This weekend on the way back from Lund, Mom and I decided to stop in at the Laughing Oyster for appies, lured by the memory of a rather special non-alcoholic drink we’d enjoyed there.
Turned out we were hungry enough to order lunch, and a good thing we did! Our waitress was prompt and friendly, and we were given a table with a lovely view. Mom ordered the Charlotte’s Chicken and Mushroom, which had a lobster flavored spicy sauce (even I who abhor spicy food liked it), bits of chicken the perfect level of tender, nicely cooked mushrooms, and fresh shallots on top. Presentation was glorious. Mom ate the whole thing in spite of a small appetite.
I went with a safe choice, the Chicken Club Ciabatta. It was the best damn chicken club I’ve ever had. The ciabatta was chewy and warm, not hard and cold like so many ciabattas. The chicken was real chicken, not that processed pap, and it was cooked to tender perfection, with no hard tips or bits. Lettuce was fresh, and the bacon was not too soft, but not too crispy. The sandwich came with a salad and kennebec fries, both delicious. I don’t know what kind of dressing was on the salad, but it was just the right amount and tasted like heaven. The fries were real, hand-sliced potatoes fried in pure vegetable oil and covered with the same coating put on the calamari–a real treat! Owner Dave Bowes is fussy about getting the freshest local greens and vegetables wherever possible, and it shows.
It was a shame neither of us is much of a seafood fan, since the Laughing Oyster is justly famous for its local seafood. Several friends claim the oysters there were the finest of their lives.