From burgers to baklava: eat the whole world in New Haven's best restaurants

A taste of Elm City tradition

These eating establishments have been around forever and have become a ritual part of student life. You're not a true Yalie until you hit these joints:

Educated Burgher (51 Broadway, 777-9198) is known through the generations as a great place for burgers, milkshakes, french fries, and anything else fried that suits your fancy. Conveniently located along Broadway, it's an easy stop while doing errands, or if you have a craving for something a cut above McDonald's.

Louis' Lunch (263 Crown St., 562-5507) claims to have invented the hamburger as we know it. Make sure you don't ask for ketchup at this legendary spot, because they won't let you spoil their creations with processed tomato goop.

Naples Pizza (90 Wall St., 776-9021) is infamous for drawing crowds of raucous Elis every Thursday night. It's known as much for its beer as its pizza. Carvings of past and present Yalies' initials on the big wooden tables and a jukebox full of cool tunes that span the ages make Naples a tradition. The pizza is greasy, the grinders are great, and the lunch menu is excellent.

Union League Café (1032 Chapel St., 562-4299) serves wonderful French food prepared by a native French chef. It's too expensive for the typical student budget, but it is still the place to go to celebrate a special occasion. It has an impressive wine list, and you can always catch nostalgic alumni reminiscing about old college days.

Yankee Doodle (250 Elm St., 865-1074), commonly referred to as The Doodle, is famous for its hamburger-eating contest—break the record of 28 and your name will go down in history (keeping the food down afterwards is not a requirement). You can get a delicious burger for under two dollars, and the service is fast and friendly.

EWAN MACDOUGALL/YH The Doodle: gain your freshman 15 the fast way!

Yorkside Pizzeria & Restaurant (288 York St., 787-7471) is a social center with mid-priced pizza and a large Greek menu. The Greek salad with feta cheese is a favorite, the pasta is wonderful, and the garlic bread smothered in tomato sauce and mozzarella is the best way to start your meal. Yorkside's wall decor (old Yale football programs and team photos) is always fun to look at, and its late hours make it popular on weekdays and weekends alike. A little warning: the chicken parm sandwich is addictive. Wooster Street Classics

Wooster Street, about a 10-minute walk from campus, holds a special place in New Haven culinary lore. It is the site of the historic Italian district known for its superb restaurants, the most famous of which are Frank Pepe's Pizzeria (157 Wooster St., 865-5762) and rival Sally's Apizza (237 Wooster St., 624-5271). Pepe's is the birthplace of the brick-oven pizza, turning out the ultimate thin crust with creative toppings and special sauce. Though it may not sound like it, the clam pizza at both restaurants is one of the best foods ever invented. What you hear about these two places is not exaggerated: there's a reason that the lines outside are long and the people waiting in them have come from miles away. Others in the Wooster area that deserve a visit:

Abaté Apizza and Seafood (129 Wooster St., 776-4334) has good veal, chicken, steak, and seafood—along with excellent pizza that ranks only slightly below Sally's and Pepe's. This is a fine choice when the lines at the other Wooster restaurants are too long to tolerate. Abaté also delivers.

Consiglio's (165 Wooster St., 865-4489) is a place to try all your Italian favorites in a comfortable, airy atmosphere. It's been around for 50 years and has definitely earned its good reputation.

Libby's (139 Wooster St., 772-0380) serves up exquisite Italian pastries and ices at cheap prices. Among their best treats is the cappuccino gelato. Be sure to stop by after a meal at Pepe's or Sally's.

The Spot (163 Wooster St., 865-7602) stands to the side of the original Pepe's. It is like a Pepe's annex, with shorter lines and less atmosphere, but—most importantly—the same pizza.

Tony and Lucille's (150 Wooster St., 787-1620) is known as the inventor of the calzone. With its red-checked tablecloths, it's a charming place to eat bottomless dishes of pasta and surprisingly spicy pizza at decent prices. It's an oft-forgotten stop on this star-studded street, but worth a try.

Some Competition

Though Wooster wins the contest for the most celebrated pizza in town, other establishments have challenged the reign with their own brick ovens, winning points for convenient locations and shorter waits. The pizza parlors claiming converts:

Modern Apizza (874 State St., 776-5306) has loyal followers who consider its brick-oven pizza the best in New Haven. The toppings and crust are well-done, but Modern's secret weapon is delivery—it'll come until midnight, anywhere you want.

Cosí, formerly XandO (338 Elm St., 495-9869) used to be just a trendy coffee shop located behind Davenport College. Now it offers brick oven pizza, and word on the street is that the chef even used to work at Pepe's. The grilled chicken and broccoli pizza is a good choice, as are the salads and sandwiches. Also, the salad pizza is the perfect dinner combo all in one! And where else can you have an iced mocha or any other coffee treat with your pizza?

For parents who'll pay

With creative menus, tasteful décor, and delicious food, these restaurants provide what can be called the Ultimate Dining Experience. The price of an Ultimate Dining Experience, however, tends to exceed the normal student budget, making them perfect for those special occasions when your folks are in town or there's something to celebrate.

Bentara (76 Orange St., 562-2511) is a new and modern restaurant in the Ninth Square district of the city that serves Malaysian cuisine, which is like a combination of Indian and Chinese. The walk from main campus is a bit farther than most area eateries, but this shouldn't discourage you from trekking down here to sample their fabulous stir fry.

Caffé Adulis (228 College St., 777-5081) Ethiopian and Eritrean cuisine are perfect for a fun meal with friends or parents, or for an intimate evening out. Entrées are placed together atop a layer of sourdough pancakes on a platter in the middle of the table, making sharing easy. Try the nachos for an appetizer.

Hot Tomato's Bar and Grille (261 College St., 624-6331) opened last year next to the Shubert Theater. Serving a creative and eclectic Italian-based menu, it combines an airy dining hall in a converted hotel lobby with some of the Elm City's most unique cuisine. When you go to this restaurant, be sure to save room for dessert. It also boasts a wonderfully romantic date atmosphere conducive to romance.

Istanbul Café (245 Crown St., 787-3881) opened just recently and is the only restaurant in Connecticut for authentic Turkish fare. (To the uninitiated, it's a cross between Greek and Middle Eastern.) The appetizers are great, and you can recline on the embroidered couches and admire their belly-dancers while you eat.

Pika Tapas (39 High St., 865-1933) is a charming café with a great atmosphere and a variety of Spanish dishes. Since the portions are small, you can try several different dishes. Be prepared to be adventurous.

Samurai (230 College St., 562-6766), located across from the Shubert Theater, is a popular Japanese restaurant known especially for its fresh sushi. For something new, try some sake (hot Japanese rice wine) with your meal.

Scoozzi Trattoria (1104 Chapel St., 776-8268) offers fairly pricey contemporary Italian food in a modern setting. Reservations can be hard to come by; if you can make one, snag the spicy, warm garlic bread, and try the scrumptious tri-color tortellini. Sample the antipasto at the bar while you wait, but save room for the desserts.

KIRA RYSKINA/YH Scoozi: How else will your parents prove their love?

Zinc (964 Chapel St., 624-0507) is the new home of creative fusion dishes that mix Japanese, Vietnamese, and Singaporean cuisine. Its décor is cool and fashionable, but the prices are correspondingly high—thus it remains a spot to only take parents and (big-spending) dates.

Tibwin Grill (220 College St., 624-1883) is a contemporary bistro serving an eclectic variety of meat, fish, and pasta entrees. In addition, its classy yet casual atmosphere and moderate prices usually win the favor of parents.

Breakfast Godsends

On weekends, brunch in the dining halls closes at 1 p.m. You will learn soon enough that this is way too early. So, for those Sundays when you drag your hung-over self out of bed to discover that it's half-past two:

Bruegger's Bagels (1 Whitney Ave., 773-3199) has an impressive variety of bagels and spreads, including blueberry and sundried tomato bagels with good jalapeño and smoked-salmon cream cheeses. You can even watch the employees take the bagels out of the oven; they're especially tasty when they're still hot.

The Copper Kitchen (1008 Chapel St., 777-8010), located across from Old Campus, is a good, greasy diner. You can get cheap eggs, burgers, and milkshakes (you should be warned, however, that the wait staff is known as much for its body odor and chest hair as for its occasional efficiency).

Patricia's (18 Whalley Ave.) is a friendly dive located only one block from the back of Pierson and Davenport. It has $1.95 breakfast specials that can fill you up for the rest of the day.

Sweet Relief (99 Audubon St., 789-9800) specializes in wraps, soups, and salads, and has the best fruit smoothies in town. It is located right off Whitney Avenue and has outdoor seating and a comfortable people-watching atmosphere.

For late-night munchies

Sometimes you just want food. Nothing fancy like tablecloths or candlelight—you want to eat quickly and you want to do it while hurting your wallet very little. Whether you're willing to take it out or must have it come to you, these are the shops that really mean business:

Aladdin Crown Pizza (260 Crown St., 773-3772), is a rather schizophrenic eatery, offering falafel, hummus, and kebabs as well as pizza, lasagna, and grinders. The Mediterranean-Italian combination is great if you have stubborn roommates with diverging tastes. Most importantly, it delivers until 2 a.m. on weekends.

Chap's Grille (1174 Chapel St., 562-3966) offers standard American fare like large hamburgers and tasty salads at reasonable prices. Though it does deliver until 1 a.m., the store's bustling ambience is well worth the short walk down Chapel.

Est Est Est Pizza (1176 Chapel St., 777-2059) is more than a pizzeria, offering calzones, manicotti, cappuccino, Italian ices, and some mighty fine pasta. The relaxed atmosphere makes it a good place to go on a date, but it will also come right to your door until 2 a.m. on weekends.

Ivy Noodle (316 Elm St., 562-8800) is a very popular Chinese eatery specializing in cheap, abundant noodle dishes, either for take out or to enjoy in the restaurant's modern ambiance. Though not all of its dishes are equal in quality (the pan-fried dishes generally have less mysterious meat than the soups) its late hours (until 2 a.m. Mon.-Sat.) and convenient location behind Davenport have established it as a new Yalie hangout.

Main Garden (376 Elm St., 777-3747) once had a religious following for its late hours and inexpensive Chinese food, though Ivy Noodle's emergence has stolen much of its luster and customers. The General Tso's chicken combo, which comes with rice, broccoli, and an egg roll, is a hit all over campus. You can order in to your dorm until 1 a.m.

Mamoun's Falafel Restaurant (85 Howe St., 562-8444), though it doesn't deliver, is without question one of the all-around best restaurants in the city. It serves great Middle Eastern dishes at low prices and stays open every day until 3 a.m. It is a perennial favorite for late-night partiers—many swear by the falafel, kebabs, and baba ghanoush to stave off hunger pains in the wee morning hours. The dim mood lighting and decorative rugs give it a distinct atmosphere that many Yalies come to love.

Mom's Indian Kitchen (283 Crown St., 624-8771) is home to cheap, tasty Indian favorites ranging from samosas to lamb curry. Though it only stays open until 10:30, there's a 15-percent discount with a Yale ID. If you give them 20 minutes they'll bring Mom's to you.

Vegetarian friendly

All is not lost for those among you who have sworn off eating the flesh of fellow creatures. Along with those that cater specifically to vegetarians, there are many restaurants that provide extensive non-meat options.

Claire's Corner Copia (1000 Chapel St., 562-3888) is a venerable vegetarian haven. Its fully veggie menu includes salads, hot soups, sandwiches, Mexican food, many creative employments of soy, and wildly indulgent homemade desserts.

India Palace (65 Howe St., 776-9010) has a weekend brunch that quickly banishes thoughts of the dining hall's rubbery scrambled eggs. The Palace's walls are completely covered with exotic prints that make for lively conversation, and its naan is among the best in the Elm City.

Rainbow Café (1022 Chapel St., 777-2390) offers large portions of unique salads, sandwiches, and ethnic entrées. Though it isn't fully vegetarian, many of their best dishes are made without meat. The casual, self-service setup makes a great place for a break from the dining hall.

Royal India (140 Howe St., 787-9493) offers delicious entrees and an elegant interior, complete with gilded ornaments and decorations. The restaurant has a reasonably priced buffet lunch and dinner on the weekends. Portions are large and satisfying, and they have a whole slew of meatless dishes.

Tandoor (1226 Chapel St., 776-6620) offers nan baked with your choice of garlic, onions, or several other tasty ingredients. Its unique combination of '50s diner decor and sinus-clearing tikka masala always makes for an interesting evening.

EWAN MACDOUGALL/YH Tandoor, the best Indian dinner ever (and possibly the only Indian dinner ever).

The Whole Enchilada (21 Whitney Ave., 772-4454) serves healthy vegetarian and low-fat Mexican cuisine. The food is prepared fresh daily and includes vegan options as well as fat-free soups. The great burritos and inexpensive prices are appealing to vegetarians and meat-eaters alike.

New in the neighborhood

These ventures have just joined the lively dining scene. Will they survive the competition and establish themselves? Or will they fail to draw crowds and slowly founder? It all depends on what happens in the new school year. The fates of these businesses, dear freshmen, are in your hands.

21 Broadway (21 Broadway, 865-8888) boasts 21 different types of cleverly-named burgers. Its large variety of pizzas, salads, and breakfast foods can satisfy any Yale appetite. Open 24 hours with fairly cheap food, this restaurant will lure your hungry stomach during all-nighters.

Lalibela (176 Temple St., 789-1232) had its grand opening in the newly-remodeled space right across the street from the Omni Hotel. It serves authentic Ethiopian fare accompanied by rolls of traditional sourdough bread. A relaxed, elegant ambience may come to rival Caffé Adulis as New Haven's preeminent African restaurant.

Nirvana (148 York St.) This oddly-placed three-floor restaurant has beautiful décor, nice prices, and some of the best Indian food in the city, with tender dishes all around. Highly recommended.

Pizza at the Brick Oven (122 Howe St.) Those who try this pizza seem to become dedicated customers. Although New Haven offers a large variety of pizza stops, this one rivals competition by keeping prices down and quality up.

Roomba (1044 Chapel St., 562-7666) serves "Nuevo Latin" food influenced by Cuban cooking. So far, the elegant underground space and unique taste have brought high praise from its patrons.

Whimsels (280 York St., 787-9929) offers one-of-a-kind treats with its crepe sensations. Its menu offers crepes that can serve as a meal as well as dessert crepes.

Thai madness

One of the quirkier features of New Haven is its abundance of Southeast Asian restaurants. If you come to Yale uninitiated, you will undoubtedly leave with a discriminating taste for this cuisine. These eateries can serve any Thai food need, from noodle dishes to go to elegant sit-down dinners.

Asian House (1150 Chapel St., 624-9689) offers a menu that can squelch the potentially violent squabbles among friends who can't decide between Chinese, Thai, or Japanese. Asian House's three-cuisine menu and buffet lunch make it a popular location for a quick bite.

Bangkok Gardens (172 York St., 789-8684) has long been the Yalie's top choice for Thai food, as well as the New Haven Advocate's Best Thai Restaurant of 2001. Some entrees can be pricey and there is often a wait, but the menu is extensive, and its glass-enclosed dining area across the street from the Yale Rep make it a perfect place for people-watching.

Indochine Pavilion (1180 Chapel St., 865-5033), along with an excellent assortment of Thai food, has a good selection of Vietnamese dishes. It has a popular, if often rather poor $4.95 lunch buffet and a 10 percent student discount with a Yale ID.

Thai Taste (1171 Chapel St., 776-9802) has a below-ground location that offers more privacy than the glass windows of Bangkok Gardens. A fun fact: the Thai government has named this eatery one of the 15 most outstanding Thai restaurants in Connecticut, New Jersey, and New York.

Pad Thai (1170 Chapel St., 562-0322) has prices better suited to a student budget than those of Bangkok Gardens or Thai Taste. Make sure to try its namesake noodles, but ask for extra sauce. A Yale ID here also gets 10 percent off the bill.

International food and drink

New Haven, our All-American city, offers a variety of restaurants featuring international themes. You can find Mexico, Japan, or Ireland right here in your backyard! Here are some of our favorites:

Anna Liffey's (17 Whitney Ave., 773-1776) is a classic Irish pub. The lunches are simple and tasty, and the beer is great—Guinness on tap.

El Amigo Felix (8 Whalley Ave., 785-8200) has drink specials on Wednesdays that are not to be missed, and it also serves some of the best Mexican food in the area. With or without alcohol, the frozen drinks are amazing.

Miya's (68 Howe St., 777-9760) features Japanese cuisine in a traditional setting. With its reasonable prices and extensive menu, Miya's is usually crowded, especially for the Monday night all-you-can-eat buffets. While it may have the best broccoli tempura rolls and udon noodle soup in New Haven, the extremely slow service can be trying to a hungry Yalie's patience. The wait is known to be more entertaining, however, when it involves sake bombing.

Viva Zapata's (161 Park St., 562-2499) is the preferred Yale hangout for Mexican food in a casual atmosphere. Great sangría pitchers, tasty nachos, and a wait staff that will accommodate groups of all sizes.

For the sweet tooth

New Haven is nice to its dessert lovers. You can get an unbelievable Lithuanian coffee cake at Claire's Corner Copia, huge, incredible cookies at Rainbow Café, and to-die-for baklava at Mamoun's, but there are also establishments that exist to serve your sugar highs and chocolate cravings:

Clark's Dairy (74 Whitney Ave., 777-2728) gets points for décor—the aqua-blue counters and swivelling stools enhance the thrill of an extensive selection of ice cream and frozen creations. The desserts come overflowing with chocolate sauce, whipped cream, and peanuts, making it a great place for a study break, especially for residents of nearby Silliman and TD.

Chapel Sweet Shoppe (1042 Chapel St., 624-2411), across from Vanderbilt Hall, offers a broad selection of gourmet candy, from Jelly-Bellies to Chevalier chocolates and classic treats like a complete soda fountain. They also scoop up Double Rainbow ice cream, one of the best things ever to come out of San Francisco, and terrific smoothies.

Durfee Sweet Shoppe (basement of Durfee Hall) offers sandwiches, sushi, fresh baked goods, frozen yogurt, soda, and a wide selection of candy. Just bursar-bill it to your parents—don't they want you to eat well?

Andrew Krause, Kenrick Ou, Brian Levinson, Rosa Gonzalez, Jason Heller, Liz Oliner, Josh Drimmer and Yuka Igarashi contributed to this article.

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