My friend said yesterday, “Have you ever been to Shakespeare Pub & Grille on India Street in San Diego”? (Friends are always trying to come up with places I haven’t been to…). And I said “No….”.
So that’s how I spent Sunday night. Fish and Chips. Jolly good fun.
Now, you know that I’ve spent months and months in London right?
NO CHEF!
Yes! I traveled the globe for 3 years eating in Michelin Star Restaurants, like ALL of Gordon Ramseys and other great English Chefs like Tom Aikens, and I even took cooking classes and food and wine pairing classes throughout France, Italy, Thailand and Australia. Not to impress you, just to say…. I’ve been around. And spending so much time in London? I had a chance to frequent many pubs and also find the best Fish N Chips.
WHERE’S THAT, CHEF?
Sea Shell of Lisson Grove. And if you click on the name, I’ve given you a link to go see it, in case you are visiting London in the next couple of months.
WHAT ABOUT SHAKESPEARE PUB & GRILLE?
We’ll get to it. We’ll get to it. But let’s take me back to England first! lol
We were headed to The Beatles Museum, (which by the way is right next door to The Sherlock Holmes Museum), so we had lunch there before that. There’s a ‘fast food’ option on the corner, but if you walk up the street, (one door up) you will find the main dining room. (Didn’t realize that until the second time I was there, which is why I’m telling you about it). Sea Shell is the type of place you get cravings for. Before that? I didn’t even like cod… and no one ever got the french fries (chips) right for me. But I am telling you …. for the times that you are being naughty, a good fish n chips place with a nice Newcastle beer, is certainly the way to go!
Which brings me to Shakespeare Pub & Grille. What we have here in San Diego is sort of a cross between a cozy British Pub and a Fish N Chips joint. They have darts. Always like a beer and a good game of darts!
And then there’s the food. While Englands’ history is notorious for bad food…. (outside of our ‘recent’ Gordon Ramsey Restaurants in and around London), they have always been known for good pub food and great fish and chips. But here in America? When I see ‘French or Italian Style Food”? I run in the opposite direction. Because it’s almost never the quality or taste of Europe. I mean how many ‘taste of italy or france or rome or just taste alone do we have to go into to realize… it’s not…? We had a Taste of Italy in Carmel Valley that changed to ‘Taste’ and was now serving Sushi in addition to Chicken Cutlet Parmesan, that recently went out of business. Now I don’t wish that on anyone but….Do they ‘get’ that they’re not doing something right? lol
But I understand Shakespeare Pub & Grille has won all kinds of awards here in San Diego…. so I said “yeah… you pay? I’ll go”! lol
And go I did, and glad I am.
Now, again… we’re not going to be eating fish n chips every day of the week or drinking beer every hour on the hour, but when you do, I think you want the best. And I’m here to say that this Pub runs a very close second to the real thing in London. They have a beautiful kitchen probably double the size of every pub I’ve ever seen, and Assistant General Manager Nikki McEwan-Beatty was kind enough to come by the table to make sure we were well taken care of and were enjoying ourselves.
I thought it was funny how my friend describes the experience: “Great fish, great chips and I don’t even like peas…. but I come here for the English Peas”. lol
And he called it. That’s exactly right. Everything fresh. Everything done right. No salty, seasoned, truffled out skinny fries. These, my friend are authentic chips. I believe they’re fried, then dusted with flour, then fried a second time. Yum!
Now, they have something called ‘The Spotted Dick” for dessert…. lol …. very traditional, very ‘cheeky’… but the baked apple crumble with custard really caught my eye.
It’s something you either have a ‘taste’ for or don’t because it’s not a sweet dessert. But it sure is good.
So that’s my review of Shakespeare Pub & Grille. And now you’ve got a place to go for something out of the ordinary!
Happy Eating,
Chef Marian