Out in the open
By Todd Lyon
From the New Haven Register
I’m not ready for August. Don’t tell me it’s here already, I don’t believe you. I look the other way when I pass store displays of back-to-school stuff; I’ve decided to hang on to summer, to grab that sunshine and squeeze it clear until the first frost. And how do I intend to do this, you ask? Not by swimming or hiking or, god forbid, lying on the beach. No, I intend to make summer mine by dining outdoors as often as possible.
It’ll be easy, considering how many al fresco spaces there are in greater New Haven. The following are a few of my favorite places to enjoy fresh air with fettuccine, blue sky with bleu cheese, balmy breezes with bruscetta, evening stars with sushi ... I’ll see you there, and we’ll just ignore those geese when they fly overhead.
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Assaggio’s 35-seat patio has been a people-watcher’s paradise all summer, according to owner Paul Iannaccone. Located just steps away from the Branford Green, the partially enclosed and wonderfully landscaped patio adjoins the sidewalk and offers a New England-like view beyond.
"At night, when the torches are lit, it looks magical," he says of the space, which seats 35. "People love sitting out here, even if it’s just for martinis and appetizers."
One popular summer appetizer is Steamed Clams in Lemongrass Sea Broth, served with pepper toast ($9). Another favorite option is Assaggio’s Tuesday Tasting Menu, featuring a four-course meal with matched wines for $35 per person.
The Tasting menu changes every two weeks, but you can always count on Assaggio for fresh, contemporary Italian food and fascinating wines that can be enjoyed indoors or out.
Assaggio
168 Montowese St., Branford (just beyond the Branford Green)
(203) 483-5426
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Kiraku is in full bloom. The Japanese restaurant, which opened in bitter-cold January, has put in a full deck and made its own beach that leads to the banks of the Quinnipiac River.
By day, you can watch fisherman cast for luck and see canoes and kayaks launch; by night, the Grand Avenue Bridge shows its lights, as do the houses across the river.
Although best known for its sushi, particularly its imaginative rolls, Kiraku also features Korean specialties and other surprises. Don’t just visit in good weather: The view from inside is almost as clear, but instead of starry skies you can sit under a sparkling purple ceiling.
Kiraku Japanese& Asian Restaurant
5 Clifton St., New Haven
(in Fair Haven, off Quinnipiac Avenue)
(203) 469-7917
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Esteva has one of the prettiest patios I’ve ever seen. Hidden from view behind the restaurant (which itself is situated on the Guilford Green), Esteva’s expansive patio overlooks the sculpture garden of the Greene Gallery next door, laid out on an emerald lawn.
There is art on the plates, as well. Esteva’s top-notch cuisine is the work of Steve Wilkinson, formerly of Steve’s Centerbrook Cafe and Fin Bouche. At Esteva, he and his staff produce intelligent, articulate American dishes that take seasonal ingredients for a joy ride.
Esteva American Cafe
25 Whitfield St.
(on the Green), Guilford
(203) 458-1300
•••
168 York Street Cafe has a hidden patio of its own. The gay bar and restaurant, known for its fabulous Monday Night Meatloaf Special ($3.50 for a complete meal) is dark and pub-like inside ... but out back there’s an expanse of brick with high fences all around, picnic tables for dining or drinking, and a balcony for a bird’s-eye view of the action.
Alas, York Street’s famous brunch is gone for the summer (back in September), but there’s live music on Aug. 28 with Disconnected, an acoustic trio, and Aug. 29, with local chanteuse Faye Greene. Note: You don’t have to be gay to enjoy 168 York Street; the place is welcoming to one and all.
168 York Street Cafe
168 York St.,
New Haven
(203) 789-1915
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Jeffrey’s is one of Milford’s quiet treasures, and its delightful patio, alongside the Indian River, is all about landscaping. Behind a high fence, hidden from New Haven Avenue, is a garden bursting with color and texture and form.
Jeffrey’s has some of the most elegant food in the tri-state area – virtually every dish is lavish and high-concept – and there’s no better place to enjoy it than among the flowers.
Jeffrey’s
501 New Haven Ave.
Milford
(203) 878-1910
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When La Piazza opened in March, it gave mere townies a place to dine on the Yale campus; now that the students have gone, its large patio is open all the time. It’s a cool oasis overlooking a quad and the back of the Yale Bookstore, and it’s just the place to drink Chianti and share a plate of cheese, or nibble on dessert and sip espresso, or tuck into a full dinner of something Italian.
La Piazza Bistro Italiano
65 Broadway (behind the Yale Bookstore)
New Haven
(203) 946-0753
•••
Another urban hide-away can be found at that chic spot called the Blue Pearl. I do mean urban: This square of sky behind the restaurant is all concrete and steel and just as stylish as the rest of the place.
Note: The cocktails are excellent, and the menu of "small plates," "big plates" and fondue (cheese or chocolate, your choice) is ideal for a leisurely evening of sharing food, gossip and fresh air.
The Blue Pearl Restaurant and Lounge
130 Court St. (between Orange and State streets)
New Haven
(203) 789-6370
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And let’s not forget... Cancun Charlie’s, the new Mexican restaurant in Milford with a wrap-around porch and a view of the water. |
