linguist's Profile
Far East Restaurant, New Haven, CT
"Ants climb tree" is a famous Szechuan dish with ground pork over bean thread noodles. See Wikipedia for more info.
Great Sushi at Hanami II on Route 1 in Branford, Connecticut
As a recently converted fan of Hanami in Clinton, I was delighted to hear they'd opened in Branford (closer to me in Guilford). And the new place more than lives up to expectations. Beautiful big modern space (no hibachi room, though, for those — not me — who want that circus). But the fish is every bit as good as in Clinton. The same incredible range of interesting rolls, and the expected range of sushi/sashimi. Best (fresh from Maine) uni I can recall in this part of the world. Overall excellent.
The sake list is just adequate (not close to Saeko's list at Yooki Yama on the green), and they don't offer fresh real wasabi (as opposed to the eponymous restaurant in Orange), but otherwise it's hard to think of ways for them to improve. Tonight there were very few people (outnumbered by the staff, I think), but I hope other sushi/sashimi lovers on the shoreline will discover them. I
Thai in CT?
Som Siam in Guilford is closer and just as good (despite some mixed reviews on yelp). And New Haven has lts of Thai places, some f which are quite good (and authentic). Search this board for old threads on Thai New Haven - the turnover is not huge.
Breakfast in New Haven
Another good choice. No reason to go hungry in thisart of NH.
Breakfast in New Haven
Zoe's on Orange is not far from Judy's. They don't produce their own baked goods, but they make good sandwiches and are both much less expensive and less "precious" than Judy's. They do a lot of take out (they also deliver, in the area, though I doubt they'd deliver a single breakfast sandwich). A few tables, but rather chaotic at lunchtime (calmer in the morning).
Hanami Restaurant-Clinton Ct
I went to Hanami last night, and was quite impressed. Everyone who comments on the place (here and elsewhere) mentions how clean it is, but the point is the excellent fish. I had an interesting, unusual and surprisingly good giant. ("orange") clam as an appetizer, a nice selection of very fresh, well cut and attractively presented sashimi and a roll with shrimp tempura, king crab and eel. The selection of special rolls is huge and varied. Sake selection limited (nowhere near in the class of Yooki Yama in Branford), but adequate. They don't have fresh wasabi, but then the only place anywhere near that does is Wasabi in Orange. Sashimi portions were generous.
Overall this is a very good alternative to going all the way to Orange. Prices didn't seem out of line to me. I have no idea how successful the hibachi operation in the separate room may be, since I don't go to Japanese restaurants for that (an idea that got started in Japan, I understand, as "western food").
New Haven Thursday Lunch
DonShirer: have you been to Michael's Downtown? I go past it most mornings and evenings on the way from/to the train, and I've been wondering. The previous occupant of this space (the Blue Pearl) was rather uneven, some good things and some awful, always looked like it was a front for something else.
For lunch in New Haven, though, the choices are huge. An interesting new possibility is the little Cuban place (and rum bar!) on Orange Street. But can the OP give a few mre parameters?
Need an Italian Reco in CT
Forget Basta. There's lots of good Italian food in New Haven, but this isn't where to find it (especially with your parameters).
Bufalina now open in Guilford
My wife and I went to Buffalina this evening, and enjoyed it a lot. Both the pizza and the dining experience (conversation with the owners while sitting at the 8 seat counter) were totally different from other places in the area. The pizza is one size, very tasty charred (but not burnt) crust, sparse but excellent toppings. We had the leeks-and-pancetta one and a buffalo mozzarella with sausage, and were happy with both. Prices are not low, but when you see the operation you'll understand they couldn't do it for less.
Limited space means it's important to book - they take reservations in email (or by phone) if you can plan ahead. We also heard that its easier to find a place late (8 o'clock or so - they close at 9).
Overall a wonderful addition to the Guilford restaurant scene. We'll still go to Red Tomato for something quite different, but we look forward to many more evenings here.
Asian produce in New Haven or Norwich area?
If we're talking about the market part of Great Wall (on Whitney), the produce is downstairs.
Is there a decent restaurant on the CT shore?
Whatever the vegetarian equivalent of crow is, I may have to eat some. I was telling my wife about this thread tonight, and she said I was quite wrong. She actually likes this place, and the vegetarian daughter of one of her quilting buddies raves about it. I'm glad you ignored our advice and had a nce dinner.
Meanwhile, my wife was happily eating her steak … sometimes that's what you have to have.
New Haven : need recs for variety and a great seafood/raw bar?/lobsters
Right, Yooki Yama in Branford has very good sushi/sashimi, and an incredible sake list. I do think Wasabi in Orange has slightly better sushi/sashimi, but their sakes are quite limited. They do have real wasabi, though: quite a rarity around here.
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Yama Restaurant
245 Washington St, Wellesley Hills, MA 02481
Is there a decent restaurant on the CT shore?
I second DonShirer's view. The SD&VE sounds like a good idea, but the food is not very good. My wife likes to eat vegetarian when she can, but she's been quite disappointed the times we went there (and now refuses to go). Another Asian place that has a number of veggie dishes is the Chinese place Shangri La (in the little shopping center where Star Fish is). We like quite a few of their things — you might have to ask them to make things completely vegetarian, but they're pretty nice, in my experience, and should accommodate you.
New Haven : need recs for variety and a great seafood/raw bar?/lobsters
Didn't see your post: there may have been some problem (requests for "what's best in New Haven?" generally elicit plenty of response, even if only the inevitable pizza places).
You refer to an Ethiopian place you went to once. If that was Adulis (once a bright spot in downtown eating), you should know that it closed. The space is now occupied by Oaxaca Grill, a Mexican place from the people at Thaali (the best Indian place for many miles, one that could well be on your list for three memorable dinners if sophisticated Indian food appeals to you at all). Not at all bad, and probably the best non-dive Mexican around, but not super, IMO.
I think the best raw bar around is probably at Liv's in Old Saybrook, though that may be a bit far for you. If you can bear the atmosphere, Chowder Pot in Branford does have pretty good stuff of this sort, but you have to promise me you won't eat anything else there.
Memorable meals in New Haven of other sorts would include some of the following: Ibiza, Thaali, Skappo (insufficiently appreciated wonderful family operated place with good Umbrian food and fascinating wine list), Bentara (though not quite as great as it once was), maybe Zinc on a good night. Chinese at Lao Sze Chuan in Orange, Japanese nearby at Wasabi. Further afield, Le Petit Cafe in Branford, Cafe Routier in Westbrook, and the aforementioned Liv's. Fried seafood, lobsters, etc at Lenny's Indian Head in Branford. Fine dining in New Haven at Union League or (not quite as upscale, still good) Heirloom (in the Study Hotel).
You won't go hungry, but truth to tell, I don't think raw bar is New Haven's strongest point. Someone else will no doubt correct me on this.
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Bentara
76 Orange Street, New Haven, CT 06510
Le Petit Cafe
225 Montowese St Ste 7, Branford, CT 06405
Union League Cafe
1032 Chapel Street, New Haven, CT 06510
Been to Union League Cafe in New Haven, CT lately?
We haven't been since early summer, but I guess that counts as "recently." Whatever — Union League keeps getting better, and it's a fine place for a 50th birthday. I don't know about bringing your own cake: their desserts are really quite good (probably the best in town since the Queen of dessert chefs left Zinc to waste her talent at Leon's a couple of years ago).
What you should try depends on what you like (obviously), but don't be afraid of dishes that aren't just plain grilled X. The kitchen here is quite serious. One tip — sometimes my wife picks dish that isn't the one she most wanted, because of some accompaniment she really want (salsify, for example). She doesn't make that mistake any more, because they'll provide most anything they have as a side dish.
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Union League Cafe
1032 Chapel Street, New Haven, CT 06510
Branford local seafood?
So far no one has mentioned the lobster pound at the dock in Guilford, around behind the parking lot for the Guilford Mooring. Avoid the Mooring, but go to the lobster pound (weekends only, I think). Local lobsters, lobster rolls, and a few other fresh shoreline specials.
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Guilford Mooring
505 Old Whitfield St, Guilford, CT 06437
Clam Bake Help: Need Advice on heat and Rocks
The whole thing was described in considerable detail in the cooking column of the NYT Magazine just this past Sunday. How to translate that into something not involving a fire sounds essentially impossible. I recommend restaurant reservations for your already-invited guests… :-)
One Nice Dinner in New Haven
Your list should certainly include Thaali, if Indian food is a possibility. They provide very subtle and sophisticated food (among the best Indian in the state, by general agreement) in an attractively non-funky setting. Plenty of non-meat choices.
Another place to consider is Skappo: they call it a "wine bar," but don't be fooled by that. Entirely operated and staffed by a very friendly (!) family from Umbria (Assisi), they serve a kind of Italian you won't easily find elsewhere. They do have an interesting wine list of well selected and unusual Italian wines, but the food is interesting and excellent in it's own right. A special experience. For Italian food of a somewhat more familiar sort, L'Orcio is the best choice. I'm not counting the more Italo-American possibilities, which may sometimes be good but not unusually so. Or the pizzerie…
Another interesting ethnic possibility is the Malaysian restaurant Bentara, unusual enough to be well worth a visit and not so weird as to put off any but the most traditional of diners. They also have an incredible wine list, which is a pity since the food is generally the sort with which you should drink beer, not wine. That list is shared with a steak house across the street operated by the same people, probably the best steak house in the area but not what you're looking for given a red meat-averse guest.
In my opinion, the best food in town is at Union League and Ibiza, already discussed above. Although I have also seen Yalies there in all sorts of dress short of cutoffs and a t-shirt, this is really a rather formal place and not what it sounds like you're looking for. Ibiza can be noisy, but only in the way a busy restaurant may be, not really off-putting or impossible-to-converse noisy. Much, much better than Barcelona, IMO.
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Bentara
76 Orange Street, New Haven, CT 06510
L'Orcio
806 State St, New Haven, CT 06511
Union League Cafe
1032 Chapel Street, New Haven, CT 06510
Nancy's Rosemary and Sage, Old Saybrook, CT
Well, we disagree on L&E. Personally, I'd rather have a reasonable quantity of excellent food on my plate than massive portions and a styrofoam container to take home. I have never gone away hungry from L&E, and the food is very good.
Of the other choices you mention, I can certainly agree that Cafe Routier is also fine (and does put more food on your plate than L&E). Liv's is also good, though not as good as the other two, IMO.
Nancy's Rosemary and Sage, Old Saybrook, CT
I haven't been back to Nancy's for some time, so I can't testify to its current condition. In any case, I wouldn't say it was "high end or trendy" — just pleasant. In the area, you'll probably find Liv's Oyster Bar more what you're looking for, or nearby in Westbrook, Cafe Routier. Some people on this board promote the idea that the bar at CR is better than the dining room. I disagree completely: I have eaten in the dining room many times, and it has always been interesting and good. They did have a problem with staff attitude a few years ago, but that was fixed (in part as a resonse to comments here on CH!). I recommend them with no reservations (although you should GET reservations, especially on weekends).
A little further afield (because not on the shoreline) up in Chester, you'll find Restaurant L & E (the onetime Restaurant Du Village), a very good sort-of-French place that will also certainly meet your needs. Others will push the Brasserie Pip, which is fine, or the more formal restaurant in the same building whose name I forget (still the Copper Beech Inn?), in Ivoryton. Both places have good food, and differ considerably in atmosphere. I prefer L & E to either, but YMMV.
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Liv's Oyster Bar
166 Main Street, Old Saybrook, CT 06475
Brasserie Pip
46 Main Street, Ivoryton, CT 06442
Copper Beech Inn
46 Main Street, Ivoryton, CT 06442
Is there a decent restaurant on the CT shore?
Out of curiosity, could you identify some of the places where you have been disappointed? Your description of "an amateur chef preparing barely warmed over frozen food near the marina" doesn't fit any place I know of around here, but maybe I've just been lucky.
I agree the Stone House can be disappointing (it can also be pretty good, but life is short). Every restaurant can disappoint sometimes, though, and most of the places people have listed above, and more, are pretty reliably "decent restaurants." Branford alone offers at least half a dozen excellent possibilities within a couple of hundred meters of the town green: Le Petit Cafe, Foe, Assaggio, Yooki Yama, Darbar India, The Suburban, plus a couple of lesser choices. Guilford is much less favored - if you don't like the Stone House, there's Quattro (never a favorite of mine, but still better than your description). One consistent disappointment is the current inhabitant of the green's best property, Whitfield's. In Madison, Cafe Allegre is to be avoided, but Bar Bouchon is fine (if you can get in). And so on for Clinton (Taste of China is one of the few serious Chinese restaurants in the area), Westbrook (Cafe Routier is consistently excellent), and Old Saybrook (Liv's, among others). For what you say you want, in my opinion, it's easier to be satisfied than to go seriously wrong, which is what makes your post so puzzling. And I really would like to know more about where you've been so disappointed.
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Le Petit Cafe
225 Montowese St Ste 7, Branford, CT 06405
Assaggio's Restaurant
168 Montowese St, Branford, CT 06405
Darbar India
1070 Main St, Branford, CT 06405
Cafe Allegre
725 Boston Post Rd, Madison, CT 06443
Bar Bouchon
8 Scotland Ave., Madison, CT 06443
Best lobster roll/fried clams between New Haven and, oh, Madison?
Actually, Lenny's will often make you a (hot) lobster roll, even though it's not usually on the menu, if you ask and they have enough lobster on hand. I don't think it's quite as good as the lobster rolls at some other places, but still quite acceptable if that's what you just have to have.
Is there a decent restaurant on the CT shore?
And I would add Assaggio in Branford — not in the same class with, say, Cafe Routier or Le Petit Cafe, but certainly providing a very nice meal with none of the problems the OP claims to find everywhere s/he gohere Or maybe the Stone House in Guilford, though this is somewhat uneven. There are also more specialized places, like Yooki Yama in Branford for very good sushi/sashimi and the state's best cold sake list…
I found the original post rather strange. Is the OP only interested in seafood? If so, there are still good sit-down meals to be had at, say, Lenny's Indian Head in Branford, or, if the atmosphere there is too funky for you, across the road at Blue Cottage. There's no branch of McCormick & Schmick's around here (hey, if it's good enough for Dominique Strauss-Kahn, it's good enough for you! :-), but there's no lack of good seafood you don't have to eat at a picnic table. And if, as the post says, you're just looking for a good meal in a nice restaurant, the range of choices actually available (none of which you say you've actually tried before insulting the whole region!) should keep you at least modestly happy for quite a while.
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Le Petit Cafe
225 Montowese St Ste 7, Branford, CT 06405
Assaggio's Restaurant
168 Montowese St, Branford, CT 06405
Looking for Seafood Between New Haven and Rhode Island!
Bill's is very popular, and a pleasant spot (depending on where you are and what the weather's like), but I really don't think their food is very good. Lennie and Joe's in Westbrook is better, IMO, although a screened porch area is all there is for outside. Lenny's Indian Head in Branford is better than any of the others mentioned here (again IMO), although there are places with better lobster rolls (Lobster Landing and the place at the marina in Branford).
Sushi in CT--let's talk about our favorite places
Perhaps it's time to revive this discussion. Two places in Orange that I liked a lot in the past -– East, and Wild Ginger – have either died or become much less serious. But Wasabi in Orange (NOT the place in N Branford with the same name) is excellent. And in Branford, Yooki Yama is also very good, and they have the best sake list in Connecticut, I think. Although East and Wild Ginger are no longer on the list, Wasabi is still quite good (be sure to ask for the fresh -- real -- wasabi with your order), as is Yooki Yama. Not celestial, not going to make you forget the top of the line places in NYC, but well worth going to if this is where you are and you want sushi/sashimi. Perhaps some others have appeared in the general shoreline area recently?
Boredom and Pretension at The Suburban, Branford, CT, 6/18/11
For what it's worth, my experience at The Suburban is more in line with that of zammdogg than with that of opinionatedchef. I've only been there a couple of times, but I HAVE gone beyond a couple of drinks and snacks… I find it over-priced and uneven, for both food and service. For reference, I quite liked Roomba (apart from the noise level), but have found their subsequent efforts much less attractive. I hope the new place is better — it will be interesting to compare it with Oaxaca Kitchen.
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The Suburban
2 East Main St., Branford, CT 06405
Best of Eastern CT Shore? Trip 6/15-6/19
A rather broad request … just a couple of comments. Still River is great, and the food is definitely interesting. Don't miss it. I have found The Suburban over-priced and uneven in quality, however much I wanted to like it, though the food can be quite interesting. Liv's is definitely good too. On the other hand, The Cuckoo's Nest is just pseudo-TexMex junk food (likewise Su Casa in Branford: CT Magazine really has no idea of Mexican food, or sushi either, but there's no reason to look for either on your short itinerary). Maybe it's changed lately (I haven't been there for some time), but I have no reason to think that.
Cafe Routier should certainly be on your list, too. CT Mag only refers to their bar, but the restaurant is consistently good, and interesting. Another place to consider is Restaurant L&E in Chester (successor to Cafe du Village). Good food, prepared with care. Not on the shoreline. But closer to it than Still River.
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Still River Cafe
134 Union Rd, Eastford, CT 06242
Peking Duck House - Orange CT good eats
I don't know about lunch — we've only been there for dinner (when the place is usually almost deserted, sadly). But as we've been pleasantly surprised at how good it is. As I say, not up to Lao Sze Chuan, and without that great beer list at Taste of China (though they have a full bar and standard beers, including the ubiquitous Qing Dao), but lots of good things and convenient for us in Guilford. If you go again (preferably for dinner) and still aren't happy, let me know what you had.
Peking Duck House - Orange CT good eats
Chinese east of New Haven: there's Clinton's Taste of China, but I see you don't like to go that far east. For me, the incredible range of Belgian and other beers (why does nobody else seem to understand that these are the things to drink with Chinese food?) make it worthwhile, but maybe not for you.
But there's also Shangri La in Guilford, a grossly neglected place in the same little shopping center with Star Fish and Four-and-twenty Blackbirds Bakery. They aren't quite up to the level of Lao Sze Chuan in Orange, but they're still very good. Lots of good things — my wife and I (who have lived in China: we claim to know what we're eating) have never had anything there that wasn't at least good. Sometimes not hot enough (temperature, not spiciness), but good. Since their menu (based on food of ChengDu) is a lot more diverse than Taste of China, we're happy to have a good alternative right where we live. Still miss that beer, though — enough to send me to Clinton from time to time.
duck in southern ct
For Chinese duck dishes, any of Clinton's Taste of China, Shangri La (Guilford) or Lao Sze Chuan (Milford) will do fine. Cafe Routier (Clinton) always has good duck dishes, as do Le Petit Cafe and Union League. Thaali (Indian) and Oaxaca Kitchen (Mexican) in New Haven (same management, very different cooking) offer more unusual choices.
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Le Petit Cafe
225 Montowese St Ste 7, Branford, CT 06405
Union League Cafe
1032 Chapel Street, New Haven, CT 06510
