Fish and Chips - NE Style.
 

With Athens restaurant closed, we're looking for another place to get really good deep fried fish (haddock or maybe cod) and chips. Athens was the best we'd found around here; so now we're looking again for a reliable spot for a Friday fish-fix. Sam St. Johns is ok...but would like to find a golf cart accessible place.

Lighthouse?

I don't know anything about NE style fish and chips but the best I ever had was in Scotland in the early 60's at a fish and chips place right across the street where I rented a flat for about a year in a town called Auchenblae. They were given to me wrapped in a newspaper as is a British tradition for probably a hundred years or more, and poured over them was their malt vineagar. The "chips" were NOT cut like french fries but in chunks.
If you find a good place, please post it here so I can try it.

What is New England style ? I love fish fries especially with haddock or cod. Battered and deep fried.

Haven't tried their fish & chips yet, have you, any comments...will give it a go.

The NE style, which can vary quite a lot not just from Maine to Connecticut...but from 1 establishment to the next in the same town; so I guess it's a bit ambiguous to say there is 1 NE style...given that subjective approach, your description above is similar in some ways to a couple of my favorite fish joints as far as packaging for take-out. It's probably easier to say the NE fish & chips style I preferred closely resembled what was served at Athens on SS square. Deep fried light flaky fresh haddock, a crispy breaded crust (maybe corn meal or some other type of flour beer-batter coating)...cooked to a texture where the fish easily flakes apart, not dry, not oily, not overcooked. Some places served this up a little soggier and heavier than others, but still quite tasty. Typically the cooked haddock easily filled at least 1/2 of a standard dinner plate, and at least 1 inch thick. Seems like it should be an easy meal to crank out consistently good, when you start with a decent fresh piece of fish...but much dining on f&c all across the NE states (& Florida) proves otherwise. And chowder...that's another whole dilemma...anyway, the search continues.

Hope my previous post helps describe...as an added note - it's got to be haddock or cod. Never pollock or scrod (whatever that is) or some of the nasty whitefish in abundance down here like tilapia or swai.

grayesun: The deep fried haddock presented by Athens was good, but could never match the fried haddock served up by Doug's in Skaneatles New York in size and quality
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Having said that I have never found a place that could match Athens in this area. Never

I really like the fried fish at the Rose and Crown at Epcot.

John

Oh yeah. And the stand outside.

The Lighthouse is the closest we've found in The Villages. NE Maine Lobsters on Friday nights. They have fried haddock or baked. Lobster tails on Sat nights. They have stuffed quahogs on the appetizer list. I was told the owners are from MA as are we. Their clam chowder is good too.

In Michigan, it was usually cod, haddock or lake perch. YUM !!!! Sometimes pollock, but I like that too. I'm not a big tiapia person.

Went to Scotland 5X...
 

for work @ 2mo./trip....had the fish and chips twice....worst I've ever had...greasy, bony and tasted like fishy lard...nothing like the slight taste of newsprint to leave and unwritten impression.

Also interested....I remember as a child getting halibut and chips in newsprint, smothered in malt vinegar from take-out Windows on the street. Yum....
For the interest for the unitiated, the malt vinegar cuts the oil on the coating.

School kids used to line up at lunch time at those windows and get an overflowing amount of chips for 15 cents. What a treat!

Try Hacienda Hills Friday fish fry and Honest John's.

At one time, Bonifay Country Club served a very nice fish and fries dinner.

Give the Lighthouse a try - next best thing locally that we have found.

Chowder - just found Legal Seafood Clam Chowder in Sam's. Brought it home warmed it up that night and almost threw up, the clams were huge chunks like trying to eat an eraser whole ............... it was the most disgusting thing we have ever had! The other half worked close to Inman Square in Boston and used to walk over to Legal with a group of co-workers for their chowder, so we know chowder.

I was so bxxx xxxt to have paid good money for this Legal "stuff" that I contacted Legal, they in turn passed me over to some poor woman who was working the desk at a company that now packages Legal Seafood Chowder. She told me the chowder is made by various companies and they have no idea who is making it, just put into plastic cartons, two to a packet, and shipped out. She sent us a check to cover the cost and that's "all she wrote". So at least now we know that Legal no longer makes their own chowder in spite of the folksy family blub on their packaging. Just one more great company cutting corners on their product.

Laaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaake Perrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrch!!!:mmmm:

I know !!!!! It's definitely one of the food items I miss !!!!!!!!:cryin2:

The Fish Fry the OP was referring to at Athens is a style that came from Rochester, NY where the owners are from. They use haddock.

I believe the Burger Station (formerly Blue Plate Deli) at the Shell Station at Colony now has Lake Perch from Michigan.

Tried the Fried Haddock All You Can Eat at the Sidewalk Café in La Plaza Grande last night it was excellent. For those who have always enjoyed Athens I believe you will be pleasantly surprised at the similarity of the quality and taste. Available at this time only on Fridays and is $11.00. Believe it is worth a try!!!

Hate to say this but Arthur Treachers fast food chain in San Francisco had great fish and chips years ago.

I haven't seen an Arthur Treachers in years but I did like their fish and chips

Didn't the Villages Walmart have an Arthur Treacher's about 5-6 years ago?

Plenty of good suggestions for Fish & Chips, thanks folks...we will eventually try them all, this is a lifelong quest. Oh boy, the clam chowder subject...discussing chowder preferences has led to several wars I believe. I never really expect to find decent NE clam chowder anywhere, so when I do find one that pleases my palate, it's a significant dining event. I've had two clam chowders since moving to Florida that are more than good - they are both really good and also quite different from each other. So, I have a pretty wide comfort range for grading clam chowder; I'll not tell where these chowders are served...to protect myself from the required onslaught of criticism that follows publishing chowder high grades and recommendations. So don't tell anyone about the chowder at Bunky's (Rt. A1A, Indiatlantic) or Tony's in Cedar Key...you didn't hear about them from me.

I favor both Manhattan and New England clam chowder. Miss the clam bakes we had back home

You can buy Tony's, which has won many awards for the best chowder anywhere, now in cans in Publix.

Tony's in a Can!
 

Yes we've tried Tony's in can as well, bought at Publix (which seemed to stop carrying it for a while, but it's back); we had it last week as a matter of fact.

It is probably the best clam chowder in a can I've had (my personal taste), very close to what the restaurant in Cedar Key serves. I can see (taste) why Tony's has won many chowder awards, not only is it good but it is unique (to me, your experience may vary) in it's mild spicy kick...which at first seemed weird, but now I really enjoy.

We sometimes add potatoes & corn niblets for a really fine "winter" meal...please leave us a few cans on the shelf. Thanks.