Best Fish'n'Chips?

Do you remember high school? And how the really popular kids all seemed to be so much more beautiful and wonderful than everyone else? And how when you got out of high school you realized it was just an illusion that was perpetrated by the popular kids themselves?

Sometimes it's the same thing in the real world. For instance, it's hard to know whether we like the fish'n'chips at the Laurelwood brewpub in Hollywood because they genuinely are the best fish'n'chips in town, or if it's the fact that their beer is so far superior to anything anyone else brews that their very decent fish'n'chips seem that much better, too.

Other joints bread their fish with something resembling that stuff called gak that you made for your kids out of white glue and liquid starch. Then they drop it in a deep fryer till it turns brown on the outside but remains gluey inside. And when you bite into it, the hot gak burns your mouth and the pathetic little piece of fish falls out into your lap. And don't get me started on the fries. They're usually the size of wood lathe and about as tasty.

So I'll take the lightly beer-battered halibut at Laurelwood and munch on their perfectly adequate, crunchy fries, thank you. If you've found some pretty darn good fish'n'chips of your own, let us know by clicking on the comments button below. We're always looking for more excuses to drink beer!

Details: Laurelwood Public House and Brewery, 1728 NE 40th Ave. Phone 503-282-0622.