Like Sun Ra to Egypt, Empire conquers Whalley

Thousands of years from now, when archaeologists try to make sense of late-night eating at Yale (and, mark my words, there will be studies), they will raise a quizzical eyebrow at the marked change that occurred in February 2000. It was then, at the dawn of the new millennium, that late-night eating at Yale entered into its "Golden Age." It was during this joyous time that Yalies saw the birth of the Pizza Empire.

The 299 years prior to February 2000 will hereafter be known as the "Dirt Age." Late-night dining is a barren desert. The few restaurants we have close early, have poor or overly specialized selections, and seldom deliver. Pizza Empire, which is open from 3 p.m. to 3 a.m., seven days a week and offers free delivery right up until closing, is a welcome addition to New Haven's scant offerings.

CAYTE PUSHKAREVA/YH Like Pizza Hut, but different.

Wedged between El Amigo Felix (that's "The Friend Felix," for you monolingual types) and Patricia's on Whalley Avenue, Pizza Empire is a fastidiously clean hole-in-the-wall with seating for only about 10 people. Though the restaurant is small, its menu is gigantic. In addition to pizza, it boasts hamburgers, hot dinners (meat loaf), "dinner sautes [sic]" (fancier stuff like veal marsala), triple-decker clubs, hot and cold subs and sandwiches, seafood, salads, Italian specialties, gyros, and plenty of other choices. I know most people would shrink from ordering veal from a pizza place, just like they would never order the lobster dish at Main Garden—but honestly, I'll bet it's dope. That's how impressed I was with the small fraction of Pizza Empire's culinary delights that I sampled.

For $26 (and that's with tip), I ordered their "Tri-Sampler" appetizer, the Philly cheesesteak, a cold Italian combo sub, an order of fries, a two-liter of Pepsi, and a piece of cheesecake for dessert. I passed on their pizza only because I had tried it the weekend before. It's good—not Naples good, but better than Domino's. When the food arrived, my roommate Thomas and I went apeshit. The Tri-Sampler, which includes two chicken fingers, four mozzarella sticks, and four chicken wings, is a solid choice for those who feel trapped by the prospect of only one deep-fried appetizer. Thomas enjoyed the mozzarella sticks best ("The Mootz sticks are fantastic!" he told me). My neighbor Melissa and I were big fans of the chicken fingers, which were surprisingly juicy and not over-fried in the least. All agreed the chicken wings were the weakest link, but the thought of not finishing them never crossed our minds.

The sandwiches were good, but not great. The cheesesteak was fresh and juicy but a little overwhelmed by the bread. Thomas felt the Italian combo was "dominated by the turkey and a little short on the fixings." I took a bite and agreed. The meat was definitely far superior to that of its Krauszer's counterpart, but it came without olives, peppers, oil or vinegar. In Pizza Empire's defense, it's our fault because we didn't ask for any of them. French fries are always a bit of a crapshoot, since modern science has time after time failed to find a way to deliver them without making them soggy. I thought these fries stood up relatively well, however, and Thomas agreed, shaking his head sadly. "There really isn't anything you can do about that," he bemoaned. The cheesecake was also fine and, inicidentally, so was the Pepsi.

Food

Pizza Empire 12 Whalley Ave. Free Delivery until 3 a.m. Large cheese pizza, $8.50; Philly cheese-steak, $5.25 562-5500

The Empire's strongest feature, however, is its service. A lot of restaurants treat college students like they're one echelon above mimes and violent criminals. Eateries at Yale treat you even worse, just because they know that you have no alternative to their bad service. The people at Pizza Empire are really sweet—twice now they've told me about specials they have which require coupons I don't have, coupons that say, "Not Valid if Not Mentioned."

When I ordered two pizzas from Empire a week before, the deliverers didn't have the right change when they arrived, so they gave both to me for $10. When I ordered last night, they were again extremely helpful, taking the time to read me most of their menu (since I didn't have one.) This, my friends, is exceptional service.

My one caveat: they've only been open for two weeks, so it helps if you tell them everything you want. I didn't ask for ketchup or salt with my fries so I didn't get any ketchup or salt with my fries. Same goes for the fixings on the Italian Combo. Spell it out. Otherwise, all hail the Pizza Empire and its glorious new regime.

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