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| - Location: St. Viateur, in very close proximity to my beloved Olimpico. HELLO - what more can a girl ask for? Not a whole lot. The closest subway is probably Laurier (20-minute walk from there) and street parking is available, however you probably won't find a spot.
The place: 21 is on the small size, but they make great use of their space , with a horseshoe-shaped counter that reminds of me an old-school diner. The wait staff can basically see everyone and chit chat to their hearts' content while patrons who are feeling super sociable can start random conversations about the virtues of tartar sauce with whomever they wish. Now that I think of it, the place reminds me of a seaside shack, and thus, is cozy and warm. Also, not a hipster in site (at least not when I went).
The goods: I ordered the basic fish & chips with fries (don't tell my trainer). I forgot to ask what kind of fish they use (looked like Halibut) but whatever it was, it was nice and flaky when I cut into it, perfectly white, moist and not at all fishy. Surprisingly, the batter was super crispy and not oily/greasy at all. I mean, I didn't see one drop of crap dripping from it at all. I may have inhaled my fish but no one really knows. The tartar sauce, which I believe to be homemade, was great. Light and refreshing. Tasty. A hint of citrus or something. The fries were a little crispy on the outside and perfect on the inside, and again, no oil or grease in sight. Yumm-O.
Service: Super fantastically amazing. I didn't catch the name of our waitress, but she's got to be THE friendliest waitress in the entire Mile End, next to the boys over at Olimpico. She was warm, chatty, and always had a smile on her face. She basically treated everyone like they were an old friends popping in for a visit. Love this girl.
Price point: Reasonable for the portion and quality.
21 is on par with my favourite chip shop (Brit & Chips) and I'll definitely be coming back. Especially if there are no hipsters.
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