: &&&&/5
overall: &&&&.#/5

captains' catch
halifax waterfront, canada
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phil's seafood

2006-06-09T12:00:00.000-03:00

phil's seafood is the first fish & chip place I checked out 'way back in the fall of '04 when I first moved here. I remember it being just ok but it certainly wasn't the phenomenal introduction to east coast fish I'd hoped for. that was back in the day before food review blogs had hit it big though, so I didn't write it up. for proper bish 'n' batter coverage, I knew I had to go back. and so with co-investigators smolyn, kirstie, and jim, I did. for science.

phil's seafood only offers breaded, and also features tartar sauce in squeeze tubes on the table. astute readers will recognize the eerie similarities to phil's fish & chips out on purcells cove road, but will then remind themselves that correlation is not causation and everything will be alright. we ordered a 9pc family pack with a side of onion rings and came out ahead of four separate 2pcs. note that the waitress might complain that the family pack is only for takeout, but in both times I've been there, they've been able to serve it at the table.

even though the place was jammed, once we were seated the service was quick. the fish is good! against all odds phil nails it - the fish is moist and cooked just right even with the thinner breaded coating. it's still not my favorite, but of all the breaded we've tried this is the winner. the highlight of the meal had to be the onion rings, though. for $2.50 we were expecting a small side plate with 8-10 rings on it, but were presented with a sizeable platter. the fries were ok, but the rings were superior and I would even consider substituting on future visits. lemon wedges and plenty of coleslaw filled out the plate.

the quinpool region is home to the best fish & chips on the peninsula thus far: fries & co. for battered, and phil's seafood for breaded. the onion rings were so plentiful and good at phil's that I'd be tempted to just stop for those if I was in the area and in the need of a greasy snack. however with battered available just up the street at fries & co., it's a hard sell to go to phils.

price: $24/4 + pop & onion rings & hst
food: &&&.%/5
atmosphere: &&&/5
overall: &&&.%/5

phil's seafood
6285 quinpool road
halifax, ns b3l 1a4, canada
(902) 431-3474
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nail & kneecap pub style restaurant

2006-06-02T12:00:00.000-03:00

I'd heard from a friend that the fish & chips at the nail & kneecap pub style restaurant looked good, and even came in two flavours: local favorite (battered) and english style (breaded). given this exciting choice and the convenient location on a drizzly friday afternoon, co-investigators smolyn, taryn, david and I checked it out. even the dauntingly wordy restaurant name didn't ring the necessary alarm bells it should have.

none of us were daring enough to get a full order of the breaded, and our requests for a single piece of breaded were shot down. strike one for an uncooperative kitchen. there was no choice for number of fish, nor were coca cola branded products available. those who could partake in the pub style beverages did so with great relish.

the food looked promising on arrival, coming with little paper dishes of both malt vinegar and tartar sauce, a lemon wedge, and tasty looking coleslaw. the fish was plentiful, but the batter was seriously undercooked. the fries were soggy and dark brown - the sign of too much time in a cold dirty fryer. the tartar sauce ended up being more like mayo and less like tartar, although it served it's purpose. full disclosure: I'm writing this review three weeks after visiting, and I don't remember what the coleslaw was like. it looks tasty in the picture.

kirstie couldn't join us on this one due to a time constraint, and had asked for takeaway to evaluate. I couldn't in good conscience bring her back a bag of this stuff, especially since at $12 it is the most expensive place we've hit so far. sorry nail and kneecap pub style restaurant, you might be skirting the liquor laws and filling the appropriate spot for a pub on quinpool, but you're not a restaurant that's worthy of serving fish & chips.

price: $11.95 & hst
food: &&/5
atmosphere: &&&/5
overall: &&

nail & kneecap pub style restaurant
6196 quinpool road
halifax, ns b3l 1a3, canada
(902) 404-3377
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john's lunch

2006-05-26T12:00:00.000-03:00

john's lunch is a dartmouth establishment that several locals had recommended to us. we decided to check out the pleasant street franchise, and found it rammed to the rafters when we arrived at noon. after a brief wait spent eyeing the ample frying equipment, we were seated in a booth next to about 400 litres of bottled pepsi.

the service was extremely quick due to the assembly-line style lunch creation. john's lunch seems to always have fish on the go rather than making each order when it comes in. it's quite a spectacle to see a tray with 30pc of fish sitting on it, but at the same time this means there could be some time between when the fish came out of the fryer and when it hits your plate, even though the time from order to food is quick. as a result we found the fish to be just average - some of the fish was well cooked, but many pieces were dry. the fries were fries, nothing special. the coleslaw came as a side and was a little watery and bland.

according to another review I read, john's is the place to go for clams and chips. perhaps clams are made to order, rather than being cached. I'm not sure I can be bothered to go back to find out, though. if you happen to take the wrong ferry one day and find yourself at woodside instead of alderney landing then by all means stop at john's (and moirs, though we still haven't made it there yet) before you head back, but don't make a special trip.

price: $6.50 + pop & coleslaw & hst
food: &&&/5
atmosphere: &&&/5
overall: &&&

john's lunch
352 pleasant street
dartmouth, ns b2y 3s5, canada
(902) 469-3074
johnslunch.com

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westcliff restaurant & convenience

2006-05-19T15:44:00.000-03:00

this week we had independent suggestions by co-investigators smolyn and mandryk to visit a restaurant on oxford street. the westcliff shares a building with a hair styling joint and a karate shop, and prominently displays "fish and chips" on a large sign out front, which is how we discovered it.

the interior of the westcliff looks like a working-class diner shoehorned into an ex convenience store. a row of booths and tables down one wall face a long counter and the kitchen on the opposite side. there were less police (i.e. none) in the place than I expected, given that it's across the street from the rcmp shop. we order the usual 2pc and three of us go for milkshakes after seeing the cook loading icecream into metal cups on our arrival.

our food arrived one plate at a time which seemed odd, since I would think that they'd just put 8 pieces of fish in the fryer and do them all in one go. the fish was cooked well, and were small but about what I would expect for <$5.00. we certainly got our money's worth in grease, as the batter and fries were dripping in it. the milkshake was barely thicker than milk, and didn't much taste like chocolate.

westcliff is cheap. somehow the meal & shake worked out to $5.35 before tax, which seems ridiculous but puts it way ahead of anything else in the price department. you get more than you pay for, though I think next time I'd skip the shake and just get a pop. if you like smaller portions and don't mind a little extra grease, westcliff is your spot.

price: $5.35 & hst
food: &&.&/5
atmosphere: &&&&/5
overall: &&&/5

westcliff restaurant & convenience
corner of bayers & oxford
halifax, ns, canada

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paul's homemade fish & chips

2006-05-12T12:00:00.000-03:00

co-investigator smolyn and I were on a supply run out in burnside earlier in the week, and we spotted paul's while trying to figure out how to get back to the 'fax. the place looked perfect: a trailer with a dusty picnic table in the middle of an industrial park. no phone, no address, and no listing on google. this is what the bish and batter is all about. we thought we'd best come back to review fairly soon, as there's no telling how long a wheeled establishment is going to stay in one spot.

upon arriving we were greeted by a substantial lineup of tradespeople and their attendant pickup trucks. given the stiff breeze pulling the 15 degree temperature down to about -5 with windchill, most had opted to eat in their cars, leaving the picnic table available for us. score! the ~8 people ahead of us in line were handled quickly and our food was ready in about 5 minutes.

I think I can safely speak for all in attendance today when I say that the malt vinegar sprayer is the best fish & chip invention since the deep fryer. no more soggy chips with this bad boy, you get nice even malt vinegar flavour and wide coverage to hold down as much salt as possible. the fish was moist and tender, although the batter was uncooked where it was thickest. the fries had skins intact and were hand cut, though they were also a little undercooked. both the fish and fries had a light colour to them, indicating clean fryer oil.

paul's is the first of hopefully many hidden gems that will need to be discovered the hard way. the chip wagon atmosphere is what I've been looking for, even though it was chilly and annoyingly breezy out. the only thing missing at paul's is a newspaper wrapping, and perhaps spitting distance of the ocean. I recommend beating or trailing the lunch rush, so your food has a chance to stay in the fryer for an extra minute or two.

price: $6.50 + pop & NO HST!
food: &&&&.@/5
atmosphere: &&&&.%/5
overall: &&&&.#/5

pauls's homemade fish & chips
corner of wright ave & burley ct
dartmouth, ns, canada

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wharf wraps [revisit]

2006-05-05T12:00:00.000-03:00

note: as this is a repeat review, most of the important details can be found in the original entry and only differences will be reported here.

after two rather disappointing fish & chips in a row, we decided to revisit wharf wraps. the official reason was for a spot check to ensure that our rating is still accurate, but truthfully we just wanted to go somewhere we could count on for a tasty lunch. as regan is now back in town semi-permanently we'd hoped she could experience the best we'd had so far, to get her up to speed on our exacting standards. unfortunately she had an important meeting to attend instead, but now knows not to schedule anything conflicting with friday lunch. to make up for this last-minute loss, we recruited jeff, the new summer lab lackey and professional bish 'n' batter eater. rounding out the team this week was purple puke jim and david from bedford (or apple, depending on your preferred point of view).

this time around, we sat in a newly added extension to the restaurant, and the atmosphere was sweetened by a country music soundtrack. a delightfully atlantic 'mom' served us, rather than buddy with the dislike for malt vinegar. service was friendly and efficient, and I appreciated the timely water and generous tartar sauce refills. the fish was a little drier than last time, indicating that there indeed may be variability in a particular establishment from visit to visit, thus validating our new requirement of repeat verification.

after stuffing ourself silly on the b & b, we had to stop at a neighbouring fudge shop. greg had heard tell of apple pie flavoured fudge which seemed worthy of further investigation. unfortunately the lady hadn't made any apple pie this early in the season, but we did manage to stock up on a couple pounds of chocolate explosion. note to self: fudge is an excellent way to repay your superiors for taking long friday lunches.

overall we're going to have to pull a couple points in the food category, as it just wasn't as succulent and moist as the previous visit. the fish was still excellent, but pales in comparison to what we know they are capable of. the country music was a nice touch, but the new dining area addition was just _too new, and didn't have that beat up chip shack feel to it. I have a feeling at least one more visit will be required, if only to check out their patio.

price: $10/1pc + pop & hst
food: &&&&.$/5
atmosphere: &&&&/5
overall: &&&&.$/5

cousin's restaurant

2006-04-28T12:00:00.000-03:00

we decided to go back to cousin's this week, where I'd been for lunch last month while co-investigator smolyn was on a mission in the homeland. we were joined by david, the famous apple.hfx employee who is their sole developer in this neck of the woods. as you can well imagine, discussion topics were a bit on the nerdy side.

while greg and I were waiting for david, we decided to check out a little chocolate shop across the street. the 'watch your step' sign on the door isn't kidding. I had the strangest 'truffle' for an appetizer, at the bargain price of $2 (the proprietor forgot to charge me the $.30 tax). for $2/ea I was expecting something amazing, more like thomas haas's magical creations. alas no, I got something that was more dartmouth local pot of gold creme filling stylee. the red chocolate lobster on a stick was cute, but not really my bag.

we seated ourselves at the same table as last time, and soaked up the awesome diningroom-for-old-folk atmosphere. service was snappy this time as we beat the lunch rush, which is highly recommended. there was some confusion over the menu, as cousin's offers a 2pc for $7, or a deluxe 3pc + coleslaw for $8. we thought we'd be clever and order the 2pc and a side of 'slaw. I skipped the usual cola this time as the chocolate was supplying all the caffeine I needed.

there's not a whole lot of good to say about the food this time. greg has speculated that all this reviewing has raised the bar for us, but even if this was the first fish & chips I'd ever eaten, I think I'd still be disappointed. the fish was undersized and overbattered, which resulted in uncooked batter near the core. chips must have been average, as I can't remember them at all. at least not compared to the memory of a rather large dish of coleslaw which was a little bitter and just tasted off.

I'm disappointed in the poor showing this round. the last lunch I had at cousin's was the grilled haddock dinner, which is a pretty good yardstick for the abilities of an east coast kitchen. the fish & chips just don't measure up. on top of everything, the side of 'slaw cost $1.50, which is more than getting the 3pc deluxe would've worked out to. I have to say skip it if it's the bish 'n' batter you're after.

price: $8.50 + pop & hst
food: &.#/5
atmosphere: &&&&/5
overall: &&/5

cousin's restaurant
5931 lady hammond road
halifax, ns b3k 2r4, canada
(902) 455-8931

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classic fish & chips

2006-04-21T12:00:00.000-03:00

for this week's adventure we decided to stick closer to home, I like to think in part because of the $100 tank of gas I could've bought the day before (on sale no less). unca dubya, I think it's time for another war. anyway we decided to head east into the depths of the darkness to check out classic fish & chips. things were not looking good when we spotted a review by the coast's own liz "I like bland" feltham pasted to the door, but we were there and fish needed eating. inside we were greeted by a diner style restaurant complete with what appeared to be a squirrel caught in a fishing net.

the fries with the works (hamburger meat, gravy, onions, and peas) was tempting, but we had a mission to do. as per usual, 2pc + pop. as per not usual, taryn ordered the 1/2 clams & fries, and greg asked for his fries with home made bread dressing, which is sorta like stuffing covered in gravy. classic also boasts home made coleslaw and tartar sauce, which we were looking forward to. the service was brisk and cheerful.

as the pic indicates, the fish is fair glistening with grease. I'd say they could also do with a fryer oil change and a temperature adjustment, as the fish was slightly overcooked near the tips where it's thin, while towards the middle the batter wasn't fully cooked all the way through. the chips appeared to be hand cut, and were quite tasty. greg's bread dressing was disproportionate: correctly done, there is just enough gravy to keep the dressing from being too dry. the classic interpretation is a pool of gravy with the chips and bread (and most unfortunately, fish) were swimming in it. grainy rather than sliced style cabbage was used in the 'slaw, and was a bit hefty on the mayo. the tartar sauce had a well defined dill taste, but was served in two little disposable cups rather than a more useful larger one. taryn's clams were the high point of the meal.

for a place with the words "classic fish & chips" in the name, the food was a letdown. it was so greasy that all I could do for the rest of the afternoon was leak oil into a little puddle under my desk, which I'm sure is against fire regulations. for $7+, I expect better than that. on the upside it's across the street from an awesome church of latter day saints, which has a gold statue of a dude playing a horn on top.

price: $7.25 + pop & hst
food: &&/5
atmosphere: &&&/5
overall: &&.$/5

classic fish & chips ltd
5 cumberland drive
dartmouth, ns, b2v 2t6 canada
(902) 462-2836

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island view restaurant

2006-04-17T16:15:00.000-03:00

for this episode we consulted (in a roundabout way) with a professional fish 'n' chip connoiseur for directions. kirstie's mom spent her teens working in a fish and chip shop, and now has the age and motherly authority necessary to tell shop owners when it's time to change their fryer oil or upgrade their frozen chips. I can only aspire to such greatness. according to margaret the best place in the hrm used to be in dartmouth, but has closed due to the retirement of the proprietor. the next best is the island view restaurant, down the south shore near gold river. we packed the car with co-investigators greg, kirstie, and jim, and headed out for a good friday fish eating adventure.

the coast was socked in on the way down, and the only directions we had to go on are that the restaurant is a green building on the left hand side of the road just past gold river (the name of the restaurant wasn't known to us when we left, and it was difficult even finding gold river on a map). we _still don't know the address of the place, so if you want to go you'll just have to follow those directions. things look good when we pull up to a busy parking lot, and discover a diner style restaurant with a giant milk dispensing machine behind the counter and a dessert list as long as my arm. the menu is a study in deep fry, and the choice of either breaded or battered fish is previously unheard of in our adventures. a round of 2pc battered were ordered.

the fish looks excellent, and indeed is the best traditionally battered we've had so far. the glass fish plates and cork stopper'd vinegar bottle are a nice touch, adding to the presentation. tartar sauce is supplied in a prepack by "olde style" which is a pleasant departure from the kraft that we see all too often. the fries are cooked to perfection, but are the cheap frozen kind, and leave something to be desired. coleslaw is noticeably absent for the second time in a row. I was personally a little dismayed to discover a lack of coca cola, as it's my preferred bish 'n' batter grease cutter. apparently pepsi is the market leader in much of eastern canada, though nova scotia may still consume more coke. kirstie was impressed by the availability of cheap tea.

the island view restaurant has much going for it. although it was pea-soup foggy for our trip, the island in question in the restaurant's name is oak island, the site of strange holes in the ground and buried pirates treasure. it's a fascinating story, and I hope that the government buys the island and turns it into a provincial park. I found the food to be slightly above average overall - the fish was excellent, but the chip and coleslaw departments were lacking. $8.something is a bit steep for such an offering, though I have a feeling that due to the location island view offers tourist-style pricing. a return trip may be in order to compare/contrast their breaded and battered fish.

price: $8.something + pop & hst
food: &&&&/5
atmosphere: &&&&.%/5
overall: &&&&/5

island view restaurant
hwy 3
western shore, ns, canada
(902) 627-2513

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fries & co.

2006-04-10T14:19:00.000-03:00

this week's episode started off a little rough. greg's friend calvin was in visiting from vancouver, so we figured they should do the south shore thing and I'd meet them down there for lunch. we hit the google maps to find a suitable joint and came up with family fries, which according to the map is right in the middle of mahone bay. greg found two other places as backup, but I don't know where they came from or where they are, we didn't end up going there either. anyway family fries turns out to be up eastern shore way, which is precisely the opposite direction from mahone bay. I had a car load of test subjects (jim, kirstie and tara) in addition to greg and calvin, and we're in mahone bay looking for the appropriate level of grease. no dice. we end up at a seafood diner that has everything _but fish 'n' chips, though the pan-fried haddock dinners were mighty tasty.

once again we're a day late on the bish 'n' batter. greg, taryn, calvin, and I hit a maple camp pancake breakfast on saturday morning and get so sugared up we have to skip lunch. the obvious next best thing is fish and chips for dinner somewhere in halifax proper, so we opt for fries & co up on chebucto. some of us had been there before and know it's a decent greasefest so there'd be no second screwing up of calvin's initiation into the east-coast bish 'n' batter experience. we ordered a family pack to stay as calvin admired the cute counter staff.

the family pack is supposed to be 8pc fish & large fries, but since the fish was on the smaller side they gave us 10pc. that was one seriously large large fries. the fish was good, though due to the small size the fish:batter ratio was a little low. tartar sauce had to be asked for and came in the little kraft packlets, and coleslaw was nowhere to be found, though I don't think we thought to ask.

fries & co. lose some points in the food department for the lack of coleslaw and the small fish, but pull through on atmosphere with staff that calvin would consider moving to halifax for (I agree, and greg wasn't allowed to). I think he should - fries & co. are hiring. the best place so far on the peninsula.

price: $21.55/10pc + pop & hst
food: &&&.*/5
atmosphere: &&&&/5
overall: &&&.(/5

fries & co.
2603 connolly street
halifax, ns b3l 3m4, canada
(902) 455-5250

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mary's place cafe

2006-04-04T14:44:00.000-03:00

co-investigator smolyn was out of town this past friday, so I skipped the bish 'n' batter for lunch and went diner-style to cousin's restaurant up on lady hammond with some friends from school. I managed to resist the lure of the grease and opted instead for my east-coast restaurant tester, the ubiquitous grilled haddock dinner. the fish'n'chips there looked pretty good though, so a return visit may be in order. plus they've got the best diningroom atmosphere in halifax and include dessert with the meal. anyway sometime on saturday I realized that you can't just skip a weekly bish 'n' batter, co-investigator or not. so when g. and I find ourselves at mary's place for lunch, I figure I better get some.

service was a little slow and forgetful, but cheerful enough. when the order came I had to ask for tartar sauce (at least it came in a paper cup and not a prepack), and I didn't even bother trying for malt vinegar. I'm still not sure what I was supposed to put the butter on. perhaps it's the greasy equivalent of a green leafy garnish, which would be rather out of place on a plate of fish 'n' chips. as the pic shows, there's approximately two potatoes worth of hand-cut fries there, buried under two small pieces of fish.

the fish was good, though the batter was simultaneously undercooked and greasy, possibly because it was way too thick. I really didn't need that many fries, especially given their limpness. thankfully the coleslaw had a good ratio of veggie to dressing, and a can of coke is a can of coke (except when it's a bottle of blãk).

mary's place seems like it might be a decent place to get a vegan breakfast, but on the bish 'n' batter front it leaves a lot to be desired. if I'm back in the area I think I'd be more inclined to try cousin's, or one of the other north-end diners.

price: $6 + pop & hst
food: &&/5
atmosphere: &&&/5
overall: &&.@/5

mary's place cafe
2752 robie street
halifax, ns b3j 4p2, canada
(902) 454-2558

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phil's fish & chips [update!]

2006-04-03T11:12:00.000-03:00

regan comes through with the bathroom review: The loo was quite cozy with one toilet and a freestanding sink (no vanity). Due to this cozy nature, the toilet was positioned right next to one wall, yielding a fairly cramped sitting experience. Another downside of the size of the room was that the paper towel dispenser was located above the toilet, causing wet hands to drip on the seat while dispensing the paper towel. The décor was rather Victorian, with the lower portion of the wall covered in floral wallpaper and coordinating paint above a chair rail. The mirror above the sink was framed in gold. Unfortunately, this effort was tempered by the fact that the extra paper rolls and an air freshener were placed on the floor by the sink plumbing (due to a lack of other surfaces), creating a gas station feel to the place.

wharf wraps

2006-03-24T19:25:00.000-04:00

greg and taryn were doing some recon out in eastern passage last weekend, and spotted wharf wraps in fisherman's cove. they have a sign out front claiming that they have the best fish & chips in atlantic canada. how can we let that sort of hyperbole go unverified? obviously this was a priority.

we made the trek through the darkness this morning, passing the oil refinery and moirs chocolate plant (1lb glosette raisins for $2.50!) on the way to fishermen's cove, a sorta granville island sans paving. quaint like all other costal villages around here, though this one has a slightly more commercial sheen to it as it's obviously home to a gazillion tourists in the summer.

our cheerful waiter affixed esses to almost everything, betraying his local (cape breton by my guess) upbringing. awesome. greg had heard that most everyone orders a onepiece and that two would be too much food - this is a bit of a conundrum as it breaks from the standard routine. and indeed we find that at $10 for one and $14 for two, one is the way to go, if only for financial considerations. we order the ones + prerequisite pop.

as you can tell from the picture, the fish is large. it's also got a very wispy batter, not unlike tempura. inside, the fish is cooked to perfection. it's moist and succulent and delicious. the batter is a bit on the greasy side due to its permeability, but damn tasty and just the right crispyness. the fries had what appeared to be parsley shaken over them, and tasted a little 'processed' to me, though I couldn't exactly place the flavour. they were also cooked to perfection which was a nice change. the included slaw was tasty and had a sufficiently high veggie:sauce ratio to assuage any guilt felt over the massive amounts of grease ingested via it's plate-sharing brethren.

since regan's not here this week, I will do the bathroom review myself. there are two vanities in the room, one quite epic in size and fitting fanciness but unplumbed, the other rather modest but with the bonus feature of running water. the entire room is wallpapered in far side cartoons, which is quite a treat if you're a fan. it's been a while, so I spent longer washing my hands than absolutely necessary as I cought up on some old favorites. genius.

overall wharf wraps delivers. thus far on the tour they take the top spot, as they should with the premium price of $10/ea. recommended. I'd even go as far as to say it'd be a good bike ride destination, though during the summer months I can see the place being rammed. best hit 'er soon.

price: $10/1pc + pop & hst
food: &&&&.*/5
atmosphere: &&&&/5
overall: &&&&.^/5

wharf wraps
fishermen's cove
ns b3v 1l6, canada
(902) 465-3476

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phil's fish & chips

2006-03-24T16:56:00.000-04:00

(I must apologized up front for the lack of photography for this week's review. I grabbed the camera on the way out the door, but in my haste forgot the memory card. but fear not! just imagine greg & the mermaids fish on ken's fries with a dr. pepper in the background and you'll have a pretty accurate impression of my meal at phil's.)

taryn and regan accompanied greg and I on our journey out to phil's fish & chips on purcells cove road, which is not to be confused with phil's seafood on quinpool. phil's is conveniently set in the middle of a residential neighbourhood. even better, the house next door is for sale for those of you that would like super easy access to your bish'n'batter.

taryn ordered the bish'n'salad option, while regan wanted a onepiece and greg and I the usual twopiece. the friendly waitress suggested that we share a 5pc, and she'd even split the order for us, at least foodwise. service was prompt and cheerful. looking behind the counter, we could see the spitting image of greg (of greg and the mermaids) at the fryer. combined with the breaded fish we received, questions of correlation vs. causation arose.

so two out of the three bish 'n' batter experiences thus far have been breaded. what's going on here? the fish was just ok, suffering from slight overcooking. on the table was a giant squeeze bottle of tartar sauce, much more useful than those little prepack tubs that're normally provided. the fries were good, being only slightly limp. regan has promised a review of the bathroom, but this is as yet unrealised.

overall unspectacular. ok if you're in the area, or happen to buy the house next door, but there must be better options. the wide assortment of candy at the checkout was a nice touch, as was the "early drywall and plaster spots" wall decorations.

price: ~$16.00 for 5pc + pop & tx (the waitress didn't split the bill with the food)
food: &&&.$/5
atmosphere: &&&/5
overall: &&&.%/5

phil's fish & chips
91 purcells cove road
halifax, ns b3p 1b3, canada
(902) 477-2761

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ken's seafood

2006-03-10T12:57:00.000-04:00

we saw ken's seafood & pizza on the way back from greg & the mermaids last week, and thought it would make a good second place to hit. it's in a row of appropriately low-rent retail in fairview so there was much promise for the proper bish 'n' batter atmosphere. I was hoping for the best as the sign out front only says 'ken's seafood', but on closer inspection it appeared to be approximately 80% pizza and 20% seafood.

holy cheap batman! the roughly stencilled whiteboard menu said $4.76 for a two piece. I don't think I've ever seen a two piece for less than $5. we ordered and sat down next to what appeared to be a giant wrapped christmas present. service was quick, with the food ready to go in ~5 minutes.

I was quite relieved to see that the fish came battered and looking much more like what I've come to expect from a positive bish 'n' batter experience. the batter was serviceable and not too fancy, but was applied a little too thickly to the second piece I had. fries were undercooked and a little limp, but from our vantage point we couldn't see into the fish kitchen area to confirm or refute the single/dual frier theory. a big8 cola and prepack tartar sauce rounded out the meal. the use of a real plate was a nice touch for the eat-in experience, though I think it contributed to the rapid cooling and additional sogging of the fries.

overall ken's works well. it's not the best fish 'n' chips I've ever had, but it's certainly some of the cheapest so it gets big points for value. the atmosphere is decently seedy, though the strong pizza influence is a little off-putting. I'd eat there again if I was in the area, but I don't know that I'd make a special trip.

price: $6.25
food: &&&/5
atmosphere: &&&.#/5
overall: &&&.#/5

ken's seafood & pizza
3560 dutch village road
halifax, ns b3n 2s2, canada
(902) 457-2244

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greg and the mermaids

2006-03-04T18:01:00.000-04:00

I didn't know about greg & the mermaids until fellow ex-westcoasters greg & taryn sought it out one night after a costco run. buried in the middle of the big-box wasteland that is bayers lake industrial park, it's situated on one of the few actual named roads in the area (it seems most of the spur roads are just driveways to gigantic parking lots). I was excited to come back and check it out as decent fast food is hard to find in the area, and I have a thing for fish & chips (hence the new blog).

greg and I returned last friday to see what the place was all about. first impressions were off - the place was spotlessly clean, and far too new looking. over the years I have come to the conclusion that the best fish & chips come from the sketchiest looking places, though perhaps the atmosphere simply biases my taste buds. I suppose I'll have to do a blind test or take-away one day to see if my theory holds. we both ordered the two piece with a side of coleslaw and the requisite can pop.

both employees, greg and steph, were younger than us. I don't know if that's the greg the business is named for, but I'd guess so since he seemed like he was in charge of things. steph could've been a mermaid, but I didn't want to ask as young women who've already adopted the old woman mannerism of calling everyone 'dear' and 'darling' throw me off and this was the second one in a week. greg cooked our food.

to me, batter is an important part of the bish 'n' batter experience. I thought it a little odd when greg picked our fish from a large rubbermaid and dropped it in the fryer, so imagine my suprise when we received the product to find that the fish was just breaded and not battered! this may have been forgiven if the fish had been perfectly cooked, but I found it to be a bit firm and dry. the fries seemed decently cut, but were a little soft and rather dark brown in colour. a brief digression into greg's (the co-investigator, not proprietor) fast food experience offers insight into why this may be.

according to greg, fries suffer from a discolouration when they're cooked in oil that isn't clean. in addition, fries generally should be cooked quickly and at a high temperature to achieve satisfactory crispness since they're so thin. our current hypothesis is that fish requires a lower temperature and longer cooking time to cook through properly so many fish and chip shops only run one fryer at the lower temperature required for the fish, and the fries suffer. I've certainly noticed that fries are often the downfall of a fish & chip experience, and will have to keep an eye out for separate fryers in the future.

similarily, science offers us an up-close look at the fish deep frying process: batter acts as a sealant layer between the fish and the hot oil, transmitting only the heat while retaining moisture and keeping oil out. frying is usually considered a 'dry-heat' method of cooking due to the lack of water to transmit heat to the food, but more often than not the actual cooking process is a steaming with moisture already inside the food. when something fairly porous like fish is only breaded, there is not enough sealant between oil and food and once all the steam has escaped the oil can enter to cook directly. fries also cook internally by steaming (which is why they bubble in the fryer - that's steam escaping), and must be removed from the hot oil before the moisture dries up and steam can no longer force the oil out and away. properly cooked deep fried food need not be saturated with grease if it's properly cooked, only the very outside shell should be crisp and deliciously greasy.

overall I can't say I'm impressed with the greg & the mermaids fish & chip experience. about the only thing going for it is its location, but even so this is little ol' halifax and if you're at bayers lake it means you've got a car which means you can be back in civilization within 10 minutes. there are better places to get your fix.

price: $10
food: &&/5
atmosphere: &&/5
overall: &&/5

greg & the mermaids fish & chips
8 oland crescent
halifax, ns b3s 1c6, canada
(902) 446-8118

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