Turkey Club Friendships

One of the things I love to do is to join friends or close family and have lunch out. The hustle and bustle of a restaurant during lunch hours is part of the thrill for me. Since the average person has only 30 minutes for lunch it is up to the cooks and wait staff to prepare and serve them their meals within that time frame. If I have a view of the kitchen area I am in awe of the "short order cooks" and how focused they are in preparing sandwiches and other items on the lunch menu.
It is enjoyable to sit with friends relaxing and catching up on each others lives. Whether its' chatting about books, movies, family or situations and things to come - lunch is the perfect venue to do that. I feel more relaxed at lunch versus dinner. With dinner you feel more anxious to leave a table because someone else has a reserved spot to dine.
One of my favorite lunches to order out and which I generally tend to stick to is the Turkey Club. It's one of those sandwiches I would not be quick to make at home so for me it is a treat. Since I am very fussy about what I like and don't like, I always ask if the turkey is fresh roasted on premise or a processed deli turkey. If it's fresh roasted - I'm in; if not, then it's back to burger land.
For me the perfect Turkey Club is fresh cooked turkey and bacon, Hellmann's mayonnaise, crisp lettuce and ripe tomatoes on a good toasted bread. There are a few restaurants in my area that make an excellent turkey club sandwich and those are the places I enjoy the sandwich, the atmosphere and of course the company I am with!
Locally the restaurants that get my turkey club five star rating are:

• Cristy's Luncheonette in Westbrook, Connecticut (open year round)

Cristy's has been around for as long as I can remember and one of the original owners "Sal" D'cristoforo can be found in there on a daily basis taking up residence at the counter. I believe he sold the place and from when I first went in there it has undergone and extreme make over. Atmosphere is relaxed, casual and the prices are very reasonable.  The wait staff are efficient, friendly and right on the ball. Seating is adequate - eat at the counter, in a booth or at a table near the gas fireplace. No reservations required for lunch. Open for breakfast and lunch.

• The Shack Restaurant in Niantic, Connecticut (open year round)

The Shack Restaurant in Niantic is in a small strip mall and offers you the opportunity to see the cooks at work. The decor is country decorations placed on the walls and they have a good size seating capacity. The wait staff is friendly.  There is a lot of seating available - booth or tables. No reservations required for lunch. Open for breakfast and lunch.

• The Back Porch in Old Saybrook, Connecticut (open seasonally from May through September)

Open seasonally The Back Porch offers and indoor dining room, lunch can be served to you at the bar or you can enjoy dining outside with a terrific view of  Long Island Sound. Atmosphere is casual and comfortable and seating is abundant. The price of the Turkey Club is just slightly higher, but still reasonable. A great place to sit outdoors with friends to catch up on all of life's happenings!  On a sunny day you can bask in the sun under the awning and enjoy the view. The wait staff is courteous, friendly and efficient.  Open for lunch and dinner.They do not accept reservations.