Zach B., Yale University
Strawberry Rhubarb Pie:
Category Archives: Food
Pics or it Didn’t Happen: Sour Cream and Raisin Pie
Zach Bell, Yale University
Back in December 2010, I baked a raisin pie and commented on its usage as a “funeral pie.” Upon some further research into a variation, the sour cream and raisin pie, I found that it also originated among Mennonites settling in the Great Plains, quickly spreading to other local communities. Funerals in the mid to late nineteenth century were opportunities for the community to gather and express hospitality. This hospitality often arrived as edibles, and especially as dessert. Guests and relatives would bring food to show their sympathy and condolences. A funeral staple was the raisin pie (and other improvised variations) , a dessert that could be quickly made out of readily available ingredients.
Filed under Food, Pics or it Didn't Happen, pie, Recipes, Zach B.
Chasing Griff’s Chicken Shack
Zach Bell, Yale University
When the dining halls at Yale serve chicken tenders, everyone smiles a little bit brighter. Eyes shine, brimming with tears as the YDN reports that yes, it is indeed “Chicken Tenders Day.” With chicken themed stories landing on the front page, hand breaded tenders have transcended their fleshy prisons into myth, manna from above. Students have even created a website notifying inquiring students about the dining halls’ tender supply.
Despite Yale’s deified tenders, I wondered whether there was a whole world of chicken yet to be explored. “Blasphemy!” they told me. “You’ll never get out of this town.” Yet, I had to try. On my longer runs I enter Hamden, a town north of New Haven. I run past schools, hardware stores, and kids on bicycles. I glance briefly at road food establishments like Glenwood, wishing I could eat a lobster roll and run six miles back to Yale with no gastrointestinal distress.
Filed under College Life, Dining Halls, Food, New Haven, Restaurants, Reviews, Yale, Zach B.
Going Mobile on York St. (Part 2): Medical School Village
On York Street near the medical school, a whole world of food awaits an undergraduate willing to take a walk. I don’t speak of a fine dining establishment or a legendary diner; instead, a short trek would take a student into a village of food carts and trucks in all sizes and varieties. Njoki Gitahi, a graduate student in the graphic design program at Yale’s School of Art (you can see more of her work at www.njokigitahi.com), visited the colony and came back with beautiful images of a diverse community.
Filed under Dining Suggestions, Food, Guest Blog, New Haven, Yale
Froyo Cold War Heats Up
Andrew Giambrone, Yale University
Anyone familiar with New Haven’s dessert scene will undoubtedly frequent one of three boutiques near campus for a late-night snack: Ashley’s Ice Cream on York Street, the newly opened Mochi Store on Crown Street, and, of course, the California-imported FroyoWorld on High Street. But last Friday, a new dessert store called Flavors opened next to (the infamous?) Toad’s Place, drawing crowds eager to test out its self-serve frozen yogurt. Intrigued by its bright colors and light-hearted atmosphere, I entered the store expecting just another spin-off of FroyoWorld. To my surprise, I discovered a store with a great degree of variety, a friendly staff, and a ton of space to boot.
Filed under Andrew G., Dining Suggestions, Food, New Haven, Restaurants, Reviews, Yale
The Trouble with Tandoor
Zach Bell, Yale University
The diner holds a coveted place in American culture. Open from the earliest hours of morning to past a reasonable man’s bedtime, diners serve casual food for people who just want a place to sit and eat. Joints like the Olivette Diner and Steak and Shake carry strong memories for me of biscuits and late night burgers past.
Walking the streets of New Haven, Connecticut I did not expect to find a steel diner on the corner of Chapel and Howe, street lights glinting off of its polished metal exterior. The interior was polished too, steel, chrome, and mirrors wall to ceiling. For a moment I was transported back to St. Louis, waiting for my chocolate shake and coffee… until I heard the sitar music. The Indian restaurant Tandoor occupies that steel can of a diner, a trailer with samosas that in appearance does justice to the original hotspots of Americana.
Cardomom and curry scented the air and I ordered vegetable tikki, chicken patiya, and tandoori roti in curious bewilderment. I faced a serious case of cognitive dissonance; I should not be eating vegetable tikki in Steak and Shake! I mean, Tandoor! I mean, diner?
The food was fine in itself, nothing special, vegetable paste fried in chickpea batter, pleasantly spicy chicken in a mango derived sauce, tender whole wheat flatbread. The menu, style of food (North Indian), and price range is similar to ninety percent of the Indian restaurants I have eaten in. The only aspect of Tandoor that stands out is the diner factor. They try to serve formal Indian food in a diner! The novelty of the setting amused me, but also prevented me from taking the food seriously. Tandoor takes its food as intensely as every other Indian restaurant in New Haven, but the steel walls speak of a more casual time. The casual diner juxtaposed with formal Indian food evokes a discordant note. Eating in a diner, I don’t want Zaroka’s (another New Haven Indian restaurant) chicken patiya, I want the equivalent of Indian diner food. I want to feel casual, relaxed.
Tandoor fails to use the power of it’s unique decor. Instead it tries to be just like every other Indian restaurant, and succeeds to a certain degree. Yet, I still feel disappointed with Tandoor. Even though the food was just as good as Zaroka or India Palace, Tandoor could be so much more. It could be unique, taking a symbol of American culture and transmuting it into a haven for ultra-casual Indian cuisine. Instead Tandoor takes the beaten path, and as a result, fails to stand out from the crowd.
Pancho Café: A Cajun Fire Gone Cold
Zach Bell, Yale University
After reading a positive Yale Daily News review of Pancho Café, I decided to try the new Mexican-Cajun restaurant for dinner. The Cajun side of the menu intrigued me, as I had never eaten New Haven’s interpretation of Louisiana soul. I ordered guacamole and the creole chicken, to balance Mexican with Cajun.
Filed under College Life, Food, Restaurants, Reviews, Yale, Zach B.
