629131 Thu Jun 18 12:28:09 -0700 2009 23 8 Midwest 0 4785103 The City Pages' Hot Dish blog has a list of "COMING SOON" restaurants: http://blogs.citypages.com/food/2009/06/month_in_review_1.php#more One in particular caught my eye: The Anchor Fish & Chips, Minneapolis I have heard nothing about it , but the words "Fish & Chips" set off a Pavlovian response in my salivary glands. One lives in hope that finally we will have a GREAT f&c place around here. Anyone know anything about The Anchor, like when they will open? All i know is what i could find on the internetz. Googling the name brings up this bit of city business: http://www.ci.minneapolis.mn.us/council/2009-meetings/20090612/Docs/The-Anchor-Rept.pdf Which tells us, among other things: ADDRESS: 302 13th Avenue Northeast (same block as Erte) The applicant seeks approval of an On-Sale Wine with Strong Beer, Class E License to be operated in conjunction with the restaurant... The premises cover one level for a total of about 900 square feet of restaurant as well as about 450 square feet for the kitchen, coolers, and storage. ...The main floor is at street level and has seating for 35 people at two-top tables and a food service counter that seats five people. ... SIDEWALK CAFE There will be a sidewalk cafe with three tables that seat two people each with a total of six seats. The sidewalk cafe is on 13th Avenue Northeast. Proposed hours for the sidewalk cafe are 4:00 PM to 10:00 PM Tuesday through Friday; and 10:00 AM to 10:00 PM Saturday and Sunday. OPERATIONS The overall management of the restaurant will be provided by Kathryn Hayes who has worked in Irish restaurants in Paris and New York. ... The menu will include Irish specialties including fish and chips ranging in prices from $1.50 to $7.50. The proposed hours of operation for inside the restaurant are 4:00 PM to 1:00 AM Tuesday through Friday; and 10:00 AM to 1:00 AM Saturday and Sunday. Sounds like it could be good! I look forward to this place opening! EoS Thu Jun 18 12:28:09 -0700 2009 80696 EarlOfSandwich 1 4785412 I live nearby and am anxiously awaiting this place to open. The sign on the window says they are opening "summer 2009". Their website has a rough menu and a little bit about the folks who are opening it (Irish transplants and an American with ties). It sounds very neighborhood pub-like - I am really excited too! http://theanchorfishandchips.com/ Thu Jun 18 13:58:38 -0700 2009 4785103 16700 jbanana 2 4788205 Thanks for the website link, jbanana! That didn't come up in my Google search. Fish & Chips Battered Sausage & Chips Pasties Shepherds Pie Grass-Fed Burger Curried Chips Gravy Chips... I am really looking forward to this! Fri Jun 19 12:51:12 -0700 2009 4785412 80696 EarlOfSandwich 3 4788219 Wow, now I'm intrigued, too. ~TDQ Fri Jun 19 12:54:51 -0700 2009 4788205 12005 The Dairy Queen 1 4786674 We also live in the area and noticed the paper and sign in the window during Art-A-Whirl. Very interested to see how the F&C are! Fri Jun 19 03:12:23 -0700 2009 4785103 59069 Foureyes137 1 4843391 The "counter intelligence" column in the Taste section of today's Strib has a bit on The Anchor. http://www.startribune.com/lifestyle/taste/50227882.html?elr=KArksUUUoDEy3LGDiO7aiU Says they are opening "early August." I'm stoked. Thu Jul 09 10:41:33 -0700 2009 4785103 80696 EarlOfSandwich 1 5027599 Anchor seems to be going for the authentic Irish pub feel. Great knotty wood floors, black subway tile in the open kitchen, and a few cozy tables and booths make me want to stake out my weekly winter table right about now. Very dark colors. Fish and chips will be the traditional cod and - get this - will be fried in beef tallow! My arteries are ready. Kitchen staff made up of a handful of seasoned line dogs from Mpls independents (think Bulldog). Sun Sep 13 20:59:08 -0700 2009 4785103 1109189 excheftype 2 5027630 the joint's open, then? we tried to go check them out quite recently, and the windows were still papered up and a sign saying "open summer of '09". . . Sun Sep 13 21:14:14 -0700 2009 5027599 46030 soupkitten 1 5028095 Weird, this place caught my eye for the first time as I was riding the shuttle to the State Fair and I think to myself "looks pretty dingy, but wouldn't it be nice if that place had great, simple fish and chips". A few days later, I read a nice review on it (can't remember where) and now I see this thread. I'll definitely have to check it out. Mon Sep 14 07:01:16 -0700 2009 4785103 150060 BigE 2 5028171 They're not open yet, but possibly later this week - they just took the newspaper off of the windows and are stocking the place. Here's the menu for when they do. Mon Sep 14 07:32:49 -0700 2009 5028095 110954 SmartCookie 3 5028269 Three things I like about that menu: 1) Fish and Chips clock in at under $8.50 2) Battered Sausage 3) You can order gravy as a side dish Mon Sep 14 08:03:18 -0700 2009 5028171 263371 kevin47 1 5029549 Dara took a look inside... http://www.minnesotamonthly.com/media/Blogs/Dear-Dara/September-2009/Breaking-amp-Entering-For-Fish-amp-Chips/ Mon Sep 14 14:41:41 -0700 2009 4785103 12826 bob s 1 5075615 Just opened! We stopped in, knowing that this was only their second day in operation. So take it with that understanding. IF YOU'RE READING THIS A MONTH LATER,FIND A NEWER REVIEW! Love the vibe, the three friends trying to make a neighborhood spot. They did a nice job in the interior. Even crowded, the noise level was fine. I've never been to an Irish pub, but this was definitely nothing like any English pub I've been in. This is definitely a restaurant; in fact, the menu reminds that in a restaurant, liquor can only be purchased with food. The waitstaff was friendly and enthusiastic. Like any new staff, they need to work out some kinks in working together. A table was wiped twice; while another sat unwiped. (This while there was a line to the door. Did I mention they're busy?) A woman, I think one of the Irish owners, was gesticulating with arm motions that would not have been out of place on a dance floor, but needs to be tempered for a crowded restaurant. These are all things about the now experience, nothing that won't be smoothed out quickly. (Did I mention they just opened?) Prices are great. The kitchen was a touch slow, but that should improve. What? What about the food? Oh yeah. We ordered fish and chips, pastie and chips, bangers, shepherd's pie, and a side of gravy. (That's like half the menu.) Simple, inexpensive, filling, goes great with beer. It's a chipper, not high-end dining. (There's not a free-standing vegetable to be found, IIRC.) There were a few kinks that need to be worked out: salt and temperature. The fish was a nice size piece of cod, fresh tasting. The fish was nicely cooked, the batter was light and crispy (I hate it when the batter's thick and doughy), but there was some residual oiliness to the fish. (Turning the temperature up a notch would probably fix that.) Was it really cooked in beef tallow? The oil did seem to have a bit more assertive taste, but nothing objectionable. Our serving could have used a touch of salt beforehand, but that's obviously correctable at the table. They forgot the tartar sauce with our order, but we didn't want any. They have white vinegar instead of the more common malt vinegar. The chips were peeled and hand-cut "steak fries" style. Someone had a spot-on hand with the flaky salt. A mix from the slightly firm to the crispy. Personally, I like that little range to the fries. The gravy was for dipping fries, of course. Lumpy, thick, good for coating a fry. Tasted rather like a thickened store-bought stock, but hey, it's for dipping the chips! I wouldn't complain here that the ketchup tasted store-bought, so I'm not complaining about the gravy. The pastie is not like the baked doughy things I usually get. This was more of a mashed potato/ground meat (pork?)/couple of vegetables, then battered and deep fried. This one was relatively small. The main problem here was that the filling was far too salty. Good thing the beer's at a nice price, I think I killed a pint over the piece of pastie. Tasty but salty. The banger was good -- the kids liked it more than I did. Again, battered and deep fried! It had too much mace I think for my personal taste. Here there was another temperature issue -- the banger was still cool in the middle. (I didn't catch the cooking method. I would have the sausages preheated, then batter and fry to finish. We were there soon after opening, so maybe they were hotter later in the evening.) Finally, the shepherd's pie. Tasty ground beef with a few token carrots, peas, and potatoes. I'd have expected a wetter stew, but it was fairly dry, meaty and flavorful, and not greasy. I can't say that I really noticed the mashed potato topping. I do know that they were more potato-y than creamy/buttery. I do prefer the potatoes slightly browned, and I'll know to ask next time. This dish came out fairly warm, but not hot. In brief, a few forgivable problems, so we'll be back, and expect to see the minor improvements that will turn this into a regular stop, especially on those cold winter nights. Fri Oct 02 18:20:02 -0700 2009 4785103 86145 Geo in MSP 2 5075789 GEo- thanks for the detailed review. I don't think they have tartar sauce on the menu... Fri Oct 02 20:52:25 -0700 2009 5075615 11890 faith 3 5077468 nope, didn't see tartar sauce on the menu, but the table next to ours got some. (the kids were devouring the fish without, but it's definitely in the kitchen, perhaps for the asking.) Sat Oct 03 21:38:10 -0700 2009 5075789 86145 Geo in MSP 2 5075912 Thanks for the review! We arrived at 5:45 and the queue was already out the door and the wife and kid were not going to wait, so we went to Pak Zam Zam. Looking forward to trying The Anchor. With 652 Facebook fans waiting several weeks for word of opening, I was not surpised that they were immediately slammed. Fri Oct 02 23:05:27 -0700 2009 5075615 80696 EarlOfSandwich 3 5077476 We got there at around 4:15, and got the last open table. I'm hoping that the kitchen speeds up just a bit to help move the crowd along. But fortunately, we have a life where we can get there regularly at 4:15. Sat Oct 03 21:43:17 -0700 2009 5075912 86145 Geo in MSP 1 5085838 Thanks for the info looking forward to checking it out. Sounds pretty good. Wed Oct 07 11:15:22 -0700 2009 4785103 1114562 skoalvikings 2 5086631 I heard there was a group that did a kind of chowdown at Anchor the other night. Any reports? Wed Oct 07 15:16:44 -0700 2009 5085838 11890 faith 3 5087142 http://tcfoodies.ning.com/profiles/blogs/the-anchor-fish-and-chips I really want to get to this place. Fish and chips sounds soooo good. Wed Oct 07 18:51:40 -0700 2009 5086631 52023 justalex 4 5087667 Nice pictures... Jfood's favorites are the half eaten pudding with the guy hiding a handful of fries in the background and the vegan beware. Thu Oct 08 04:22:19 -0700 2009 5087142 11290 jfood 1 5088355 Wife and I went last night. Chips were outstanding (you can definitely taste that these were cooked in beef tallow as they are DELICIOUS and meaty tasting). Fresh, not too salty, twice fried. The fish was also quite good, though under-seasoned. I don't know if this is the result of my over-salted palate or under-salted food. Either way, the fish was perfectly cooked. The batter was light and very crispy with a thick hunk of well-cooked cod beneath. Guinness was very cold (if only they had Extra Cold) and perfectly poured. The banger was good, though it has a bit too much either caraway or nutmeg or some other spice that overpowered the flavor, though it was still very good, just one-dimensional. Service was terrific. Attentive; as I got down to the last 1/4 of my beer, she asked if she could start a new one for me (since they pour it correctly, it takes a little time). Loved that. My only wish is that they would ditch the traditional Irish white distilled vinegar for malt vinegar. I know it's English, I know that's a no-no, but smelling white vinegar when I eat simply reminds me of cleaning windows. It is too mild to really season the way malt does. We asked if this would be standard, and it is traditionally, so I believe it will stay. So if you like malt vinegar like we do, you may want to bring your own. This place is in our neighborhood and open late, so I see additional visits in our future. Worth a try! Thu Oct 08 09:24:07 -0700 2009 4785103 59069 Foureyes137 1 5090202 The Funniest thing I've ever read on CH was the comment that the white vinegar reminds you of washing windows, wow, powerful and vivid deja vu. Tarter sauce is available as is lemon. Restrooms are where they should be, but unmarked and non-denominational. It is also a time-warp out of Minnesota kind of place; I've lived here 36 years, dined all over and never had this sense before. Told my chef son he'd love it and it's the kind of place we'd take his chef-uncle if he visits. Fish was great. I actually saw them cook a burger while sitting there. Thurs. night at 9pm and folks were waiting for a table. I sat immediately at the "bar". I agree that a good slaw or salad needs to be on the menu. Thu Oct 08 21:53:10 -0700 2009 4785103 97703 stymie 1 5090258 http://heavytable.com/the-anchor-fish-chips-in-northeast-minneapolis/ Place gets a good review I would love to open up a fish and chips and do it right How hard can it be to do right if these guys can do it far away from any ocean Thu Oct 08 22:55:17 -0700 2009 4785103 1105778 zzDan