What’s Cookin

I have, after some thought, decided to withdraw my application for appointment as Dean of the Yale Law School, a small local institution. Upon reflection, I can better contribute to the members of our legal community by identifying local luncheon establishments which meet my standards of excellence.

A word first about those standards. I am neither an epicure, gourmet nor gourmand. I view food as fuel. It keeps the machinery going. I wouldn’t know a flambé from a quiche, a roast duck from escargot. Lunch, however, is important. It lets us meet and talk. It’s part of what bonds us. All I need is a cheap meal with good company with or without tablecloths and often without utensils. What’s important is not what you eat but who you eat it with.

Now a days I often spend my time looking for people to have lunch with. What I’ve learned in that pursuit is some basic good places to eat in and around the New Haven area. Good. Reliable. Cheap.

First, an old reliable. Zoi’s on Grove Street. There was a time when Zoi’s was next to my door on Orange Street in a bandbox that fit about six people and a heavy take out line. I advised the owner, Pete, to stay right there and not move to Grove Street. He rejected my advice, opened a larger, better, location and now probably feeds everybody with any sense who is near the New Haven courthouse. Bad advice. Good move. The menu is extensive. The food quality great. They cater. The staff is terrific. They know everybody and everybody’s preferences. They are exceedingly upbeat, polite and courteous.

Next is Nick’s Char Pit on Middletown Avenue. Nick’s is what the name implies. Hot dogs, hamburgers, fried fish and clams and chicken. Nick’s has been in business longer than I’ve been in practice. The hot dogs are terrific; the hamburgers great. I’m not much on the salads but those who can’t handle a hot dog lean in that direction. The fried fish and clams are also great. The chicken likewise. Bobby runs it. Tina is on the grill. There’s younger generations working the counter. They recently added an ice cream shop. I’ve been going to Nick’s for about 30 years. No pretenses. It is what it appears to be. It is good and reliable.

Scarpellino’s on Forbes Avenue is also on my list. It’s run by Danny Scarpellino and his wife, Luann. Formerly on York Street Danny moved to Forbes Avenue years ago. He is cousin of Judge Phil Scarpellino and the Scarpellino’s of Wooster Street. The menu, as can be inferred from its name, is a host of Italian specialties. My favorite is sausage and peppers with potatoes on a hard roll. It goes by the name Joe Duck. Can’t be beat. And, of course, there is Foxon Park sodas.

There is another place in West Haven, Charcoal Chicken. It is off of Kimberly Avenue at 71 Elm Street. It is a Latino place. Its menu is varied. But there is a specialty of arroz con pollo – chicken and rice – which is excellent. The staff is accommodating, sometimes bi-lingual; sometimes not; sometimes Portuguese, sometimes Spanish. It doesn’t really matter. The prices are great. The food is good. And a trip out of the county seat is a pleasant change.

A recent find is D’Amato’s on Whalley and Winthrop. D’Amato’s, according to the signs on the wall, has moved over the years to various New Haven locations. It is a fish place, plain and simple. It has any variety of fried fish or clams you want. What makes it exceptional – and an exceptional bargain – is the D’Amato’s Junior Sandwich for $6.00. Can’t be beat. It’s good. You can eat inside or, when it’s nice, outside on picnic tables. It has a steady stream of a variety of customers who represent a cross section of our city. The people behind the counter – there is a young woman named Julianna with a smile that lights up the world – is terrific. Tablecloths are unknown. They could use a ketchup dispenser and salt and pepper shakers instead of the stuff that comes in packets, but that’s the way they choose to do it. It’s worth the sacrifice. And, of course, once again, Foxon Park beverages.

Lastly, when I really want a meal and not a quick lunch there is the Thai cart outside 235 Church. It’s been there probably 20 years now. The food is good. There’s a combination of Thai dishes all of which are tasty with various degrees of spiciness. Unfortunately, the prices have crept up from the original five bucks. As a change of pace, it’s excellent.

You never go alone to these places. It’s always good to be with somebody, chewing the fat with while chewing the meal. (Over the years I think that’s how I’ve done my best legal research.) In all of these places you see the world.

There’s no charge for these recommendations. I may reconsider the deanship, but the application is pretty long and I’m not sure I want to waste my time on an interview. If they want to drop by 350 Orange Street to follow up, I might fit them into my busy schedule. My number, as we used to say pre I-Phone, is in the book.