Mike F.
Yelp
I was an Englishman in a past life, I swear it. My proclivity to order fish & chips is well documented. Perhaps it stems from my childhood love affair with Gorton's fish sticks. To this day, I get giddy just thinking about the piping hot baking sheet coming out of the oven, lined edge to edge with those breaded, finger-sized oceanic delights. What was in those "fish" sticks? No one really knows. Fish sticks are like sea-faring hot dogs.
But the fish in fish & chips - that's fried battered fish in its purest form. Whether it be cod, haddock, pollock or skate, you know you're getting the best parts of the tender fillet.
As is the case with any respectable U.K. pub, a good fish & chips dish will always grace the menu. That's where the dish originated after all, so its inclusion is pretty much mandatory.
The "chips" in this version were thick-cut, steak fries. Crisp and golden brown, the wedges were so thick and robust that they actually came close to the size of the fish. And the fish, enclosed in that beautiful batter, was so moist and flaky inside. Splashed with a bit of malt vinegar, then dipped into a side of creamy tartar sauce is absolutely the best way to enjoy these tender morsels.
For those uninitiated in the glory that is fish & chips, you have a number of Irish classics including bangers and mash, corned beef and cabbage, and shepherd's pie.
Oh, and apparently there was a dish here that was featured on Diners, Drive-Ins, and Dives called the Irish Bibimbap (full clip here: https://www.foodnetwork.com/videos/slainte-irish-pub-0235417). Had I known it existed during my last trip, I definitely would have tried it. It combines traditional Irish ingredients like corned beef and cabbage with Asian-inspired flair such as rice, Sriracha, and stir-fried vegetables all topped with the ever gratifying fried egg.
If you're ever in the mood for some Irish cuisine or just want to want to grab a nice lunch in Fells Point, Sláinte should be on near the top of your list of places to go.