When it's cold outside
I need the strength to be alive
And when I'm in my home
I need the strength to be alone
Another Tuesday... another Taste! And this particular Taste, the 99th one of these reviews greets the eyes of the internet reading world no less.
Before we hit that big triple digit landmark next week however... in this edition we've got a legendary Toronto fish and chippery that dates back several decades, or almost a century depending on your local. Duckworth's as a name (more on that in a moment) has three locations: one on east Danforth near Main Street Station, one on Kingston Road in the Cliffside neighbourhood of southwest Scarborough, and a third one up north in Orillia.
Thinking about this potential article for quite some time, a question emerged that I had difficulty discovering the answer to: which one is the original? An older friend of mine who grew up in Cliffside/The Beaches recalls going to the Kingston Road one a lot as a child in the late 1970s, so initially I figured that was the one. Well... if this Toronto Star piece from two years ago is indeed accurate (no reason not to be)... the Danforth location (named "Len Duckworth's Fish and Chips") is actually the senior, opening their doors in that very same spot back in 1929 (despite the sign saying "est 1930").
This is an unusual chain restaurant in that it isn't actually a chain. All three restaurants are separate entities, yet are all owned and operated by an offspring of the Duckworth clan. Len Duckworth was the longtime dude of the original location (now currently run by son and daughter Dave and Debbie), whereas Len's brother(?) Doug started up the Kingston Road "Duckworth's" off-shoot in the 1950s, and another nephew Matt Duckworth two generations down the line opened up the spot in Orillia around the mid 2000s.
It's a fish and chip family empire! But an empire that is connected apparently by name only... quite strange. Personally, I wasn't sure which one I was going to try for this review (well, seeing as I live in Toronto the Orillia one was kiiiind of a longshot)... but eventually I decided on Kingston Road, if only as an excuse to also check out the nearby gorgeous Rosetta McClain Gardens in these autumn colours.
One can perhaps understand why I might've easily believed this Kingston Road outpost was the original Duckworth's Fish and Chips. Everything about this exterior gives off vibes that were so prominent halfway through the previous century... from the red retro sign (truly wonderful) hanging above the storefront, to the line of parking spots directly facing the front entrance within a plaza (a throwback to an era where walking was never 'option A').
This particular stretch of Kingston Road (the western side of the Scarborough Bluffs) is indeed consistently a long run of little plazas/strip malls with big parking lots out in front of the crammed together stores/restaurants... with the occasional abandoned motel in there for good measure.
Many decades ago this was indeed a verified motel haven, in a time before Toronto's population accelerated and expanded, before Scarborough was more built up with tall apartment buildings... this was an area beyond even the fringes of the city and all these motels made their business via tired drivers stopping to rest for the night. A small handful of these motels along Kingston do still operate and passing by one is a bit like a time capsule from a familiar yet very different world... as is this particular fish and chippery. A fish and chippery which (as this writer remembers this is a food review or something) is filled with old aerial shots of this very neighbourhood I've been describing.
Quickly, on the inside of the restaurant itself beyond the pictures: very narrow, a clean drab gray about the place (they've certainly renovated the place a few times since 1959 or whatever) with several tables set up much like a typical old diner (no booths or jukeboxes though).
They were quite busy on this Thursday evening just before 6 o'clock, with both takeout orders and sit down guests as well... but was far more notable was the demographic of these patrons. Last month I turned 37 and I guarantee you aside maaaaybe from one guy waiting for pickup (who had gray in his beard) I was the youngest customer in there by at least a decade-and-a-half. They also close at 7:30pm every night, which... I'm just saying further adds to this particular observation.
There's certainly a pleasantness and atmosphere of familiarity about the place, even in a full restaurant with a steady lineup for takeout. An accepted form of chaos only a restaurant well-liked by its visitors can provide. You get a strong sense a lot of these folks are regulars who have been coming in and eating here for a seriously long time. Like my "time capsule" comment about the motels, this likewise felt quite similar to that.... akin to stepping inside a place and into a moment not entirely of the present world.
As you probably can predict, it's a very straightforward, basic menu (the second menu, obscured by that pesky light glare, are sides). You've got three types of fish: halibut, haddock, and cod... which by my very limited knowledge does sound like the usual trinity of battered fish.
I gotta level with ya, dear reader: I'm not a huge seafood guy. I do enjoy it once in a while when a craving hits, and a good salmon is truly one of my very favourite things to cook at home... but when it comes to the precise differences between these kinds of fish, I can't really tell you beyond "tastes like the sea!"
As tempting as it might've been to simply try all three and compare... well I'm not made of airports so after a quick Google search of "what's the difference between haddock and cod?" (apparently cod is thicker and firm but haddock more flavour)... I went for the haddock and chips, with a side of coleslaw. This all came in around 18 bucks and there was no tip option, nor a tip jar to drop a colourful coin or two. This really is a place out of the 1950s.
All right, I've covered the odd backstory, the quirky nature of the neighbourhood, the throwback atmosphere of the place... oh shoot! The review has already run too long, we'll have to skip the food portion of the article. Thanks for reading! Be sure to subscribe to West Collier Street, smash that 'Share' and that 'Like' button!
Yeah right. So here we have the fries (or "chips" in this case... lets be proper now). I think these are... pretty decent for something so remarkably basic. You get a good taste of potato, some of the frying oil as a slight hint, and there's really nothing else to them. Fairly withered with very little crispiness for the most part, no frills or unique seasoning (not seasoned at all, in fact). They remind me of my occasional attempts to make french fries in my air fryer at home... for whatever reason they likewise seem to curl up and shrivel cook in this same soft way (and never are as crispy as I like).
Most importantly, they do taste like they're sliced in-house, which gives them valuable charm despite the boring simplicity. If they are ever frozen I certainly can't tell: there's none of that numb or flat taste you get from frozen goods. Nope, you get all potato and not much else. Nothing else in fact, beyond that faint frying oil taste.
Alas, by themselves (all that potato) that basic taste and withered texture gets pretty repetitive and you find yourself going for the ketchup. Personally, I mixed the pre-packed ketchup with the pre-packaged tartar sauce (disappointment alert: Duckworth's doesn't make a tartar sauce themselves... it's pretty damn easy) as a dip. Ketchup and mayo-something together... never a go-to but in a spot it gets the job done.
The coleslaw! It tastes exactly how it looks: a reliable, average creamy slaw. Light on the creaminess, good on the crunch. A fine accompaniment, matches well with the fish... not much else to say. You've likely had this before at many other places.
Now the big ticket: our fried haddock.
One thing I was not prepared for was how easily this fillet was ready to collapse apart. I wanted to get a photo of it separate from everything else, and the very attempt to lift it from atop the fries nearly bought the entire fish farm here. This photo was my "holy shit... I better just leave it be in this still semi-together shape before it completely disintegrates" (you can see along the left side where it was really coming undone).
After all that, it must not be any surprise to hear that this was a very light, flaky fish... light on the batter thickness as well (bits of it indeed stuck to the fries underneath it). Texture-wise, really quite pleasant, easy crunch and tender within... really nice.
Not dripping with oil, or heavy on the grease to the point of caking your mouth and lips in grossness... not even close. Definitely the oil was in the taste of the batter, but the filet itself was so delicate, the light crisp of the batter so easily crunched through... there were few bites wherein I really felt that common inevitable heaviness that comes with fried food.
Not the most vivid or lasting flavour of fish I've encountered (even as a non-expert) but you got hints of what you'd be looking for. Whether it be that distinct salty fishy taste, it was there in the back of the mouth but never too much. Like the fries-I-mean-chips (whoops) there really is nothing fancy about this... which reflects in the flavour: it balances a line between simple vintage charm and blandness, doing so successfully because all of it does taste unmistakably homemade.
That last sentence may sound negative (it is a passive critique sure) but I also must say that this was a very tasty fish. Soft and flaky (in a good way) throughout, never an unpleasant dry bite either (which I've found in the tail end of many a battered fish). Would I have liked a lemon, or a more interesting batter mix, or a better (actual non-packeted) tartar sauce? Of course. Duh. But for the obvious limitations of how bare-bones this is... hard to do it much better, frankly.
Overall! It's worth a visit just for the trip back in time (leave the Delorean at home).
From a quality perspective... I would recommend it (the fish part of the equation is legit enjoyable) but also with a warning: this is a place not interested in flair or dynamic taste. You can tell this is their recipe, they've been doing it for sixty some-odd years, it's been successful... and as such be prepared for "it's going to taste exactly how it looks, and it looks basic as hell".
Personally, I didn't quite know what to expect but I feared it could lean into the 'super heavy oil and grease' so associated with older establishments such as this. Not at all: the relative purity from the old frying grease bog of common diners, in both the chips and fish... was a pleasant surprise.
Thumbs up from me... although geez those chips need a real dipping sauce and a slice of lemon would unlock that beautiful fish so much... so maybe bring those yourself if you're taking it to a nearby park, like the Rosetta McClain Gardens.
Also before we go... since the true original Duckworth's is "Len Duckworth's" on Danforth, and is technically a separate entity... well we just might have to pay them a visit soon and see if there are any differences/comparisons to be had. Just because the 100th episode is imminently around the bend doesn't mean we're drawing the curtain anytime soon. I... can't... stop!!! help me... save me from the ones I know will be really really bad...
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Folks
The fucking cynicism of this fucking guy. Crossing my fingers people see this as the obvious attempt of a corrupt buffoon to buy favour and votes. Forget receiving two hundred bucks, I'd chip in 200 if it gets us rid of this sinister condescending cretin (and I ain't rich either). Fuck this guy. Fuck. Him.
A Pizza Pandoras Box
Had to get the angry out early.
I'm going to Northern California in a couple weeks and as such, thought I'd find a Bay Area Reddit and see if they had any pizza recommendations for a low-key Toronto pizza reviewer man such as myself.
Well... the Subreddit I found... had 600 thousand members... a fact I realized after posting my question. As such... got a lot of responses and recommendations! Maybe too many. Nevertheless! Here's the thread (I obviously will not try them all... but a good three-to-five sound absolutely worth a trip)
Tuesday Tune
Jack White is back! I admit I lost touch with his solo stuff about a decade ago, but I'm quite liking this new record.
This is also a good excuse to tell my "working a Jack White concert in 2022" story. Settle in! Nah it's a short one. Essentially, he was performing a show at Budweiser Stage here in Toronto and had a very specific request: nobody can film the show on their phones. Not just that but when entering the venue, gate staff would lock your mobile phone in a magnetic pouch that could only be unlocked when exiting (with exceptions in case of emergency, obviously and thankfully).
I think White's concept was for fans to be singularly immersed in the experience instead of recording it on their devices (it's a pet peeve of mine too, Jack. I can relate... like beyond sharing a snippet online when the hell are you gonna watch it again???). Could be wrong but I also think he had his own video crew for that tour and was live streaming some of the shows (this was just after COVID and concerts were re-emerging from the darkness too, don't forget. I was working outdoors with a mask on still).
So yeah, totally get the intentions behind what Jack White was thinking. Problem is, beyond that whole "potential emergency" thing... well a lot of people tend to pay for things on their phones now, and in some cases exclusively so. As somebody who was bartending this concert... there were several people who came to our bar and realized, not having access to their phone, that they had no access to their funds. Whoops.
I mean on one hand... it is always good to have multiple avenues to pay for things at any given moment, crazy things can happen... and also read your ticket emails closely they do tend to mention these things (such as like this venue, like any major venue now, does not accept cash anymore). On the other side of it... I definitely didn't particularly enjoy turning people away because their currency was locked in some stupid looking pouch thing (us as staff were not subjected to this, but also warned strongly not to have our phones out at anytime... under penalty of death!!! Or being immediately sent home who knows that was a lot of concerts, reviews and drinks ago).
So much for my "short" tale here. At this point, if I claim it's going to be short... you probably know what's about to happen.
Regardless, Jack White did sound great that night, put on a wicked show, and should he visit Toronto soon for this newest record I'd be tempted to check that out. Still don't quite get his infatuation of the colour blue though.
That's all for this week!
Next time... oh yes... next time will be the 100th Tuesday Taste. Just sayin' it's gonna be a notable one, a review that's been sitting in the back of my mind for the entire run (I started this back in 2021 don't forget) and a place I amazingly have never even written about.
Until then... stay safe, stay cool, stay tuned and most of all don't spill that mustard.
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