After establishing themselves in Kensington Market, Fresco’s Fish and Chips has opened a second location in St. Clair West. At their new location, classic fish and chips with their delicious coleslaw and tartar sauce, are still on the menu but the owners are also adapting to the different neighbourhood with new ideas. One of these being the introduction of a brunch menu, which I was invited to check out by Yuki @pekopekolife.

Disclaimer: All food and drinks reviewed below were provided complimentary. All opinions expressed below are wholly mine.

Speaking to Fresco’s owner, the main difference he’s noticed about operating in Kensington Market vs St. Clair West is the clientele of tourists vs. regulars. In Kensington, many of the daily customers were stopping by for one-time visits while Fresco’s on St. Clair has quickly picked up a following of regulars. This allows the menu to be more creative and dynamic, in addition to the classic fish and chip offerings, which brings us to Fresco’s new weekend Brunch menu.

The brunch menu offers traditional brunch dishes with a seafood twist. At the menu tasting, I got to dig into every plate, including dessert!

Spicy Shrimp Burger – Fresh toasted bun with a patty made up of plump, tender shrimp, cooked to a crisp exterior. I really enjoyed the chipotle mayo and the seasoning of the burger. The kale salad was lightly dressed and the greens used super tender. .
Maple Bacon Breakfast Poutine – Going into the meal, I had best intentions not to gorge on fries but this poutine ruined me. So good, I just couldn’t stop my fork from going back for more. The crispy fries were topped with a sunny side egg, gravy, chunks of thick cut bacon and cheese curds. For just one person, the small ($8.95) would be plenty and the large ($13.45) perfect for sharing.
Soft Shell Crab Sandwich – This item wasn’t on the menu yet but can be ordered from the kitchen. Deep fried soft shell crab on a ciabatta bun.
Devilled Eggs – Simple, classic dish with smoked salmon, rye crackers and salmon roe.
Halibut Eggs Benedict – After taking bites of everything, this was the plate I chose to order for myself. My recent experiences in Toronto with hollandaise sauce have been disappointing, but Fresco’s turned it all around. Consistency, colour and flavour were all perfect. With the poached eggs, I would have preferred mine to be runnier. In between the egg and english muffin was a slab of grilled halibut that seemed out of place. The white fish didn’t stand out or add much flavour. Perhaps a different kind of fish or the halibut cooked in a different method (deep fried? flaked? some kind of patty?) would work better.

For people with a sweet tooth, there’s the Chocolate Banana French Toast. A thick cut piece of bread, dipped, fried and drizzled with chocolate sauce, served with fresh bananas and strawberries.

During brunch, classic caesars, garnished with a deep fried shrimp, and champagne glasses of mimosa are also available. The owners are working hard to grow and adapt Fresco’s to their new neighbourhood, while drawing on their established strengths to serve up great food.

One of my worst habits is finding excuses to eat out. Oh I’ll schedule a dentist appointment at 2pm so we have time to grab lunch somewhere before hand. An oil change? Perfect it’s at 5pm so I can grab dinner somewhere on the way home. So finding Harbour Fish and Chips in the same plaza as where The Hubby and I get groceries may be a blessing or a curse.

Pretty much the definition of hole in the wall, Harbour Fish and Chips was tucked away in a strip mall with a simple store front and handwritten promotion signs. The mom and pop shop was quaint with dated signs and a handful of seats. They reminded me of the family run pizza place I’d go to during high school for lunch, where slices were only a $1.

The Hubby and I settled on splitting a Lunch Special ($6.99) of fried haddock that came with fries, a drink and gravy or coleslaw. We chose the gravy. Considering the price, I was surprised with the large portion of food. A heaping plate of chips, freshly fried (we could easily see into the kitchen) and a carton of thick gravy. I’m not sure what went into that gravy, but it was savoury, rich and amazing. I don’t think I’ll ever be ordering the coleslaw.

Two large pieces of haddock were deep fried to a light, crispy finish and served with a dollop of tartar sauce. The batter was thin, crunchy and not oily. Inside, the fish steamed with the first bite and was soft and flakey. Cod and Halibut were also available.

I am worried this will become a weekly tradition, if not the whole combo at least a poutine with that gravy. Note that Harbor Fish and Chips was cash only.

My train was scheduled to arrive in Montreal at 9:30pm. The 4 ½ hour trip went by quickly with the help of onboard wi-fi (way to go Via) and The Fiance’s kindle. Since I hadn’t eaten since lunch in preparation for our late dinner reservation, the wi-fi also distracted from my stomach grumblings. While planning this weekend, I had asked a couple of Montreal food bloggers for their recommendations. Taverne Square Dominion was one that made the cut for being close to the train station, having rave reviews and still serving dinner at 10pm.

Atmosphere: While boasting a menu full of British classics, I found the decor of Taverne Dominion a mix of Parisian and English. Large wooden chandeliers that could’ve been picked out of a castle hung over cute bistro tables and big leather booths. Lighting was dim and the bar was full of couples sipping cocktails. I could see myself starting or ending a night in the same fashion.

Service: One feature I loved about restaurants in Montreal was that they all seemed to have coat racks/rooms. This was amazing and so helpful. At Taverne Dominion, there was one coat rack at the door and hooks spaced out along the walls in between tables. Once settled into our table, we were well attended to. Our server was efficient, professional and checked in on us unobtrusively the entire night.

Food: While I starved in transit, The Fiance was already in Montreal waiting for me. He spent the wait at a bar over a couple of pints but no food. So we were both ready to eat. I also ordered a Mint Julep, which was kind of like a boozy snow cone. At first sip, I didn’t love it but each subsequent sip was much better once the ice started melting and mixing in with the bourbon and syrup.

To start, we ordered the Scotch Egg and Bone Marrow. With a $15 price tag, I had high hopes for the scotch egg and they delivered. My camera also ran out at this point, so I have no photographic evidence of the perfect yolky goodness, but it was worth every penny. The fried crust was crispy, the sausage tender, flavourful and the yolk was liquid gold. Not to mention there was a generous dollop of creamy Swedish sauce. The platter of bone marrow was served with a stack of crostini, sea salt and brussel sprout salad. Both bones yielded a ton of fatty marrow. The bottom half could have been roasted a touch more. I won’t be able to understand any restaurant that serves only half a bone anymore.

For entrees, we split an order of Mussels with Fries and the Meat Ploughman’s Platter. The mussels were light, lots of rich natural flavour accented by the thick cut bacon. I polished off the bowl of fries and much of the mayonnaise. We mainly ordered the mussels because we spied the awesome looking fries on another table and it was an excellent decision. With the Ploughman’s platter, there was a pork rillette, cured duck and a sausage along with apple slices, cheddar cheese, a deviled egg, carrot sticks, celery sticks and whole raw red radishes. For condiments there was a beautiful fruit preserve and a strong dijon mustard. Of the three meets, I favoured the rillette while The Fiance loved the fatty duck. All of the vegetables were extra fresh and crispy but the radishes really threw us off. They were really big, and crunchy but radish alone has very little taste. We each ate one but left the rest.