Atticus Bookstore Café

Had a great lunch here today in New Haven before seeing Ibsen's 'The Master Builder at Yale Rep [actually presented in the Yale School of Drama Theater.

We both had the Cuban Pork Sandwich [$8.95]: Pulled Pork Grilled Onions Chipotle Sauce, Black Beans and Cheddar Cheese Grilled on a Chabaso Brioche Bun and it was delicious and filling. Recession Special, Free Trade Coffee was $1. We finished by sharing one excellent Passionfruit Truffle [$2.50].

bloginfo: See website and menu here.

blognote: This Atticus is a 1082 Chapel Street very near Yale Rep and both art galleries [ Yale British and Yale University Gallery].

j.gilbert's

Birthday Alert!!!
I got a birthday card from j.gilbert's with a 'get an entrée free' so had to go! Gave the card to my hosts and the three of us had a super meal [as usual for this place!].

Started with the famous Shrimp Cocktail which is the best ever. Had it the 'old way' where they rub the shrimp with olive oil and then salt/pepper it. Still on the bed of julienne peppers and tortilla strips and the same dip.

We then, all three of us, went a different way than the usual steak. One entrée was the Shortribs with Garlic Mashed Potatoes, the other the Chicken Marsala with Potato/Chive Gnocchi and my Lobster Ravioli.

The shortribs looked great and half a ton of them went home for lunch. They also serve a shredded shortribs with scallops; sounds interesting. The chicken marsala was not the usual way served but delicious tender chicken parts with a great marsala sauce. My lobster ravioli were filled with vegetables and cheese whereas the lobster was in chunks in a lobster cream sauce. Very delicious and I think I prefer it that way as the lobster was very evident and very tender.

One dessert [not mine] of the cannoli which is actually an Almond Tuile filled with chocolate and served with fresh fruit. I had the [dietetic] decaf Capuccino!

blognote: great service

Arugula

A very dignified after theater meal eaten here after a rather undignified but terrific performance of American Buffalo at Theater Works. Don't miss it!

There were five of us and we had a whole bunch of great food which included the Arugula Burger, two different Flatbreads and a Salad. Can't remember the names of anything [helpful aren't I?] but tasted duck confit, chorizo, bleu cheese, portobello mushroom, anise, Italian sausage, frites, sweet potato fries. All this with a great bottle of red wine and a glass of white [non-conformist] came to $140 with a nice tip.

This is a great place, beautiful room, excellent service, terrific food and open on Sunday from five o'clock on. Try it for me and I will try it again and pay attention to the names of things.

bloginfo: Arugula is located 952 Farmington Avenue [across the street from one of the ubiquitous Max restaurants]. Telephone 561.4888

Chef Allen's

Went back to Chef Allen's since we had such a good meal last time. See review from January 12 of this year.

Had a bottle of Trinitas Petit Syrah [$55] which needed to breath a bit before drinking and then turned out quite fine and stood up to some of the more hearty entrées.

Appetizers were the Lobster Mac and Cheese [$16] which was deemed as good as the last visit, a tableside Caesar Salad [$10] and my redundantly named Tuna Sashimi Poke [$11]. The poke was good [Hawai'i does it better] but the topping was a mystery, a good one. It was either wasabi foam or wasabi infused caviar, anyway it was fine.

Our entrées were Steak Frites [$22] and two Surf and Turf [$28 each]. Last time the surf and turf was Short Ribs and Diver Scallops but this time two hugh Grilled Shrimp were the surf part. This was beyond excellent!

Desserts [yes, we did that too] were the Cherry Trio [$5] a bunch of cherry type things, a Beggar's Purse [$7] which was a thing filled with stuff and my Apricot Lavender Sorbet [$5] which was super.

A great meal, nice room and good service; I will go back again.

A few of Cuba's restaurants...

These are some of the restaurants in Havana where I ate:

Hotel Telégrafo for cocktails. This was our first night in Havana. We had a welcoming mojito here in a restored hotel's bar. The mojito was to become my favorite drink.








El Palacio St. Angelo for dinner and then lunch my last day. For my birthday dinner we had Cream of Pumpkin soup, Lobster skewers, Roasted Potatoes, Rice, Black Beans and a Torte for dessert ...and then... a birthday cake.






Casa del Campesino in Las Terrazas in Pinar del Rio where they cooked rice, beans and ropa vieja over the open fire.















Aguada del Pasajero for 'crocodile' sandwiches coming/going to Trinidad del Cuba. On the way down it was chicken and the way back tuna. The sandwich bread looks like a crocodile and is delicious. What a great stop on the highway.







El Tocororo for Cuban jazz and a final dinner. We had a great meal of beef, rice, mashed potatoes and vegetables. Lots of mojitos. The music was so smooth and the singer was beautiful. I sat with the 'crew' and my favorite, Vivian our guide.











Also ate Pasta Carbonara with Shrimp at La Dominica for Italian food and El Aljibe for a vegetarian lunch.

bloginfo: This trip was a humanitarian mission so we were able to go legally from Miami.

el Palacio St. Angelo [Cuba]

Plaza Vieja, Habana Vieja in el Palacio St. Angelo was the place for a special lunch on my last full day in Cuba. We had celebrated here for my birthday the week before so I wanted to end my stay here with a quiet solo lunch.

Started with great Cuban bread and a Cristal beer. Then had the special Red Snapper with Almonds accompanied by Congrí [rice and black beans cooked together] and Tostones [fried plátano]. Skipped dessert and had a Café Cortado, just the way I like it.

The same musicians were there and even remembered me. I guess dancing with maracas on the terrace on your birthday does single you out! This was not the best meal I had in Cuba but it was special for its memories and solitude as I got ready to leave this special island.

bloginfo: I was in Cuba on a Humanitarian Mission.