Eating Out and About in London for the 2007 WSOP Europe

Our fish and chips meal at the Sea Shell Restaurant in Marylebone during the 2007 WSOP Europe. (Bodog Beat Image)

Fish and chips. So simple, just fried fish and fried potatoes. Yet, it's the dish that everyone thinks of when they think of British food. The enduring symbol of the English culinary culture.

So, when most of London panders to this image and every other restaurant around here serves this combination, where do you go to eat the best fish and chips in London? After consulting with some folks we know around here, the consensus among the locals seemed to be a restaurant in the Marylebone area of London called the Sea Shell Restaurant.

Of course, fish and chips at a place with a name like that. Why not? It also happens to be Liza Manelli's favorite place in London. We did not let this deter us.

After a cab ride that felt like it went out of the city turned around and came back in, we arrived on a quiet corner in a mostly residential neighborhood. The only activity on the street was the place we were headed and the pub across the road. The restaurant is actually split into two parts: the traditional takeaway up front and a sit-down restaurant behind with an entrance down the side. Since we had nowhere to take our food away to, we opted for the restaurant.

The menu was impressive with several different options for the kind of fish we might want with our chips like haddock, sole, etc... For the weight-conscious options there were options to replace the chips. In search of a truly authentic experience, we went with the cod and chips with mushy peas on the side and an obligatory pint to accompany (we say obligatory a lot when it comes to having pints with meals because it real feels like the proper English thing to do).

After about 20 minutes in which we began to wonder if they were actually having to go and catch the fish to then serve it to us, our meal arrived. A huge piece of golden fried cod with chips was laid before me, immediately triggering my saliva glands. Mouths watering we did what any good Brit would do and drowned our fish and chips in malt vinegar and ketchup and tucked in. For a break from the sharp taste of vinegar we dug into the mushy peas, which, suprisingly enough, are exactly what they sound like they are. They are so mushy in fact that they arrive pretty much as one heap of green deliciousness.

Once our meal was complete, we turned our attention to the dessert menu where we found another traditional English menu item, "spotted dick." We called the waitress over and, with stifled ejaculations of laughter, ordered this inappropriately named delight.

To tell the truth, the "dick" was really good, best "dick" we've ever had. It's a kind of cake dotted with raisins which is then drowned in yellow custard. Eating "dick" was the perfect way to end this meal. Ok, we're done now.

Stay tuned for more live updates and childish jokes live from the 2007 WSOP Europe.