Restaurants in Connecticut
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Frank Pepe's
New Haven's most famous eatery takes its name from the Italian immigrant who tossed America's first pizza a century ago. You'd best believe they've got the recipe down pat. For the ultimate, order Pepe's signature white pizza topped with garlicky fresh clams.
reviewed
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Modern Apizza
Lots of locals believe that this place serves up pies as good as, if not better than, Frank Pepe’s and Sally’s – and without the throngs. Despite the name, it’s been tossing dough since 1934.
reviewed
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Trumbull Kitchen
At this slick downtown eatery you can get bites of anything from dim sum, tapas, stone pies or (and?) fondue. The bar stays open later on the weekend, the longer to sample the impressive cocktail list.
reviewed
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Abbott’s Lobster in the Rough
Lobster lovers should check out Abbott’s, on the waterfront in neighboring Noank. Order your lobster (or other seafood) at the window, get a number, pick out a table by the water and, when your number is called, pay and dig in. New England doesn’t get much better than this on a warm summer night. Just down the road is Abbott’s sister business, Costello’s Clam Shack, open similar hours. To reach both from Mystic, take Water St/Rte 215 southwest. When you reach a stop sign take a left (Mosher Ave) and stay right when it divides. Turn left onto Main St and right onto Pearl. BYOB beer or wine.
reviewed
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Union League Café
Here’s an upscale French bistro in the historic Union League building. Expect a menu featuring continental classics like cocotte de joues de veau (organic veal cheeks with sautéed wild mushrooms, $25) along with those of nouvelle cuisine. If your budget won’t stretch to dinner, slip in for a sinful dessert like crêpe soufflé au citron (lemon crepes) washed down with a glass from the exquisite wine list. Date place par excellence.
reviewed
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Miya’s Sushi
Superlative sushi – probably the best in the state – is prepared in this low-key spot by chef Bun Lai, two-time winner of the Taste of the Nation Award. Sushi appetizers sport alluring names like the Concubine’s Delight (smoked salmon and goats cheese wrapped in tempura eggplant), but the true star is the kaiseki ($30), a truly exceptional prix-fixe meal highlighted by several inventive sashimi arrangements, which must be ordered in advance.
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Restaurant Jean-Louis
Head to Restaurant Jean-Louis for a meal that neither your tastebuds nor your wallet will forget soon. Jean-Louis and Linda Gerin – chef and manager, respectively – have garnered accolades for their ‘nouvelle classique, ’ with dishes like pan-seared ostrich thigh fillet with polenta and cognac sauce. The five-course tasting menu is the ideal way to taste a variety of offerings, and the prix-fixe lunch menu is a bargain at $29.
reviewed
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Yankee Doodle Sandwich & Coffee Shop
The family-run Doodle is a classic ’50s hole-in-the-wall American lunch counter – Formica countertop, chrome and plastic stools, real fountain soda – with prices to match. Despite the name, burgers and breakfast are the draws here. The defunct cigarette machine in the corner is kept around for purely nostalgic reasons – it was installed on the day JFK was shot. When Yale’s not in session, Doodle’s hours are sharply curtailed.
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River Tavern
River Tavern has invariable crowds waiting for a table – clearly they’re onto something. This wood-accented bistro with a bar and dining-room menu serves up impeccable food with a variety of inflections. The menu changes, but if it’s in season you should definitely order shad, caught from the Connecticut River. Soufflé desserts are to die for and must be ordered with the rest of the meal as they take time to prepare.
reviewed
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Scoozzi Trattoria
At York St, next to the Yale Repertory Theatre, this basement trattoria serves trendy Italian fare with strong New American cuisine accents. The little pizzettes and other appetizers like mussels and calamari sautéed with red grapes are favorites with the before- and after-theater crowd, who combine them with wine by the glass to make a light supper. Weather permitting, there’s outdoor dining in an intimate courtyard. Reservations recommended.
reviewed
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Norfolk Pub & Restaurant
Norfolk Pub & Restaurant claims the ‘widest selection of the finest beers in the world, ’ which we can’t confirm, but they do indeed serve excellent suds, especially those hailing from Belgium and England. Happily, their solids stand up to their liquids – smart pub grub with some twists. Try the spicy crab cakes with Thai chili sauce ($15.50). Take note of the chair made of antlers in the corner.
reviewed
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Golden Lamb Buttery
Dinner at the Golden Lamb Buttery isn’t just a meal – it’s an experience. Guests mingle over drinks, head off for a hayride and then settle into an award-winning prix-fixe dinner. You’ll need to reserve several weeks in advance. Even if you can’t squeeze in a visit to the 1000-acre farm, be sure to drive the few miles up Wolf Den Rd and be rewarded with views of pastoral perfection.
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Bohemian Pizza & Ditto’s Bar
Litchfield lets its hair down at Boho’s, where for dinner you can try the crisscross pizza – portobello mushrooms, andouille sausage, grilled chicken and caramelized onions – and chill in one of the faux-cowskin booths. As the sun sets, the pizza joint and the adjacent dive bar (open late) dissolve into one loud, friendly mess. Shoot some free pool while being serenaded by the locals who play (almost) nightly.
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ZINC
Whenever possible, this trendy bistro’s ingredients hail from local organic sources, but the chef draws inspiration from all over, notably Asia and the Southwest. There’s a constantly changing ‘market menu, ’ but for the most rewarding experience, share several of the small plates for dinner, like the smoked duck nachos or the prosciutto Americano crostini. Reservations recommended.
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Timothy’s
Blessed with a stunning view of the Sound and decorated with hand-carved chandeliers, this dining room at the Lighthouse Inn Resort promises gracious food in equally gracious surroundings, and excellently named chef Timothy Grills delivers. The menu is seasonal with a focus on seafood, starring such dishes as lobster at dinner. Try the sautéed salmon medallions with roasted onions served on jasmine rice ($20).
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3W & Blue Bar
Seemingly lifted en masse from Soho, this swinging eatery features a ‘blue bar’ and trance music that’s hard to tune out. Submit to the suggestive bamboo and red-lantern decor by ordering an Asian-inspired dish like sesame-crusted tuna. Or just go all the way with some sushi; the Dynamite roll – with shrimp, spicy tuna, salmon and avocado – is, well, dynamite ($12).
reviewed
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Meli-Melo
For a quick and delicious bite, you can’t do better than Meli-Melo. Meaning ‘hodge-podge’ in French, Meli-Melo serves salads, soups and sandwiches, but its specialty is undoubtedly buckwheat crepes. Try a wild combination like smoked salmon, chive sauce, lemon and daikon ($9.50). The French onion and French lentil soups are, appropriately, superb.
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Captain Scott’s Lobster Dock
The Coast Guard knows a thing or two about the sea, and you’d be remiss if you didn’t follow students of its academy to the place for seafood in the summer. The setting’s just a series of picnic tables by the water, but you can feast on succulent (hot or cold) lobster rolls, followed by steamers, fried whole-belly clams, scallops or lobsters.
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Agave Grill
Dine amid colorful murals at this warm and breezy Mexican spot that’s found an unlikely niche a block from Union Station. Ten different margaritas pack a variety of punches, but don’t let them distract from such innovative fare as grilled chicken glazed in mango sauce or lobster enchiladas – just like your Connecticut abuela used to make it.
reviewed
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Bangkok Gardens
Just off Chapel St, this large, white-linen establishment is the center’s most popular Thai eatery. The Golden Bay appetizer, fried tofu pouches stuffed with shrimp and veggies, is exquisite. At lunch, big plates of pork, beef and chicken with vegetables are inexpensive and best topped off with an order of fried ice cream. Try to get a seat on the sun porch.
reviewed
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Captain Daniel Packer Inne
This friendly place occupies a 1754 historic house on the west side of the bridge, complete with low-beam ceiling and creaky floorboards. Locals rave about the ocean views as well as the restaurant’s imaginative American cuisine; favorites include the petite filet mignon with Gorgonzola sauce and walnut demi-glace and the shrimp and scallops Provençale.
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Bistro du Soleil
It’s difficult to pigeonhole family-run Soleil’s cuisine, and really, there’s no need. Stylish yet warm, this bistro deftly executes everything from langoustine (shellfish) quesadillas to free-range New Zealand petite lamb chops to fillet of ostrich. The rotating art exhibits ensure a feast for the eyes to rival the one on your plate.
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Flood Tide
Reserve a window table with a view overlooking the grounds of the inn at Mystic or grab a seat by the wood-fired oven for the upscale yet informally presented fare here. The house pâté is exquisite, the seafood fresh and steaks attentively prepared. The Sunday brunch is a sumptuous affair worth the trip even if you’re not staying at the Inn.
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Salon de Thé
Pierre and Susan Gilissen have brought to Kent a little slice of Belgium, and for this they are to be commended. In a butter-yellow Victorian they preside over the Salon de Thé, where, after donning your best manners, you can come for lunch, tea or a ‘savory dinner’ ($30 minimum and reservations strongly recommended).
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Caffé Adulis
This jewel of a place offers Eritrean-Ethiopian cuisine in a sophisticated but unerringly friendly package. One of the many house specialties is the shrimp barka (pan-seared jumbo shrimp with coconut, tomato and dates over basmati rice, $19). The wine list is reason enough to linger late into the evening – the bar is open until 1am.
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