My Favorite Eats – Page 5 – The View from Lajeune

New Haven, CT Fall(ish) eats!

I am writing this food blog post on a Fall day in New Haven, CT (that feels more like late Summer to me) so my restaurant lunch choices may reflect that (smile).

I also eat, dress and live for the weather as opposed to the season so if my good buddy and Chief Meteorologist Gil Simmons of News 8 (ABC) tells me that it’s going to be 80 degrees outside, but the calendar doesn’t agree, I go with the temps…

With all that said, here are just a few of my favorite places to eat lunch in New Haven, CT when the leaves start to turn and the temperatures finally cool down:

New Haven Salad Shop – don’t let the name fool you. This little gem on High Street in downtown New Haven also builds super hearty wraps that will easily fill you up until supper time. There’s little room to sit inside though so I suggest you find a space on the Upper or Lower New Haven Green to enjoy your lunch.

City Point Kitchen – a newer restaurant in the Oyster Point neighborhood of New Haven (beautiful water views!) with excellent, locally sourced food. I tried the crab cakes over a salad bed on the afternoon me and my gf Christine went. It’s cute and quaint inside and the small staff is friendly and very attentive.

Photo credit: Mike Franzman Photography

Louis Lunch – By the time I went there, I had been working at News 8 for about 5 years. Me and my co-worker Terri were talking about places in downtown New Haven to eat lunch that were within walking distance. I think she was the one who suggested Louis Lunch. The fact that it was and is still legendary made it an obvious choice. And quite frankly, I was a tad bit curious about the fact that I heard catsup was never allowed on their burgers. The burger itself was good (always served on toast, not buns; with tomato, not catsup; and cheese whiz, not cheese.) I missed my Ketchup though (smile).

Photo credit: Mike Franzman Photography

Pepe’s Pizza in New Haven – It’s no wonder that there are so many locations in Connecticut now – even at the Casino! This pizza is by far one of the best in the ‘pizza-saturated’ city of New Haven. And the Little Italy neighborhood where it resides is always a treat to walk around in.

Photo credit: Mike Franzman Photography

In the Upper State Street neighborhood of New Haven, you would do yourself a disservice if you did not stop and partake of a pie or two from Modern Pizza. Well known for their brick ovens and thin crusts, these pies are to die for…

Photo credit: Mike Franzman Photography

If you have the time, and/or have saved some room for dessert, go to Libby’s Italian Pastry Shop on Wooster Street in the Little Italy neighborhood of New Haven. Libby’s is known throughout the East Coast for their cannolis and other baked goods. I can certainly understand why – Yummy!

Photo credit: Mike Franzman Photography

Happy Fall and enjoy your lunch!

Sincerely,

TVFL

Block Isle

I was born in a blizzard in Newport, Rhode Island in the Winter of 1962. So my birthdays have not, nor ever will, involve memories of fun in the Sun, water, big waves and boats. Perhaps that is why I like the Summer and the opportunity it provides to spend time on Block Island, RI (smile).

Block Island is in my opinion the perfect getaway for a day, a week, and if you’re lucky enough, even a month. I first started taking day-trips to the island with my family when I was 16 years old. We grew up in Groton, CT, just across the bridge from New London, CT so we could easily catch the Block Island Ferry from New London during the Summer. Back then there was no high-speed ferry. The old ferry from New London lumbered along, and it literally took us 2 1/2 hours to get there. We didn’t know any better so we had no cause to complain (smile). We just used the time to talk to each other, eat breakfast from the onboard food and beverage stand, play cards or board games, watch tv, read newspapers, magazines or books, or simply stare out at the open water as we chugged along.

Once we got there, Old Harbor, our destination, never looked so good (smile).

Today the Block Island Express or ‘high speed ferry’ is relatively new, sleek and transports you to Old Harbor, Block Island from New London in a little over an hour. The price has increased considerably – about 4x as much as back in the day – today it costs $45 for adults and $22.50 for children same day, round trip.

The sleek modern hi-speed ferry

The high-speed ferry is exciting and once inside I often feel like I’m sitting in movie theater seats or in a restaurant booth, as flat screen TVs greet you from every angle. Because of the state-of-the-art art motion controlled system, you never really feel like you are on a vessel, smooth sailing indeed…

Once we arrived in Old Harbor we would stop at The Visitor Center to load up on island pamphlets and usually rent one or two lockers to store some of our miscellaneous items. The Visitor Center used to be nothing to look at but today it is fancy (smile).

One of my favorite places to eat breakfast back then, and still today, is the restaurant at The Harborside Inn. The restaurant has a wonderful open-air deck on the second floor that provides a great view of the waterfront and port. You can’t miss it as it’s not too far from where they drop you off from the ferry. We had brunch there as we arrived after 10am and were starving. The portions were hearty but not too pricey. It was delish!

The Harborside Inn

As far as island activities go, over the years I have rented mountain bikes and/or mopeds to explore the island, partied on various marinas, went horseback riding, kayaking, swimming, shopping, dining at any number of seafood restaurants, I once even took a historical taxi cab tour of the island…

The day me and my partner chose to go (Tuesday, August 23rd) was 80 degrees and sunny with a light breeze. Perfect island weather.

Our plan was simple: look for good food, good drinks and good beach time so after our leisurely brunch and a short walk around the block to the Beachcomber (an old fave) we headed to Ballards.

Ballards, back in the day, was the Hollis family’s go-to for dining and for beach time. The restaurant was not remodeled at all back then and we always chose to eat outside on the patio deck because we knew our friendly silver-haired waiter (Walter) would be working. The food was fantastic (loved those clam strips, clam bellies and hush puppies!) and the beach view was awesome.

Trying not to get too wet from the big waves at Ballards beach (smile)

Ballards is Fancy now (comparatively speaking) and very well put together. There’s a ton of staff, and there are nice beach chairs, umbrellas and gazebos to rent for the day.

Plus there are adorable little tiki bars right on the beach, full waitress service (our waitress was young, cute and from South Africa) and plenty of beach volleyball games to enjoy.

We had an awesome time – we caught the 5pm ferry back to New London, CT (instead of the last ferry at 830pm which would have got us back home around 11pm – late for a weeknight(!) and vowed to return again next Summer. Good times!

Sincerely,

TVFL

Connecticut “Summatime” Eats!

I love Connecticut in the Summertime because the weather is hazy, hot and humid and there’s soooooo much to do! These ‘tropical vacation-like’ weather conditions draw folks outside so the possibilities on who to do what with are endless?.

And because it’s soooooo hot, one of my favorite pastimes in the Summer is eating out, especially at new restaurants. But an old fave will get me every time (smile).

I have to be careful though with what and where I choose to eat because of my history of Colon Cancer. So I take my time by going online beforehand to look over menus to see if they have “healthy,” “light,” or “low-fat” entrees. This way I can pick and choose from foods that are not processed or fried and that contain as few ingredients as possible. I won’t lie, sometimes this is easy to do and other times it presents a challenge…

Here are just a few of my go-to’s. The actual list is real long so rest assured there will be a Part II and III of this blog post…

For breakfast on the weekends I love Julia’s Bakery in Orange. The last time I was there I had a sausage, egg and cheese sandwich on a homemade whole wheat english muffin. All of their breads are made fresh daily and as a result, absolutely delicious! I washed my breakfast sandwich and hash browns down with an Iced Coffee. Yummy!

For my need-to-be-clean, super healthy days, I like B Natural in New Haven, a Shops at Yale restaurant. Especially the healthy juice from their Juice Bar. Here I had the All Natural Turkey Wrap with a Detox Juice. Delish!

When I’m out looking for lip-smacking, finger-licking good ribs on my not-so-clean days (smile) I make my way over to the Science Park neighborhood in New Haven to Ricky’s Rib Shack! The ribs and sides are to die for! The background music is not too shabby either (smile).

For New Haven pizza, I’m stuck on Ah-Beetz on Temple Street. I call it ‘Chipotle meets Modern’ because you truly walk the line to create your own thin-crusted 11 inch customized personal pie and healthy salad and then, when it’s finished, the servers bring it out to your table. I named my customized personal ‘meatless’ pie LJ’s Vegetarian Delight, as I topped it with all the healthy stuff.

I love downtown eateries in the Summer, especially when they have a cute little shaded courtyard patio for dining in the rear. Zoi’s on Orange Street in New Haven is a new fave that I recently discovered by way of my client, Mary Wade. We ‘ladies who lunch,’ including Laura Hutchinson of News 8, all enjoyed our hearty delicious salads on this super hot sunny day!

When I’m in the mood for Northern Italian, I love me some Gusto Trattoria on the Post Road in Milford. They have this gluten-free pasta dish which fills you up without filling you out. And their warm homemade oblong garlic bread, which you spread with garlic butter and dip in olive oil, is heavenly! Mangia!

Speaking of Italian cuisine, I love love love live theater and one of my favorite venues is the Waterbury Palace Theater. Waterbury has lots of good Italian restaurants and one of my new faves is Damelio’s Italian Eatery. It’s neighborhood location and outdoor dining on the patio make it a fun place for me and my client, Sheree Marcucci to eat. They are known for their pasta, anti-pasta and more. I bucked the trend though and had this baked fish dish and it hit the spot!

For Italian cuisine in New Haven I like head to the Upper State Street neighborhood to Portofino’s for lunch or dinner – their salmon and spinach is always a good, healthy choice!

And the old standby, Tre Scalini in the Wooster Street neighborhood of New Haven will have you coming back for more! Their salmon over ceaser salad dish with homemade croutons was the bomb!

Just across the street from one of my favorite live entertainment venues in New Haven, the legendary Shubert Theater on College Street, sits Elm City Social, a new fave because of the unique decor and the delicious New American cuisine. After eating this Kale Caeser with Chicken dish, I (almost) licked my plate clean (smile).

A Shops at Yale restaurant, Heirloom, sits inside The Study at Yale and is open for breakfast, lunch and dinner. We went there for lunch and I enjoyed an Heirloom Veggie Burger with a side salad. They are known for their Farm, Coastal Cooking. Healthy!!

And just last week I dined at Atelier Florian on Upper Chapel Street in the Chapel West Neighborhood in New Haven with my dear friend and Wine Connoisseur, Janna Waite. The General Manager of the restaurant, Alexandria Pena, convinced me that I would be in for a real treat. She was right. I loved the classy ambience along with the attentive service and the delightful Belgian cuisine. We both ordered a half dozen Blue Point oysters before our meal. And then we settled on the same entree: Faroe Island Salmon with Tender Leeks, Haricot Verts and Mashed Potatoes, which just about melted in my mouth. The French wine Janna picked out that night was well suited for our meal. And the dessert, which Alexandria insisted we try, was too good to pass up, warm blueberry cobbler with french vanilla ice cream and whipped cream – Super Yum!!!

I had the pleasure of dining out at Prime One Eleven in Trumbull over a month ago because my gf Lola invited me and my partner James, along with 5 other couples, to a milestone birthday dinner party for her hubby Darryl. I enjoyed it there so much that when me and my “squad” were looking for a restaurant in Fairfield County to celebrate a belated birthday, I recommended it. It’s a relatively new, upscale eatery that’s fun to be in, has really good food, good drinks and very attentive servers. My “Composition” (Entree) that night was the Organic 1/2 Chicken with Roasted Garlic Whipped Potatoes and Wood Fired Asparagus. Delish!

And finally, if you’re looking for a fun date night alone or with other couples which involves packing your own picnic basket and purchasing one of their 5 wines, Gouviea Winery and Vineyard in Wallingford is always a good choice. It’s local for me and my partner and the picturesque vineyard presents many photo ops. Bon Appetit!

Sincerely,

TVFL

Peetza Weetza!

Back in college in the mid-eighties, I truly had a love affair with pizza.
What’s not to love?!? It was cheap, it was plentiful and it was easily had! The greasy, gooey, cheesy red variety with pepperoni or sausage was what I craved the most. And I liked my crust thick back then. These were obviously pre-Clean Eating days (I am now a Colon Cancer survivor with a delicate stomach). But back then my stomach was a cast iron that could absorb even the hardiest of dishes. I usually had a beer or two to swallow the slices down as pizza and beer were a true match made in heaven…

Fast forward to today and I like to think my tastes are a little bit more sophisticated. Give me an upscale pizza restaurant, with a “wide variety of my favorite pizza toppings,” a coal-fired oven and then (stop it!) spoil me by allowing me to name my custom-made pie and you have a customer for life! That’s what happened today when I taste tested at the soft opening of a brand new restaurant in downtown New Haven featuring the latest concept in pizza, grinders, and salads…you custom make your pizza or grinder or salad so you get exactly what you want on it.

I stood on line and had everything I love put on my custom-made pie, as well as my own crisp build-your-own salad, and all of the ingredients are fresh and locally produced. Yummy!

If you are at all familiar with the New Haven restaurant scene, think “Chipotle” meets “Modern” in an upscale setting…the restaurant I am speaking of is called Ah-Beetz, which simply means “Pizza” in Italian.

Again, once your pie is finished you get to name it. I named mine LJ’s Vegetarian Delight (smile). My creation was meatless with lots of cheese, tomatoes and veggies. And it only took minutes to cook!

After my first bite of LJ’s Vegetarian Delight I was in love, but this time it felt good and, more importantly, I felt healthy…

Sincerely,

TVFL

My Clean Living Life – Part II

I hate to admit this but it’s almost Summertime so I’m starting to slack off on my clean cooking. It’s too doggone hot, which means my health may suffer as I just don’t feel like getting in the kitchen and cooking clean…Yet, I’m still hungry…it’s a vicious cycle…so what’s an aspiring-to-be-clean-living girl to do?!?

You know if only there were frozen dishes that did not contain additives or unhealthy chemicals.. that would solve my problem…but wait, there are! I searched on Google and here’s what I uncovered under eatclean.com: The 9 Cleanest Frozen Entrees You Can Buy:

Amy’s Light in Sodium Black Bean Vegetable Enchilada (love Mexican!)
Luvo Turkey Vegetable Lasagna (Lasagna, who knew!)
Kashi Lemongrass Coconut Chicken (Coconut Chicken – Delish!)
Evol Fire Grilled Steak (You mean I can have my steak too!)
Saffron Road Chana Saag with Cumin Rice (Sounds exotic and yummy!)
Kashi Southwest Style Chicken (Kashi means good in my book!)
Tandoor Chef Lamb Vindaloo (Another exotic sounding delicacy!)
Amy’s Tofu Scramble (Yummy!)
Luvo Chicken and Harissa Chickpeas (love Chicken cooked any way and always love chickpeas!)

What’s great about all of these frozen clean meals is that they are not only delicious and nutritious but alternately low in calories, low in sodium, high in fiber, dairy free, low in carbohydrates, low in sugar, and low in saturated fat. I’m headed right over to my local health food store/market (Edge of the Woods) to pick these dishes up!

Bon Appetit!