#WBFF
This video is for a third-party #WillBikeForFood, organized as a group ride to Port Credit by @Recumbent Trike, and attended by members of the Neon Riders, a raver/biker gang known to invade neighbourhoods with their happy music and mobile light shows. ;)
We met at Coronation Park at 11:30 am on the August holiday Monday, and took the usual route along the Waterfront Trail to Port Credit. Roc'n Doc's was our first stop. Although they have an outdoor, rooftop patio, we opted to do takeout so we could eat down by the lake. There is a gazebo a short distance away with plenty of seating and room for our bikes.
There were no lobster rolls on the menu, so I went for my standard measuring stick of fish 'n chips as a way to compare to other restaurants. While the fries were fantastic (chip wagon style, lightly seasoned with flaky salt), the fish was nothing to rave about. The portions are large (I went with the two-piece entrée), but the batter is on the heavy side and lacked any particular flavour. The same could be said about the fish itself. There was a larger-than-average 3 oz container of tartar sauce supplied: maybe they are of the opinion that the fish is merely a carrier for tartar sauce? If so, they should at least put more effort than pumping it from a Sysco bucket.
It's not that the fish 'n chips are bad_, but they are exactly the same as what you would get at practically any other pub or diner. It's the minimum standard needed to legitimately list "fish 'n chips" on the menu. The coleslaw probably came out of a Sysco bucket too. I didn't get a lemon slice or malt vinegar either, not even any utensils. My guess is that the place stays in business because of their patio and live music, and the food is just good enough that most people don't hate it. Maybe I'll try their poutine next time (assuming they use cheese curds) because the fries _were great.
Our second stop was Dairy Cream for dessert. We showed up to a line that snaked through the parking lot in front, but with most groups standing (more or less) two meters apart, it wasn't as bad as it looked. It took 30 minutes for our turn, and I'm told there are times where the wait can be an hour or longer.
Their claim to fame is their ice cream and also their funnel cakes. I was already pretty stuffed from just half of the fish 'n chips (well, half the fish but all the chips), so I opted for a mango and pineapple milkshake. I couldn't watch them make it, but presumably they start with scoops of their ice cream, but at some point they must also blend in some actual fruit. The shake itself wasn't so thick that it was difficult to suck up through a straw, but rather the chunks of pineapple occasionally blocked passage. Really good. I'm usually not a fan of milkshakes because they either go overboard with the thickness or the sweetness, or sometimes both. Anything larger than a 12 oz small cup, and I'm usually struggling to finish it. Not so in this case, with their 16 oz medium cup going down easily.
If you want old-fashioned, no-nonsense ice cream, this is the place for you. They don't trade quality or flavour for Instagram-ready presentation. I didn't even bother taking a photo of my milkshake, because everyone knows what a milkshake looks like, and I care about how it tastes, not how it looks. Maybe their funnel cakes would make for more compelling photography subjects, so I'll have to try those another time. Just not on a sunny, holiday Monday and the crowds that come with it...