Now I'm originally a Brit, so the one thing that we take seriously is our fish and chips. Too many of the fish and chip joints in this city are lackluster. Fresco was the first place to really make me think I was getting a piece of home.
We ordered the cod and chips (2 pieces for $11.95! A great price for Fish and Chips in the city of Toronto) as well as the lobster po boy. The fish was amazingly crisp on the outside, giving way to a tender and meaty (what an oxymoron) core. The chips were crispy on the outside, a lovely golden brown and tasted like potato on the inside (I know it's a strange thing to say but there are so many chips in this city that don't even taste like the vegetable it came from!).
The coleslaw is crisp and refreshing (it's so good that even I, someone who loathes most coleslaws, decidedly wiped it clean).
The meal was so great we ordered an extra sandwich for good measure; the shrimp po boy. While my partner couldn't decide which sandwich was better (shrimp or lobster) I am firmly in the shrimp camp. It's made with the Ms. Vickies extra crisp batter (lives up to its name) and is just a burst of flavourful goodness. The shrimp are pretty large too; none of that sad mini stuff that some places serve. That isn't to knock on the lobster which comes with large crunches of lobster, I'm just a sucker for shrimp.
The atmosphere just wraps up the food experience in a great way. The staff are super friendly. They know how to take care of their regulars, and they know how to welcome new comers whether it's with a cute little anecdote, or discussing the tunes that they play in the shop (we got to request a track which totally made our day).
As my partner said it's got a small town feel in a big city. If you want the chance to feel a genuine human connection while eating amazing classic food; this is your place.