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Thursday, January 28, 2010

Scotty Simpson's Fish & Chips

I set out to find the best Fish and Chips in South Eastern Michigan. So where do you start such a search...well the internet of course. After a few searches, I continued to see the same name come up....Scotty Simpson's Fish & Chips. The location was slightly intimidating, being situated on the edge of Detroit's western most side, on Fenkle just West of Lahser. However, I love fish and chips and after tasting some of what I considered the best in Michigan, I was anxious to take my chances (in the daylight that is). This is a very unpretentious atmosphere and incredibly simple and inviting. However you'll immediately see that there's a sign proclaiming that they don't take credit cards. Fortunately I predicted this possibility ahead of time and took out a few bucks after looking at the menu online. I tell ya, despite the fact that each day it feels more and more like a cash-less society, we're not completely there yet.

After being allowed to choose where to sit, I was asked if a menu was necessary, because obviously most folks know what they want. But I wanted to see what they were putting out there even if I already knew what I was having. I wanted to try the fish and chips (cod, flown in daily) the lake perch, and the onion rings were also a must have . Upon waiting for my meal I saw another (large) party who were very boisterous , and eventually started having playful conversation with the waitress and the only cook. The food was served to us and the other party promptly. Harry, the owner/fry-cook brought out a free piece of fish for a young girl at the other table who always ordered chicken. He wanted to seduce her to the darkside! And it worked...she loved it ! This place feels like home. Harry came out to show us all pictures of his kids compared to pics of his grand kids who looked very similar, which was very sweet. And because they make you feel so much like family, you'll likely want to come back. It was good...not the best, but nice and comfy, and a business worth supporting.

Look, this place serves a good fried meal although not the best. I'll start with the onion rings. They were bland and oily...not a good oil draining system I guess. The fries or chips were a little soggy, and the batter from the rings was the same used with the cod and the perch. I don't think this is a beer batter at all, it's more likely a soda batter, which is o.k., but not terribly flavorful. I favored the Perch despite the fact the cod was supposed to be the star of the show. The cod was super fresh tasting as was the generous sized perch, but the perch was much better. It was somehow a bit lighter, and the flavor of the fish stood out more.

The experience of this place was really nice. If you're in the area, and you want a friendly meal, you will not be disappointed. But Scotty's didn't live up to the hype. Molly Abraham, a local food critic, said some very flattering things about this place, as did many other online reviewers, but I think they were a bit overly favorable. I doubt I'll go back, it's not so great as to make it a destination, and I'm just never in that area. I've actually had better fish and chips at a coney island near my home, but this is also no ordinary coney. I'll be reviewing this place in the near future. Finally I will let you in on a secret, so far the best fish and chips I've ever had by far is from a national chain restaurant called The Claddagh Irish Pub. It's located on Haggerty just north of 6 Mile Road in Livonia. I've had this huge piece of cod at least twenty times and it is always perfect! And the chips are large wonderfully season potato wedges, not to mention that they have many great beers available that pair nicely with this dish.

Finally, my overall rating for Scotty Simpson's Fish & Chips is a 3.5 out of 5.

www.scottysfishandchips.com