Category Archives: Yale

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.

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Filed under College Life, Dining Halls, Food, New Haven, Restaurants, Reviews, Yale, Zach B.

The Best Burrito

Zach Bell, Yale University

This may not look like the best burrito I have ever eaten. In fact, this burrito looks woefully shrunken in the middle, wrinkled, not stuffed to bursting like a paragon burrito should. Despite its visual deficiencies, I can assure you that this was a burrito sent from the heavens.

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Filed under Essays, New Haven, Running, Yale, Zach B.

Pics or it Didn’t Happen: Key Lime Pie… with Gingerbread Crust

Zach Bell, Yale University

Traditionally thought of as a summer dessert, in my opinion key lime pie can be served at any time of the year. In order to make the pie a little more appropriate for the temperature though (despite an unusually warm December in St. Louis), I put the filling in a gingerbread crust.

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Filed under Pics or it Didn't Happen, pie, Yale, Zach B.

The Evolution of Pumpkin Pie

Zach Bell, Yale University

This fall, the Museum of Modern Art in New York City put on a seven-decade retrospective of Willem de Kooning. His work ranged from early abstractions, to the more recognizable (and now more famous) “Woman” series, to calligraphic color experimentation. Throughout his career though, de Kooning’s work focused on his process. He painted and drew only to scrape down and erase, constantly revising, searching for a finished product. In his process of constant adjustment, de Kooning was cooking. He started with a foundation idea and tweaked it so many times that the image evolved into a reflection of his working mind. De Kooning approached his work the same way a chef would approach a recipe, and the same way I make pumpkin pie.

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Filed under pie, 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.

 

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Filed under Dining Suggestions, Food, Guest Blog, New Haven, Yale

Box 63 and Design 101

Zach Bell, Yale University

As a newcomer to the New Haven Restaurant scene, Box 63 has a long struggle ahead. Conveniently located at the corner of Park and Elm, Box 63 is across the street from Davenport and Pierson, and within walking distance of off-campus housing on Lynwood, Edgewood and Dwight. Box 63 has a potential audience, but questions remain about its ability to retain a crowd of regulars.

According to their website, Box 63’s “…focus was to create a welcoming hangout that blends iconic American comfort food, healthy portions and unique cocktails, in a classic rock in roll environment.”  Box 63 calls itself not merely a bar and grill, but an “American Bar and Grill,” where we are supposed to relax and put our elbows on the table. They want to create a culture of warmth, a place where a regular or a stranger can sit down and everyone knows their name. That kind of atmosphere takes time to develop, requiring a combination of good product, good service and an air of familiarity. Box 63 has quality service, no question there. Yet, for the other two criteria Box 63 tried to go too far too fast, obsessing over its design concept, instead of letting its culture grow organically.

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Filed under New Haven, Restaurants, Reviews, Yale, Zach B.

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.

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Filed under Andrew G., Dining Suggestions, Food, New Haven, Restaurants, Reviews, Yale