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About The daily Astorian. (Astoria, Or.) 1961-current | View Entire Issue (June 30, 2016)
10 // COASTWEEKEND.COM Coast Weekend’s local restaurant review Seaside fi sh and chips spot knows its breading From a former drive-thru cof- fee hut in Seaside, Grizzly offers take-out only, save for two un- MOUTH@COASTWEEKEND.COM covered picnic benches. They’ll Well wouldn’t you know it do in a pinch, but the sight (of — one week after declaring the Nike outlet store) and the beer-battered fish and chips “far, sound (the aggressive whoosh of far superior” to the breaded va- Highway 101 traffic) don’t do riety, along comes Grizzly Tuna much for ambiance. with a breadcrumb crust so per- But ambiance matters less fect as to rattle my foundation. when you’re faced with a terrific Unlike the usual soft, dry product at a reasonable price. breading that leeches moisture On one trip I noticed a couple in from the fish and puffs you up their car, absolutely devouring with dough, Grizzly Tuna’s gold- their respective orders in total en mixture is thin and crisp with silence. I walked by and said: an incredibly satisfying crunch. It “Pretty good, right?” They smiled snaps and shatters like a pota- and nodded in vigorous agree- to chip and, unlike most of its ment, but couldn’t be bothered breaded brethren, somehow keeps to speak — their mouthes were from getting soggy. Relatively busy. The woman licked her lean and not too oily, Grizzly’s fingers and dove in for more. The crust is a revelation. man never looked up. The secret Indeed, Griz- has to do with a zly’s is a decid- GRIZZLY’S combination of two edly minimalist CRUST IS A different types of experience. It REVELATION. knows what it does breading, likely panko and another. well and appears That’s all I could wrest from the comfortable in that narrow lane. employees who squinted know- There are fish and chips, and ingly at me when I asked and that’s it. You can get a three- otherwise stayed tight-lipped. piece order ($8, a totally reason- What is clear is that the recipe able amount of food), a five- took some time to perfect. When piece order ($10, the way to go), Grizzly Tuna opened about a a side of fries ($3.50) and bottled year ago, the place went with drinks. (The fries, by the way, are beer-batter. The breading began as fries — they’re fine.) a healthier, less-greasy alternative Every order comes with ketch- before edging out the original. up and tartar sauce. Ask and you The superior crust prevailed. can get lemons and packets of Grizzly’s tuna comes from malt vinegar. Some more excit- Ocean Beauty, a Seattle-based ing, fresh, hand-made sauces or company with a facility in slaws would be welcome. And Astoria. In Grizzly’s hands, the while improving the surround- tuna filets are cut flat and wide, ings would require the moving of at largest about the size and earth, spicing up the dips offers thickness of a wallet, the grain tantalizing potential at minimal apparent, running vertically. It’s outlay. hearty, lean and clean, a bit but- Otherwise, Grizzly’s service tery, somewhat flaky. (cheery and quick, orders tak- Around this time of year — late ing about fi ve minutes), value June and early July — is when the (quite reasonable, always fi lling), tuna are caught closest to shore. and consistency (exacting) are The distance — which can take impeccable. With that in mind, I boats hundreds of miles off-shore feel Grizzly could give Astoria’s — can shrink to single-digits. beloved Bowpicker a run for Review and photos by MOUTH OF THE COLUMBIA W GRIZZLY TUNA Rating: 850 N. Roosevelt Drive, Seaside HOURS: 11 a.m. to 7 p.m. daily PRICE: $ – Reasonable price and portion. SERVICE: Quick, cheerful and consistent. VEGETARIAN / VEGAN OP- TIONS: French fries. DRINKS: Bottled soda, water. KEY TO STAR RATING SYSTEM Poor Below average Good Excellent Best in region The grain of the fi sh is apparent in Grizzly’s tuna fi sh and chips. Grizzly Tuna in Seaside serves up fi sh and chips from a former coff ee stand. Grizzly Tuna serves take-out fi sh and chips, though two uncovered picnic tables are available nearby next to U.S. Highway 101. its money in the annual Coast Weekend Readers’ Choice Awards for Best Fish & Chips this winter. Plus, Grizzly’s takes credit cards, and there isn’t that ridiculous line. Indeed, if you’re a fi sh and chips fan and you haven’t been to Griz- zly Tuna you owe yourself a trip. For me, Grizzly did two things. First it made me realize that, when done right, breading can go toe-to-toe with beer-bat- ter. Second, it got me excited about fish and chips, a dish so ubiquitous on the North Coast that it had become stale in my mind. With Grizzly Tuna, though, on each return trip I found myself in the throws of greater appreciation. It wasn’t boring; it was growing on me — a simple pleasure delivered distinctly, with crunch!
