Lunker’s a scary place

Published 7:38 pm Thursday, October 25, 2012

Lunker’s decided to make Halloween a happening this October with Wicked Wednesdays. Gathered around the apple-bobbing basin are Molly St. Lawrence, Frankie Swaw, Nate Thomas, Betsy Gunden, Shaunel Jacobs, Pauly Allen, Patty Stoffl, Valdo Garcia, Nestor Herrera, Shauna Gates and Kari Brown.

 

EDWARDSBURG — Don’t be overly alarmed if your bloody server dashes through the dining room trying to escape a chainsaw-wielding madman.

It’s part of the Halloween fun at Lunker’s 30,000-square-foot Angler’s Inn restaurant, which seats 235.

Wicked Wednesdays are the talk of this town and perhaps others, since a curious Niles Haunted House Scream Park delegation dropped in to check out the creepy competition.

There’s no ghoul-ash on the menu, but there is the Fear Factor platter of octopus, frog legs, kangaroo, gizzards, rattlesnake bites and witch fingers (breadsticks with a red almond nail).

They also conjured up a cauldron of frightful specialty drinks — Jack ’O Lantern, Witch’s Blood, Brain Hemorrhage, Pina Ghoulada and Dracula’s Kiss.

There is a witch in a corner booth doing a reading, an all-day loop of scary music, a fog machine and trick-or-treat candy for children (“some are scared, some love it”).

There’s an apple-bobbing contest at 7:30 judged by police officer Gerald Ross.

Fruit floats in a tub along with skulls, a brain tastefully set aside.

The winner is entitled to a comped meal for up to four people.

October’s winners compete against each other on Halloween for a prize.

“This is our first year,” restaurant manager and green-faced witch Patty Stoffl said, pointing out a real prisoner’s chair with leg restraints on loan.

“It’s been so much fun, I kind of hate to see it go,” said Stoffl, a 24-year employee. “I believe we’ll do it next year. I heard people talking about it at the gas station.”

“It took us about a week to decorate,” with Pauly Allen devoting hours to draping the ceiling in what looks like miles of cobwebs.

“I put them up,” she said with a malevolent grin, “so they have to take them down.”

There is also a 12-foot werewolf suspended from the ceiling, a casket and a portrait with glowing red eyes.

Molly St. Lawrence has no trouble clearing a path from the kitchen with a tray full of food what with the butcher knife speared through her temples

Seven servers, two bartenders and two managers seem to be having fun concocting custom costumes.

Halloween decorations come down Nov. 1 after the final Wicked Wednesday on Halloween, then Lunker’s begins decorating for Christmas.

Lunker’s is never at a loss anyway for things to ogle with an aquarium occupied by fish oddities and a taxidermist.