October 5th, 2008
A Salt and
After watching these guys destroy Bobby Flay on his up and coming Food Network show, "Throwdown," I felt obligated to see what all the fuss was about. Discretely located in the heart of the
A Salt and Battery offers a variety of fried fish and has quietly filled the void for many British natives who are in search of their homeland favorite: Fish n' chips. Don't make the mistake of ordering fries, as they specify clearly on the menu, "CHIPS! NO FRENCH FRIES HERE!" I think they are still a little bitter from the war. Now onto the food…
You have the option of a few different fish, ranging from pollock, sole, haddock, whiting, cod, etc; all of which are meaty white fish, perfect for drenching in oil and throwing in the fryer. They pride themselves on the secret batter which coats each fish before it touches the oil.
My party ordered the haddock, pollock and a large order of chips and deep fried beets to share. Personally, I thought the Haddock was far superior to the Pollock because of the meaty consistency and a much fuller flavor. The Pollock was good, but reminded me of fish sticks from the cafeteria in 4th grade. Vinegar, salt and homemade tartar sauce is available at your disposal and for good reason. I would highly recommend drenching the deep fried fish in vinegar to give it that sour flavor that contrasts with the salty, fried flavor of the crust. The tartar sauce is also a secret of the kitchen; consisting of a mayo base, pickle relish (or slaw), horseradish sauce, etc. Either way, the tartar sauce is phenomenal and is a must when eating here. The fries were crispy, salty and the perfect size. They were cut like mini steak fries, short and fat, like little chodes.
I will definitely go back to A Salt and Battery at some point because there were tons of things on the menu which I am still eager to try. For instance, they offer fried scallops, which looked so incredible that I almost grabbed one from the person sitting next to me. A Chip Butty, which is essentially a French fry sandwich, but a little more dressed up. For some reason, Europeans love putting fries in their sandwiches and clogging their arteries even more. That trend never seemed to catch on in the
In closing, A Salt and Battery is a great neighborhood treat, and is a great alternative to other greasy foods (burgers, chicken fingers, cheesesteaks, etc.). It's a fun place to meet friends, get a quick bite and then enjoy the surrounding neighborhood of the west village.
| | Restaurant Review Rating Scale | | ||
| | | | | |
| | | | Total Points Available | |
| Food | 9 | | 10 | |
| | | | | |
| Service | 9 | | 10 | |
| | | | | |
| Ambiance | 9.5 | | 10 | |
| | | | | |
| Bang for the Buck | 9 | | 10 | |
| | | | | |
| Overall | 9 | | 10 | |
| | | | | |
| | 45.5 | | 50 | |
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