> Andrew B. wrote in article > ... > > Having recently moved from Boston to New Haven, my wife and I are > > searching hard for recommended restaurants and especially sources for > > fresh and/or exotic ingredients. > > > > We like to sample all types of cuisine, the restriction is that the > > location must be within 20-30 minutes of New Haven (i.e. Hartford is too > > far, as is NYC). > > You won't find anything too exotic or avant garde in New Haven, but for what it's worth, some recommendations: For SEAFOOD (fried plates & lobster esp good) check out Lenny's in Branford (Rte 146). If you want to see water while you eat your fried clams, try Chick's Drive-In right across from the beach in West Haven. The USS Chowder Pot in Branford (Rte 1) is a bit fancier, but very good. The Seafood Peddlar on Dixwell Ave in Hamden looks like a plastic franchise joint, but serves pretty tasty fish in plain & fancy dishes. Avoid the Saybrook Fish thingy on Whitney Ave: overpriced & not too good. The best (hot) LOBSTER ROLLS, though, are at Lenny & Joe's Fish Tale in Madison (Rte 1). Best CHINESE: Dynasty, in North Haven (in the plaza with BJ's & Home Depot, across from Barnes & Noble). Best PIZZA: Sally's, on Wooster St (though some people prefer Frank Pepe's, down the street). The CHINESE GROCERY on Whitney Ave near downtown is supposed to be pretty good (most of the stuff in there, I can't read the labels & don't know what it is). You can get a few decent INDIAN CONDIMENTS, as well as BRITISH cheese, teas, jam, etc at The British Shoppe in Madison (turn left off Rte 1 at the public library, about a block past the green, & it's a few houses down the street). For INDIAN food, there's a whole bunch around Chapel St/Howe St, which are all pretty much ok. There's a MALAYSIAN restaurant somewhere downtown which is supposed to be good, but I haven't eaten there, & I'm not quite sure where it is. There's lots of SUSHI places -- people tell me Hama on Dixwell Ave in Hamden is good, but I usually go to the Japanese Noodle Shop on State St because it's cheap. There's a nice selection of BULK HERBS at one of the shops in the Branford Craft Village (Rte 1). Good produce & "NATURAL FOODS" at Edge of the Wood (Whalley Ave, about a mile or 2 from downtown), & at Thyme & Season (on Whitney Ave, a ways past the Hamden Town Hall). Best FRESH FRUIT & VEGGIES: Bishop's in Guilford (Rte 1), which also has pick-your-own-whatever's in season.The best BAGELS are at Lenders in Hamden, though Bruegger's are ok & I like their spreads better. The best BREAD is from Chabazo's (sp?) bakery -- a bunch of places carry it, but I usually pick up mine at Atticus Books on Chapel St. Good bread of a more American style is at Great Harvest Bakery in North Haven (in the Home Depot plaza) -- they've always got taster loaves so you can check out a For a good STEAK, the New Deal Steakhouse on Whitney Ave in Hamden is a good bet: their steaks are enormous, flavorful, & amazingly inexpensive. For VEGETARIAN food, go to Claire's Corner Copia on Chapel St downtown. For FRENCH FOOD, I'm told Le Petit Cafe in Branford (on the Green, Rte 146) is the place to go. There used to be a great little creperie on the Branford Green too -- last time I checked, though, it was closed for redecoration, & I don't know if it's reopened. The Union Square Cafe downtown is also pretty French, & pretty decent -- esp a good buy at lunchtime. For ITALIAN GROCERIES, MEAT, & HOMEMADE CHEESE, go to Liuzzi's Cheese in North Haven (on State Street). There are tons of ITALIAN restaurants, & everybody has their own favorites. I'm partial to Christina's on State St, which is mostly a coffee bar but has a few special hot dishes every day: the owner/chef is apparently the new generation of a restaurant dynasty in town, & this is his first place on his own. I like Diglio's on Whitney Ave in Hamden too, but the last time I was there it was completely empty except for my party at 9:00 on a Saturday night, which is not a good sign for its future... The restaurant listings in the New Haven Advocate (comes out every Wednesday, free in lots of places) aren't complete, but they're pretty good, & some of the reviews are archived on their website. Beth [email removed]
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