March 31, 2005
Jumping Across The Pond and Landing on Atlantic
We waited. And, waited. And, waited. But was it worth the wait? Not so much.
The Chip Shop on Atlantic Avenue finally opened its doors a few weeks back, expanding upon its Park Slope incarnation with a full bar and pub-like atmosphere. It's definitely a nice spot to stop for a pint. But is it any nicer than Floyd NY next door - or the Waterfront Ale House further down the block?
Not so much.
However, Gothamist must compliment The Chip Shop in importing real live Brits to sit around, adding a more authentic air to the place. The "Royal Family Pop-Up Book" was also an endearingly creepy, yet entertaining feature.
Oh, and then there's the Fish & Chips. Gothamist ordered up the classic across-the-pond dish, and was pleasantly surprised by the plate full of tasty, golden-brown, crispy, rough-hewn fries. The fish, with its slightly too greasy, slightly too thick and definitely too yellow coating, wasn't quite as lovely. But, admittedly, the cod inside was flaky, moist and - in all - yummy. Still, we're not sure that we'd actually order it again.
Perhaps we would have felt differently had The Chip Shop not kept us waiting for so darn long. But, let's face facts - You can't build up that kind of anticipation for months on end and actually live up to epicurean expectations. Nonetheless, we'll probably be back for a pint and possibly take another chance on the kitchen - Bangers & Mash? Chicken Curry? Battered Shrimp & Scallops? No matter - as long as we have some of those chips.
The Chip Shop - Atlantic Ave.
129 Atlantic Ave. (btwn. Henry and Clinton St.)
Brooklyn, NY 11201
(718) 832-7701
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I have to say -- I just got back from London a couple of nights ago, and after having the fish & chips over there...Chip Shop's still one of the tops in my book.
when are pl going to realize that the best part of fish and chips is not how flakey the fish is, or how crisp the batter is, or how crips on the outside and soft on the inside the chips are?
The only authentic fish and chips are made in the north of England in some tiny village where the owner still uses animal dripping to fry the stuff in. That is what makes it so tasty and the batter and chips can be as soggy as wet cardboard as long as they are steeped in all that lovely animal dripping.
Needless to say no one in London has ever tasted this unless they did travel north and find one of these rare places - all their stuff is fried in vegetable oil as is the stuff over here - I checked with Nicky from A SaltnBattery and she confirmed that the animal fat congealed too quickly fo most ppls' tasts so vegetable oil it had to be. For shame.
I only went to the chip shop on 5th ave. once, and i thought the fish was excellent but the chips were soggy and greasy. maybe they cook their chips differently over on atlantic? but i think chip shop definitely has the edge over a salt & battery. i actually love the fish and chips at schiller's best of all.
they need to make it cheaper if they want anyone to go there regularly, at least for lunch, $10.50 for fish and chips is too much for me to go on any sort of regular basis. i realize this isn't a lot to pay for food, but come on, we are talking fried fish and french fries after all.
on the plus side, they serve LILT soda and walkers crisps. anglophiles gotta love that.
I will have "A Salt And Battery" ANY DAY. The best fish and chips I have had in NYC, Yeeeeaaaahhhh!
After faithfully checking once a week or so through most of last fall, I went in a couple of days after it opened to order takeout and was told that they weren't ready for that yet. So in the months and months it sat there unopened, nobody could get organized enough to order some frigging bags and paper to wrap it in? If I wanted that kind of service, I'd move back to England.
Next time, try a Scotch egg. And you gotta love those British pints.
I've only been to the 5th Ave. one. They should have IRN-Bru! (I love WTF?-flavored soda, or regional sodas like New England's Moxie, etc.) Club Orange is good tho'--not sickly sweet like American orange sodas. The sound system cracks me up--it's exactly like time-warped 1997 Capital FM. It's a couple of dollars too expensive for what it is, but the experience of being in a hyperreal chip shop/pub/curry shop combo makes it more worthwhile.
One word: Topsy.