Boston Sail Loft - The Fish and Chips Review #1

For the very first Fish and Chips Review, we have an excellent example of what I mean when I say the fish and chips situation here is bleak. This may very well be the worst piece(s) of fried fish I have ever eaten. 

Boston Sail Loft is widely reported to be the best seafood spot in Boston. Maybe these reviews were bought and paid for, maybe they were written by P-zombies masquerading as humans - or, to be fair, maybe they just weren't talking about the fish and chips. The other food may be very nice - the other dishes I had were alright - so I shouldn't be too harsh until I've gone back for more stuff. Anyways I digress. Here's the breakdown.

I believe the fish was cod. It tasted alright; frankly cod is not my favorite option for F&C but it is respectable as far as it goes and is quite traditional. The first warning sign to me was that the fish was cut into several small nuggets. I completely object to this as the ratio of batter to fish would be off even if the batter were very good. Unfortunately the coating on the fish was not only not batter but not even a well-executed version of what it was trying to be. Imagine shake-n-bake chicken breasts, cooked by a kid for the first time: soggy, thin, and rather bland - not a mote of salt on the entire plate. I suppose breadcrumbs could be used to make a fine fried fish, but this was not that. Zero points for the breading: in fact negative points for the atrocious execution of whatever this was supposed to be.

The fries were passable, certainly frozen but nothing special. Same goes for tartar sauce. Malt vinegar was not furnished by my server but I easily nabbed some from a nearby table. 

Overall a horrible experience - 3/10. The best thing I can say was that nothing seemed spoiled and all the elements were technically on the plate. Negative points for the breading fiasco and the fact that the fish was in pieces. (I guess they do this so that when a table orders a seafood platter it's easier to share - in that context the choice makes sense but not for fish and chips, and I will remind you that this is the F&C review.)

(The other thing this place is famous for is their chowder - in my opinion it was alright, lacking salt but otherwise inoffensive. I appreciate that they don't feel the need to be too unique or new-agey: the soup is thick, there are plenty of clams, and overall it's very warming. The dill is an interesting touch. - As a final positive, the rum punch is potable and they serve a hot toddy. Both plusses to me. I will reiterate that this is the fish and chips review.......more reviews forthcoming.)