Welcome back! This summer, New Haven added a whole new crop of restaurants to its repertoire. So get ready for some delicious eats – and a whole lot of froyo.
Looking for a quick bite in between classes? Lunch Box 23, New Haven’s newest gourmet food truck, has everyone talking about its delicious, “farm to table” slider menu. Options range from crab cake and Jamaican chicken to roasted duck and Korean barbeque. The menu also changes frequently, with added specials such as the recent “Cali-Burger” with avocado, aioli, and Swiss cheese. Another reason to dash there before your next class: sliders are just $3 each, and they take credit cards!
Tikkaway Grill is a new Indian restaurant that offers fresh and flavorful foods as well as extremely quick service. Similar to a Chipotle-style dining experience, customers “design” their dish – first choosing between Roti wrap, rice bowl, or salad bowl, followed by a choice of vegetables, meats, or other proteins and starches, and then topping it all off with a choice between different signature sauces, vegetables, and cold chutneys.
Chao Chao features both an upstairs quality wine bar and a downstairs restaurant that serves authentic Taiwanese dishes with traditional Chinese infusions. Restaurant-goers recommend the dumplings. Another plus: the trendy ambiance and mood lighting, which gives the reasonably priced restaurant an upscale, swanky atmosphere.
Panera has already established itself as the newest go-to for delicious café-bakery food, consistent service, and also a warm atmosphere. Open for breakfast, lunch, and dinner, this can be a place to come eat in a booth with friends or rather a spot to bring your computer and use Panera’s free wifi. Crowd favorites include low-fat smoothies, bread bowls, and the “Pick Any Two” soup/salad/sandwich combination.
Stop by Wings Over New Haven if you’re in the mood for something greasy and good – but don’t let the name fool you. The chain spot offers not only different types of wings and sauces but also ribs, sandwiches, wraps, and sides. The boneless wings and onion rings are crowd favorites. Feeling lazy? You can also order online and get it delivered!
Taste of China is the newest hot spot for those who enjoy Chinese food, excellent service, and a clean, pleasant interior. The restaurant is quickly gaining regulars and outstanding reviews with its creative, high quality cuisine, including both popular favorites like Kung Pao chicken and also authentic Sichuan and Chengdu dishes that you cannot normally find at typical Chinese restaurants.
Attention TD’ers!! Your days of trekking across campus for your froyo fix are finally over. As for everyone else- this place is worth the walk. go greenly offers both a self serve frozen yogurt bar as well as a smoothie menu. The interior is clean and sleek, but the flavors are what seem to be winning people over. Blondies, Cappuccino Freddo, Caramel Oreo’s, Peach Tart . . . just to name a few specials!
If you are near Chapel Street, then Polar Delight may be the froyo spot for you. This self serve store offers the more classic flavors of frozen yogurt along with some tasty specials like Chocolate Fudge, Cotton Candy, and non-dairy Pomegranate Raspberry and Mango Tango.
And coming soon: Pinkberry! The California-based chain will open a location on Chapel Street this October. Although the store does not offer a self-serve froyo bar, it certainly poses stiff competition with its Pinkberrygreek (Greek yogurt concoctions), Pinkberryshakes, Pinkberrysmoothies, and, of course its popular frozen yogurt flavors and toppings (including lots of fresh fruit!).
Maison Mathis, a traditional Belgian bakery, is also coming soon to New Haven. This breakfast, lunch, and coffee spot will feature tasty European-style breads, Belgian waffles, pastries, chocolates, sandwiches, salads, and more. The bakery is a sleek and inviting space with a very convenient location on Elm Street next to Ivy Noodle.
And, last but not least, there are some important dining hall changes to note:
This summer, Yale Dining decided to increase the amount of money per Durfees meal swipes (and those used at other campus retail dining locations) by $1 – changing the value per swipe from $7 to $8.
Starting this fall, Commons will close for a half hour period between breakfast and lunch. Breakfast will be served from 7:45 a.m. to 10:30 a.m. and followed by lunch from 11:00 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. Also, as began last spring, a swiping checkpoint will now be placed near the food, forcing students to re-swipe as they enter the food area.