Ticket to Fried! Michael’s Toronto Beatles Chippy Still Thriving
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t all started when Michael Fresco was 14 years old. Working at a fast-food joint in Montreal, he turned fresh-cut potatoes into delicious French fries and found he was hooked on cooking. Over the years, that passion only grew. “When I met my future wife, I invited her over for my veal scaloppini,” he says. “She was shocked to realize hey, this guy’s an amazing cook!” In 2010, Michael put his culinary talents to work. A friend was selling her fish and chips shop in Kensington Market, and Michael made an offer. With only eight seats inside, the place felt like a sweaty shoebox, but the fish and chips were so popular that Michael opened a second location on St. Clair West. Then, in 2016, when a 2,400 square foot space opened down the street on Augusta Avenue, Michael grabbed it. “We closed the deal and the very next day, Fresco’s was open for business again,” Michael recalls. He opened his doors to Kensington Market
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Chippy Chat & Fast Food Magazine • April 2022
with his own unique Beatles themed twist to quality English style fish and chips and delicious Quebec style Poutine Fried with Love Now, you can eat your fish and chips – and all the other goodies made in the open-air kitchen – in style. There’s air conditioning, long wooden tables, a big patio for people watching, and a cool ’60s/’70s vibe right down to the music playing and the art on the walls. Along with three other cooks, Michael is behind the counter frying to his heart’s content. All the food at Fresco’s is made with love, and it tastes like it. The fish comes in two different batters: a traditional light tempura and one that Michael invented. His secret? “My Miss Vickie’s Batter is made by crushing up the salt malt vinegar chips to give the fish a better crunch that lasts a lot longer for takeout.” Fresco’s serves everything from haddock, cod and
Chippy Chat & Fast Food Magazine • April 2022
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