The CODFather
By Libby Williams, @PlateSouth
Ohhhhhhhh, Charleston. You did it again, you delicious town of my dreams. You never disappoint in the food department, and that’s a fact. But this…this time, you have realllllllyyyyy outdone yourself.
All my childhood food memories are being realized at this very moment because of GENIUS Chef Adam Randall who decided to move here and make them all come true. Chef Adam has plopped one of the best restaurants ever in a tiny hidden neighborhood in N. Charleston. The CODfather, Proper Fish & Chips is just that – a PROPER fish and chip shop. It’s everything you imagined (or remember) of the classic fish and chips shops in the UK – crunchy, fresh, delicate, and perfectly golden brown cooked fish every time. And lets not forget the chips. OHHHHHH…Those perfect chips.
I grew up spending summers being carted “across the pond” to England. My parents and oldest sister were all from there and moved to the States sometime before I was born. Each summer, we went back as a family to visit with grandparents, cousins, aunts and uncles and brush up on all things British – the quirky words they used like “rubbish” and “lorry”, the delicious afternoon teas with trifles, biscuits and finger sandwiches, the delightfully rocky beaches with freezing cold water, and…YES…the deliciously cooked Fish & Chips. Probably one of my favorite memories growing up was going to the “chippy shop” near my grandmother’s home for some fresh made fish & chips wrapped in paper and then carried back to her place to devour n her humble little card table with loads of malt vinegar. Well…that and the ice cream trucks selling Mr. Whippie. But that’s for another post.
The BEST decor!
So armed with these delicious memories, you can imagine my excitement when I got wind that Adam was opening his shop up here in little old Charleston. I think a tear may have been shed. Maybe more. Let’s just say, I was pretty excited. Somehow excited makes me feel less crazy and desperate.
While I usually go for lunch, this time I went with a handful of our #TastemakersChs group for an early dinner, and it couldn’t have been better. We arrived and decided to take over their quaint little interior (mainly because I am an English rose that will wilt in any measured heat). We spread out and filled up that little dining space with all of our fun Tastemakers crew taking Instagram photos of the mushy pea drop and the sexy gravy pour. And, yes…eating. Oh… the eating!
*Side note – don’t EVER eat with food bloggers. We are always very concerned about the pretty pictures we will get. Less so about the fact that you are hungry for fish & chips.
The food here is so authentic that when I texted my British cousin photos of my half eaten plate that night, she was as impressed by the curry sauce and gravy she saw in the background as she was with the fact that we actually have fish and chips shop here that I don’t have to cross an ocean to get to. It’s the real deal.
The menu at the CODfather is straightforward and simple. Each meal Chef Adam makes is made fresh to order. You can get a full or half order and an assortment of sides with it as well. Mushy peas, gravy and curry sauce are all on the menu, along with the fish butty (a fish sandwich for you non-Brits). Personally I like to order a half order complete with with mushy peas, gravy and loads and loads of malt vinegar. MMMmmmmmmm.
They also have a whole portion of there business that makes meat pies which are served hot right there in house or ready for you to take home and bake yourself. (You know you are a true Brit if you love a meat pie. AMIRIGHT?) They don’t serve liquor….yet. I am hoping that changes in the future, because a beer would have washed this all down nicely. But they do have a BYOB policy that I didn’t know about. *Memo to self – bring a growler next time.
There is plenty of malt vinegar to go around and even HP sauce on the tables. If you just want straight up ketchup – well…there’s that too. And some house made tartar sauce that I dream of things I can put it on hourly. It’s that good.
I can’t say much more than OH MY GOD GET THERE NOW! Consider this your official nudge in the right direction – the direction of N. Charleston.
PS – A word of advice: If you go on the weekends…go early and go hungry (always go hungry. Trust me). They sell out of mushy peas sometimes. I am trying to save you from the unending heartache that I suffered my first time there. Also, any notion of a diet needs to go out of your head. Don’t try to be on some ridiculous low carb, low fat, gluten-free, vegan diet and heat here. Just…NO.
