It has got to be the economy. And the Green thing.-- They are not wasting anything. Ugh and double ugh.

Susan,
After having to send your oily salads back last year, and finding chicken skin in your chicken salad this year, perhaps you ought to consider having your yearly get-together luncheon somewhere else! The restaurant's reputation is far outstripping its performance.

That's one of the dumbest things I've ever heard! I can't imagine anyone being happy with that recipe. I'm surprised they didn't put the silly chicken skin in my crepes too!

Well - it may be organic but certainly not low-fat.. I'd still complain to the corporate office. Yucko-poached chicken skin... [how about poaching some yourself & mailing it to the CEO? -- icko thought - please ignore!]

I would be very upset to find chicken fat in a chicken salad sandwich, regardless of where it was, but especially at a "fine dining" restaurant.

I wonder how many customers ever order chicken salad a second time after finding skin it the first time. Someone needs to tell the chef, or someone in charge that the chicken skin is just plain gross and they should consider dropping it as an ingredient. I wonder how many customers have ever bothered to complain about it. Maybe they thought it was a one time thing that some skin accidentally got into it.

I'd sure be letting someone know.

Sue

That's gross. Blech. Nauseating, actually. I would have complained too!

Danielle

I almost made the call to the restaurant when I found out the skin was in there on purpose. But if I gave my name (and I wouldn't want to do it any other way) there would be a risk of my DIL getting some flack over it. What I really should have done was brought it to the waitress' attention at the time.

But yes, Mcmann and I will discuss Plan B (or even C) for a new restaurant when the time comes. Hawley is on a large lake, with many dining choices.

I'm wondering if the skin was left on for flavor, but they neglected to remove it before cutting up the meat. There is a lot of flavor in chicken skin, but the thought of running into a slimy, gooey chunk of it is repulsive.

It sounds to me that this "fine restaurant" is a prime example of the story about the Emperor's New Clothes. I "hear" a lot of claims about a lot of things that are "supposed to be" and find I don't agree. Perhaps it's all smoke and mirrors? Have you ever gotten a GREAT meal there? Or just two "problem" ones?

Yuk, I used to love the skin, but now I find it awful. For flavor I would get, but to be left in to eat, no thanks.

Trin

I had a feeling it was intentional. I like the skin when it's crispy. But as I get older I tend to avoid the skin more when I have the option. Breaded fried chicken is no choice! But I still don't think it belongs in chicken salad.

I used to take the skin off the turkey when I'd cook it, microwave it until it's crisp and enjoy a fabulous snack. My little dog used to literally fight me for it. He loved turkey but more than once tried to grab the crispy skin out of my mouth!

Hmmmmmm. Sometimes these upscale places do not know the difference between oh, say, French peasant food and French cuisine developed and tested, by trusted experienced chefs, with the recipes carefully guarded, and handed down through generations. For instance, Italian royalty did not eat squid. Squid is what gets caught in the fishermen's nets and is cut out and tossed to the street urchins who did not have the money to buy fish and vegetables.

I Googled *Chicken Skin Salad* and one came up from Daniel Boulud's ''Cafe Boulud Cookbook'' linked below. Yuck.

I guess it is just a matter of what one is used to. I mean if someone tried to explain hot dogs to a visitor I'm sure the person would cringe. "Hot dogs! Why yes siree, they are a favorite of almost every American! You just take some pig intestines and rinse out the fecal matter, and then fill them with ground up snouts and tails, and liver and hearts and spinal cord and whatever else is laying around after a hog butchering. Mmmmmmmmmm. Oh and lots of salt. LOTS of salt. Then boil 'em. Boy, I could sure go for one right now with onions. Hey wait! Where are you going?? Don't you want to eat here? No, I wasn't kidding, why?........"

Here is a link that might be useful: Chicken Skin Salad

You gotta be kiddin' me. It was done on purpose!? I could see crispy skin, maybe, maybe, but boiled? No thanks. I would be finding a new "fine dining" restaurant to frequent. I could see if it was an error on the staffs part but to intentionally put it in is just wrong. Lord knows what other unusual "parts" are being put in other dishes. NancyLouise

If you want to spare your DIL flak, send the complaint using your maiden name, or even anonymously, the owner should know how people really feel about the chefs specials.

For many chicken salad may be their choice of "lighter fare" compared to the other items on the menu. Boiled Chicken skin in the food is just tacky.

I agree with Scottymam, if enough people express their distaste in the recipe, perhaps they'll consider changing it rather than risk losing business.

And should the skin ingredient be listed on the menu for the sake of disclaimer? What if someone had a reaction to it because they didn't know it was in it?

I'd for sure find a way to let them know it grossed you out.

I just had a reaction to it and I only read about it. LOL! Disgusting.

It's more likely that the place is coasting on its past reputation. It's been around for 30 years or so, and has always been highly regarded. It has changed chefs several times, though, and perhaps that is part of the explanation.

My daughter Gillian was in charge of the lunch kitchen there for a short time before she became a clarinet major in college. She was a vegetarian and quite knowledgeable about natural foods, and she loved the way they did things there. But that was more than a decade ago.