Carr’s Oyster Bar
It was time to break for lunch, so Cyril Arsenault drove us to one of his favorite places — Carr’s Oyster Bar, located at the mouth of the Stanley River where it flows into New London Bay. Looking across the river you’ll see this scene:
Across Stanley River from Carr’s
Stepping inside and walking toward the back, you’re greeted by another welcoming sign in the main seating area:
Welcome to Carr’s
The interior of this rather busy establishment:
Carr’s Oyster Bar seating
Make sure you look up and to the right as you first enter to see this behemoth:
Now, what would an oyster bar be without fresh oysters straight from the nearby oyster farms?
Oysters don’t come any fresher than this
But I don’t do raw oysters. As I frequently say, “Never eat raw that which thrives on human sewage.” Stewed, baked, broiled or fried, absolutely, and I know raw is good from a trusted source, nevertheless… .
So, my plate had the fried variety, along with shrimp, scallops, haddock, and a small crab cake:
Carr’s Five Fried Sampler
Ursula opted for one of her favorites, seafood chowder:
Carr’s Seafood Chowder
One of our companions enjoyed a lobster roll:
Lobster Roll with French Fries
Ursula rate her chowder exquisite, and she thought it was one of the best she had the entire trip. The lobster roll was proclaimed good, but I thought it was rather small (just wait to see what we had in Bar Harbor, Maine later in this fall foliage series, just for comparison). My fried platter was just a bit of a disappointment. As with the lobster roll, the portion was heavy on the fries and light on the seafood. The shellfish and haddock could have used a bit more time in the fryer, as you can see from the blondish color, and the oil could have been a bit hotter for a crispier texture.
All in all, it was an okay lunch, and probably not overpriced considering, but I was left thinking I’d have been better off ordering Ursula’s choice.
I didn’t get a picture of Cyril’s choice, but there’s a humorous story attached to that. Cyril ordered his favorite, the coconut shrimp. He allowed me to sample one, and it was very good. He then went on to brag how Carr’s only uses locally sourced ingredients. Never one to miss an opportunity, I looked toward Cyril and, without missing a beat, said, “You really must show us that local grove of coconut trees.”
Decisions — Murder in Paradise
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R. Doug Wicker — Author 