Ever since I was a little girl I have loved Fish & Chips. Anyone with even a hint of a drop of British blood in them should - it's our heritage, isn't it? Well, apparently it has been part of our heritage for only 150 years and originated in France, but I don't care - it's an amazing combination of tastes textures and history that I simply cannot resist.

I must get that from my parents - one English, one Irish - they scoured Toronto when they were first married, looking for the quintessential fish & chips shop. Surprisingly there aren't many; there are many restaurants who serve F&C, but few who do it well enough to become legendary. Most Pubs in this city have it down to a close second choice, in an emergency when I'm craving F&C and the shops that do it well are either closed or too far away. But that's what a British or Irish Pub is for - fish & chips, roast beef dips and hamburgers...maybe a sandwich and some fries...and of course a beer or two. But they don't do that utterly fantastic job that a real honest-to-goodness specialty Fish & Chips Shop will do.

There are a few of these that I am aware of in the city - probably a few more that I don't yet know of (feel free to tell me if I've missed any!). I did work in one when I was in high school for about a year - there is nothing like going home every night at 9pm, smelling of fish and chips. I always brought home treats for my brother, because the owner insisted I take some home for my own dinner. Little did she know that there was no way I could eat it after swimming in it for five hours (I had the same problem when I worked in a bakery the following summer - never ate any sweets for the three months that I worked there). I would always just hand it off to my brother, take a shower, get rid of the grease and head to bed. The place is about two blocks from my parents house - Harbord Fish and Chips - and is now owned by a Chinese couple who truly do the fish and chips justice.

The next place I ventured to was Penrose on Mt. Pleasant just south of Eglinton. I worked up in that neighborhood for about seven years and still venture back up there for a deep fried fiesta once in a while. Where Harbord's servings might be huge, Penrose's are smaller - but (I think) more delicious.

The third F&C place I frequent would be Caz's on Davenport - this is the original place as far as my parents are concerned. It is now a chain but I have never been to any of the other locations. I remember going there with my dad when I was a kid, standing there watching them from the other side of the counter...waiting...waiting...waiting. Their portions are significant but I do find their fish to be just a bit on the greasy side.

Finally my favourite - Chippy's. They have two locations in Toronto currently and are owned by (former Susur manager) John Lee and (ex-Rosewood chef) Neil Coutinho, whom I have to credit for the most delicious fish & chips I have ever eaten. I took my mom to the Bloor Street location recently and she was very impressed - from the minimalist decor to the prompt friendly service to the fridge full of serving-sized pop BOTTLES she was completely won over. When we got home with our dinner she was only more impressed with the food. And she's a fish & chip connoisseur, I would have to say.

S. and I recreated their fish and chips recently at home - and it tasted terrific. I even made up a small batch of tartar sauce to go with it and we both sat, holding our very full tummies afterwards wondering if we should open up our own F&C resto. Who couldn't use just one more...?