Exploring lunch options in Mystic's S&P Oyster Company

January 06, 2016 11:01 pm • Last Updated: January 07, 2016 10:19 pm

By Rick Koster
Day Arts/Features writer

We have some really rich friends who, for some reason, turn a deaf ear whenever I reach out — typically in a sort of whining donkey’s bray — to ask for free money. “I don’t want to pay it back; it won’t be a loan,” I explain. “I just want to spend it lavishly. You can afford to do this.”

Can’t figure out why the idea hasn’t resonated.

In the meantime, my wife, Eileen — who, by the way, cringes at my entreaties for no-obligations cash — and I have to strategize when it comes to upscale dining. Budget, y’see. One solution is to go to really nice restaurants during the day and take advantage of less expensive lunch menus.

In the case of the S&P Oyster House in Mystic, there’s a triple bonus to this concept. Yes, the noontime prices are very reasonable. And, at some point in the recent past, they’ve added a significant vegetarian/vegan component to their menu — making it an alluring destination for my meat/fish/fowl-eschewing bride. Third: there’s also the panoramic aspect. On the main floor dining room, the floor-to-ceiling windows make it feel like you’re hovering over the Mystic River. Upstairs, a seat at the bar allows you to slurp bivalve mollusks whilst gazing dreamily upriver all the way to the Sound.

I’m sure there are glittering lights reflecting on the water after the sun goes down, but the daytime views are just spectacular. At any time, S&P is a lovely restaurant, with China red walls on the downstairs and a bright yellow motif on the second floor.

As for our midday dining experiences, well, they’ve been wonderful. On the first visit, we grabbed the last two stools at the bar during a bustling-holiday weekday and were deftly taken care of by a friendly, informative and efficient bartender. An encore trip in the main dining room, on a Sunday afternoon with brittle winter sunlight angling through the windows, was the sort of leisurely experience we didn’t want to end. Service was, this time out, a cooperative affair, but both waitresses were quick, happy, and took good care of us.

Eileen’s experiences made her so happy. In addition to their regular veg-choices, S&P offers a daily vegetarian soup special and each one she tried was beautifully prepared.

Roasted green chili with pasole ($6) was a creamy concoction with subtle chili sensations and the roasted peppers contributing a delicate smokiness — all topped with corn and black bean salsa. A cup of cream of broccoli ($6) was simple and without needless adornments. The essence was on the vegetable and its flavor and texture. Well done.

An arugula, toasted farro and beet salad ($11) was as colorful as it was creative. A corridor of nutty, chewy farro, cloaked with beet and orange slices, bisected a rectangular plate diametrically. On either side, mounds of arugula were festooned with, respectively, whipped feta and walnuts, both delicately marinated in an orange smoked red chili vinaigrette.

On our Sunday lunch, she loved the roasted vegetable polenta ($14). Beautifully presented in a square bowl, polenta was heaped with butternut squash, asparagus, mushrooms, shallots, cherry tomatoes, baby carrots and baby arugula. The veggies were all precisely cooked, and the toasty polenta had a great velvety texture and a crisped exterior. E salted to taste, but this was glorious.

As for myself, I was also pleased each time by a soup offering. Seafood white bean chili ($10) was extraordinary; the separate taste receptors on my tongue didn’t know what the hell to do but laugh. Shrimp, bay scallops and crawfish all jostled for space in a flavorful and playfully spiced clear broth. Yes, shredded cheese and strips of tortillas provided texture.

As for New England clam chowder ($6 cup, $8 bowl), the chewy bits of clam and tender potato floated luxuriantly in a fog of creamy broth. A nice rendition of a regional staple.

One can grab a Wood-Grilled Swordfish Sandwich ($15 and served with tangy kettle chips) and feel positively healthy about the experience. The generous hunk of fresh fish, redolent of the wood grill, was, though, nuanced by crisp bacon, avocado and a tantalizing aioli. Not sure about the “health” thereof, but it was so, so good.

Seafood Ambrosia ($18) seemed a small portion arriving at the table — but my initial perspective didn’t allow for the seductive richness of the dish or the density of large shrimp, tangy scallops and shreds of cod and crab en casserole. The cathedral ceiling on this construct was a butter-happy, velvet-smooth seafood stuffing. It’s maybe too rich — is such a thing possible? No.

And, yes, of course there are the titular oysters. I’m from the Gulf Coast, where one can routinely find a dozen on the half-shell for five bucks, so the prices at S&P are a little more intimidating. But, priced daily depending on the catch, they’re certainly competitive with other seafood restaurants in the region. Selections from local waters ($2.50 each) were medium sized and with a delightful briny murk to the flavor. Also: Conway Pearl oysters from Canada ($3 each) were small and gorgeously sweet.

When one of my rich pals comes through, I’ll scarf a few dozen — and go back for dinner. S&P is a treasure of a place.