10.--FOOD FIGHT!--FISH & CHIPS

Stomachs, get ready to ruuuuuuuuummmmbbbbbble!

(FOOD FIGHT! Is featured in this blog the first Saturday of every month)

AL & JAN'S FISH & CHIPS VS. SALTY'S FISH & CHIPS

This is one food fight I’ve been looking forward to, because I love fish & chips, and while I’ve been to Al & Jan’s, I haven’t been to Salty’s, so it was a win-win situation for me. I got to try a new fish & chips place out and have one I know to be good. Yay! We decided to go for the basics: a piece of cod each, some fries, and the coleslaw. The prices are similar to each other, sometimes identical on both take-out menus. Service is fast and friendly, with Al & Jan’s edging Salty’s out by a hair—the young man who served us at Al & Jan’s was genuinely warm and eager to please. You wanted to come back just for the service. The girl at Salty’s was also nice, but you could tell you were just a possible tip.

Salty's cod, chips and coleslaw

Salty’s packaging was a little slicker, as befits a food chain; wrapped in white paper with a charming inner liner made to look like a newspaper, with a forgettable seafood recipe printed on it. Al & Jan’s was the classic inner white paper lining bundled up in an outer wrap of actual newspaper. Salty’s had a proper little Styrofoam bowl for its coleslaw with a proper little cardboard box for its fries and Al & Jan’s coleslaw was a little more antwacky--it came in a Styrofoam cup with lid and the fries were bundled up with the fish. I like the fries bundled up with the fish. Looks more authentic.

Al & Jan's cod, chips and coleslaw

Al & Jan’s cod is classically battered, crispy and a little greasy (but no more so than Salty’s), and very flavorful. The flesh was flaky and tender. Salty’s coating looks like a cornflake coating but isn’t. It also is nicely crispy, but the coating tasted very one-dimensional; like it had been made with flour and club soda and that’s it. I don’t know how they make the batter to get that interesting texture but the flavor just wasn’t there. Also, the cod was a bit chewy.

I also had a problem with Salty’s fries.  Both places had tasty fries, but since the last few we ate were barely warm (hey, it takes a while to eat this stuff) we had a proper test; most fries are good when hot, after all; it's when they start to grow cold that you find out if you got your money's worth.  The inside of the fries at Salty’s had a less pleasant mouth-feel once they cooled, almost glutinous, whereas Al & Jan’s were more like what cooked potato should be in texture.

My sister and I were split on the taste of the coleslaw. I preferred the grated look and texture of Al & Jan’s but thought the dressing on Salty’s was far better—creamier and more of it. My sister preferred Al & Jan’s all the way, because she doesn’t like the dressing to overpower the cabbage. This is why there is a weight difference between us. We both agreed, however, that Salty’s coleslaw was more colorful, having both purple and green cabbage and more carrots.

The differences aren’t huge, but if I am equidistant from the two and want fish & chips, I will pick Al and Jan’s every time. So will my sister and brother-in-law.

WINNER:  Al & Jan’s