LuDal offers city dining in the suburbs
By Todd Lyon
From the New Haven Register
LuDal offers city dining in the suburbs
 | | Alison and Dalton Velez of LuDal with their children Crystal, left, and Gabriela. Chris Volpe/Register photo |
I walked into LuDal behind two smartly dressed women. As they stepped through the doorway, one stopped and grabbed her friend by the arm. "It looks different!" she exclaimed. "It’s so chic ... this is still LuDal’s, right?"
Yes, it’s still LuDal, the contemporary Italian eatery that’s thrived in an unlikely strip mall in North Haven since 1999. It has the same owners, too — Alison and Dalton Velez, who also own and operate the top-rated Dalton’s in North Branford, and who were on the starting team of the original Quattro’s in Guilford.
What made the women skip a step is that, as of November, LuDal is sporting a whole new look. Windows once swathed in draperies and valances are now open to the street; walls are pale gray, with subtle up-lights; leather banquettes and booths frame minimalist table settings; scrumptious fabrics divide rooms.
And, for the first time since its birth, LuDal has a bar. It’s only 16 seats deep, and wholly separate from the main dining room, yet that has helped transform LuDal from an upright destination restaurant into a place where a person can snack on apps, meet friends for drinks, relax — and also enjoy fine dining.
Alison — who looks younger every year, but swears to me that she hasn’t made a pact with the devil — envisioned LuDal’s transformation. Hubby Dalton, executive chef of both Dalton’s and LuDal, agreed with her design choices yet yearned for an open kitchen. "He prides himself on his spotless kitchens, and wants people to see that he’s not hiding anything," explains Alison. Creating a window to his world would have been a huge undertaking, however, so they settled on closed-circuit, flat-screen TVs that broadcast the action from LuDal’s stovetops and grills.
The place was jamming on a recent Saturday night. When we arrived at 9 p.m., the lounge and dining room were filled to the brim, and still swinging when we left at 11. This surprised my sister-in-law, Sarah, who lives in N.Y.C. and often stays in Northford on weekends. She’d come to believe, via painful experience, that all local restaurants slammed shut by 8 p.m., thus forcing her to forage for withered roasted chickens at Stop & Shop in order to feed her family.
Sarah was wide-eyed when we took our seats and were immediately served a basket of garlic knots — warm twists of savory bread — and a ramekin of house-made chimichurri (a slurry of parsley, cilantro, scallions, garlic and olive oil). Then she noticed that many of our fellow patrons had good hair and enviable footwear. "Where the hell am I?" she whispered.
Sarah’s no snob, but she couldn’t help but observe a certain cosmopolitan flair in our midst. Later, Alison explained the phenomenon: "We draw lots of customers from New Haven," she said. "We’re only 10 minutes away from downtown and there’s plenty of free parking here."
Which brings me to the heart of this story: LuDal excels at striking a balance between citified style and suburban comfort and convenience. Its menu is anchored with homey choices like Chicken Marsala, Veal Parmesan and Zuppe de Pesce, yet also includes more challenging options like Chicken Macadamia with goat cheese and spinach, and Seafood Basilico with pine nuts and pesto cream. Daily specials — many created by Chef de Cuisine Edison Ochoa — are imaginative concoctions that showcase fresh fish and other ingredients du jour, and everything is offered at prices that are easy to digest.
Sarah could hardly believe that appetizers of Escargot Pernod (divine!) and Broccoli Rabe and Sausage were a mere $8 each, and was amazed at how many entrees (Zuppe de Clams, Sweet Potato Ravioli, Chicken Salentina) could be had for $16 or less. And when was the last time any of us had seen a New York Strip, with a peppercorn crust and bourbon sauce, served with fries, for $22? Add to this the fact that every entree at LuDal is served with a terrific little salad, the value is considerable, indeed.
We ordered with abandon, buoyed by selections from a nicely edited — and again, reasonably priced — wine list, and cheered by our indulgent waiter, Tom. He made us feel as if we were the only patrons in the restaurant. "The choreography here is excellent," said Hayward, my constant dining companion, watching the precision teamwork on the floor as our dishes arrived at the right time and the right temp.
It seems that Alison’s dream for the new LuDal is coming true. "I wanted the place to feel more trendy, more lively," she told me. "It was a bit subdued before, but the bar really adds life and atmosphere. People are staying later — which is what we wanted — and we kept the prices low so you could come here any day of the week."
Here’s where the city meets the suburbs, where cookery meets cuisine, where New Haven goes North. I’m all for LuDal’s, the best of both worlds.
Todd Lyon of New Haven is a freelance writer.
THE ESSENTIALS
•Place: LuDal Italian Restaurante, 28 Broadway, North Haven.
•Phone: (203) 234-1816.
•Hours: Lunch: 11:30 a.m. to 4 p.m., Mondays to Saturdays. Dinner: 4-9:30 p.m., Mondays to Thursdays; 4-10:30 p.m. Fridays to Saturdays; 11:30 a.m. to 9 p.m. Sundays.
•Reservations: Recommended; strongly advised on weekends.
•Food: A well-loved Italian eatery with contemporary flair has been updated with citified style, yet retains a base of traditional cuisine and service. The dinner menu begins with a vast assortment of appetizers in the $7-$9 range, including such favorites as Eggplant Ludal with mixed veggies and fresh mozzarella ($8); Blackened Seafood in a sautee of white beans, garlic and tomatoes ($9); and Escargot Pernod with roasted peppers, mushrooms, scallions and Pernod cream sauce ($8). Three soups and three salads are offered a la carte ($6 for Lobster Bisque, $5 for Mixed Greens with dried cranberries, walnuts and Gorgonzola). More than a dozen pasta entrees, each served with salad, start at $15 for Sausage and Spinach in a cognac cream sauce over linguine, and top out at $22 for Zuppe de Pesce in a red or white sauce. There are 16 regular entrees on the menu, priced from $16 to $22. Top choices include Chicken Marsala with asparagus and mozzarella, over mashed potatoes ($17): Veal Matese topped with prosciutto and spinach; and Steak Cristal with Gorgonzola, brandy sauce, potatoes and veggies ($22). Lunch features similar offerings, at reduced prices and portions. Desserts are mostly house-made, and include Bread Pudding ($6), Lava Cake ($6) and Tiramisu ($5.50).
•Vegetarianism: Those who reject meat but enjoy seafood have plenty of options; otherwise, choices are limited.
•Drink: A full bar is at hand, and so is a wine list of modestly priced bottles from Europe, Australia and the Americas. Prices range from $17-$68, with most in the $20-$25 area. LuDal has recently added a Special Reserve Wine List, a short list of fancier offerings in the $45-$135 range.
•Wheelchair access: Through the front entrance.
•Credit cards: Visa, MasterCard, Amex, Discover, Diner’s Club.
•Kid-friendliness: The kitchen is pleased to make anything in child’s portions.
•Parking: In a dedicated lot in front and behind the restaurant.
•Private parties: A private dining room can accommodate parties of 14 to 16 people for lunch, dinner or cocktail parties. |
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