Although I do not fast on Yom Kippur, I still believe in having a big meal to finish off a day of reflection. Repenting builds a hearty appetite. Last Saturday, I was in New Haven visiting my brother and celebrating my dad’s birthday and atoning for my sins. For dinner, we decided on Sally’s Apizza. To beat the crowds, we started out for New Haven’s Little Italy at 5:30. Despite best laid plans, we found ourselves at the tail end of a line stretching down the block. Under ideal circumstances, I hate waiting for pizza. Pizza is a food group that comes with a promise: sustenance served fast. Nothing like a punishing wait for pizza after a day of atonement.
Tag Archives: yale
Chicken Parmesan and the Town-Gown Divide
Zach Bell, Yale University
At Yale, restaurants don’t receive much attention. Sure, a new place will get a write-up in the Yale Daily News and a mention on a blog or two, but the audience is small. Yale Dining functions off of the feature that if a student lives on campus, they have to be on some form of dining plan, and these plans range between three options, unlimited meals, 21 meals a week and 14 meals a week. With such limited options (and limited access to kitchens in housing), there is an incentive to eat in the dining halls (of which there are many) pretty much all the time.
Filed under College Life, Food, New Haven, Restaurants, Reviews, Yale, Zach B.
Edible (but not Incredible) Eggplant in New Haven
by Andrew Giambrone, Yale University
As someone of both Chinese and Italian heritage, the eggplant has always been a staple in my family’s cuisine, from stewed eggplant on my mother’s side to eggplant parmesan on my father’s. But even my relatives sometimes forget that eggplant, like the tomato, is actually a fruit; beneath its bitter taste and purple skin lie small, soft seeds. The fruit is capable of absorbing large amounts of cooking fats and sauces, which allows for very rich dishes. Hence, it’s no surprise that many restaurants try to compensate for the eggplant’s bitterness by dousing it in oil or sauce.
While visiting Yale for commencement this weekend, I ordered eggplant specials from two eateries in New Haven—Basil and Alpha Delta Pizza—which offer eggplant with garlic sauce ($7.95) and an eggplant version of the Wenzel ($8.95) respectively. Sadly, each prioritized oily sauces above fresh fruit and so fell short of the balance between bitter and sweet that I expect from eggplant dishes at home. Continue reading
New Haven Noodles (Part 1): Ivy Noodle- Lightning Fast Lo Mein
Zach B., Yale University
The New Haven food scene pales in vibrancy and variety next to nearby New York City or Boston. Even so, certain types of restaurants do abound around Yale, including pizza, Thai, and noodle houses. New Haven noodles range from diner food to sit down restaurants, and similarly differ in quality. I decided to visit three Yale staples and gauge their quality for myself: Ivy Noodle, York St. Noodle, and Bentara.
Louis’ Lunch: No Bun, No Problem
Zach B., Yale University
In 1900, Louis Lassen, owner of Louis’ Lunch (est. 1895), invented the hamburger. Asked to make something to eat on the go, Lassen slapped some ground meat between two pieces of toast and inadvertently created an American icon. Although this piece of oral history could potentially be contested, the quality of Louis’ Lunch cannot.
Filed under Dining Suggestions, New Haven, Restaurants, Reviews, The Ocular Omnivore, Yale, Zach B.
