Our culinary journey begins. Lunch at Standard Bistro.
John-Bryan Hopkins




T and I ventured down Highway 280 on a fall Saturday to experience a lunch we will remember fondly. There, at #3 Mt Laurel Avenue, is Standard Bistro.
I have always been fond of Mt. Laurel’s city planning and architecture. The fire station there is one of my favorite pieces of architecture in Alabama.
An unassuming rubble-stone-and-shingle building houses this great restaurant.
T and I were greeted and—because I am picky—I selected the table I wanted. We were handed menus, printed in easy-to-read Art Nouveau font (how authentically bistro!).
I spotted the baked oysters, and T zeroed in on the pork and beans, of all things.
Fresh warm bread was served with room-temperature sweet butter. All was well.
The fresh-baked oysters were served on a bed of rock salt. T’s pork and beans were beyond good, meaty and not too sweet.
Read on to see what came next!