Sweating and Eating (Pizza, Italian Ice, Etc) in New Haven
- By Robyn Lee
- Aug 24, 2008
- Comments
I wanted pizza; Amy wanted hiking. Jason, our mutual New Haven friend, was up for doing both.
But the sweating and labored breathing that comes from physical exertion (doesn't take much in my case) started before I even left New York. The rerouted J train from my Brooklyn apartment to Manhattan caused me run for the Metro-North train just minutes before it was to pull out of Grand Central. I ran/power walked towards the front of the train, skipping the crowded cars, until I realized the whole train was crowded—obviously, since it was going to leave in about 30 seconds.
I plopped my butt somewhere. Not in the same car as Amy, although that would've been convenient.
"Are you okay?" she asked on the phone. "Do you want to come up to my car?"
"I...uh...tired. ...Breathing funnily. I'll wait a bit." My words may have been more coherent than that, but not by much. And I wouldn't even blame that on the heaving, constricted breathing; I'm frequently incoherent even with normal oxygen intake.
And that's the most exercise I will ever get in a morning. I could never run like that in a controlled setting—it's the motivation to not have to wait another hour for the next train that gives my body that extra special boost, the magical thing that keeps me from crashing into walls or tourists as I try to find the correct platform. Who needs a gym membership when you can feel the burn, heart rate-increasing stress, and relief of barely catching a train? I feel like just repeating, "OH SHIT I'M NOT GONNA MAKE IT," over and over in my head burns more calories than a calmer thought, like, "That's a nice teapot."
...Yeah, I'm really out of shape.
And then we ate a lot
- BAR
The first place that Jason took Amy and me to was Bar, home of the glorious mashed potato and bacon pizza and their own micro-brewed beers. The last time I came across Bar a few months ago it looked like had exceeded its legal capacity by about 200%. People may have been sitting on top of each other; it was hard to tell what was going on as all I could see was a dark, wriggling mass of human bodies.
But on this delightful Saturday afternoon, there was no one. Almost. Not surprisingly since school wasn't in session and if I were a New Haven-ite, I'd still be latched to my bed.
- Beeeer.
Amy and Jason shared this beer. This special beer. ...With special flavors. As I derive about as much pleasure from drinking as I get from staring directly at the sun, I didn't care enough to write down the beer's description. But if it means anything I actually took more than one sip. That is, two sips. It had an interesting multi-layered taste that didn't make me retch. Always a good thing.
- PIZZA
And then it was time for bacon and mashed potato pizza, sans tomato sauce. We ordered a small to make sure we'd have enough stomach space for the rest of the day, but the small ended up being more like a medium, enough to satisfying three hungry people. For only $12.50, that's pretty sweet.
- Close ups
Pillowy mounds of mashed potatoes were plopped near the edge of the pizza and spread a little bit towards the center, and bacon clumps were sprinkled on top. Clumps. Clumps-o-bacon. The mashed potato didn't have much flavor, but it tasted good combined with the thin chewy crust, gooey garlic-enhanced mozzarella, and CRISPY CHUNKS OF BACON. While I may not be much of a fan of bacon on its own, I appreciate it when it lends its salty pork essence to other foodstuffs. Like pillowy mounds of mashed potatoes.
Next, I propose a mashed potato, bacon, and gravy pizza. ....That's not gross at all.
Bar's bacon and mashed potato pizza may not have been as good as the pizza from Sally's or Pepe's, but it's worth trying. Multiple times.
- MILLIONS?
When we passed by Atticus, Jason and Amy saw a bookstore. But I saw scones. Millions of scones. Since 1981.
- Hello, dough blob.
However, the bookstore/bakery only had one scone left. The gaziilion other scones must have already been eaten that morning.
- Eat it.
Our hefty ginger scone flecked with bits of candied ginger was alright. Not bad, nor one of my favorites. It was a bit dry, although not in the way that made me feel like it was supposed to be dry, but that it dried out as it sat alone on the bakery counter...neglected...losing the will to live. The texture was a bit heavier than I would've liked. Or maybe I was too full from the pizza to fully enjoy it.
- Huh?
Never having seen a wine bar that served dim sum, I was amused to come across Chow a...dim sum wine bar. The combination kind of goes against why I like traditional dim sum—it's cheap, chaotically fast, and eaten with free, unlimited pots of tea—but I guess it's nice if you want to eat dim sum in a relaxed, upscale environment and pay a lot for it.
- DESSERT
After passing out in Jason's apartment for longer than we had expected to (20-somethings need naps too), we went to Libby's Italian Pastry Shop for a pre-hike dessert.
- Desserts
I couldn't decide what flavor of Italian ice to get, or whether to try one of their cannolis (with atypical toppings such as Heath bar, crumbled Oreos, or M&Ms). After the long wait, I settled on getting both: lemon Italian ice and a hazelnut chocolate cannoli.
- Italian ice
My lemon Italian ice in a small squeeze cup made for a pleasantly smooth frozen treat. Until it melted and I was sucking up sweet lemon juice from the wee lil' crumpled paper cup. But that was the sun's fault. It's probably more satisfying to eat with a spoon.
I saved the cannoli for later. Amy and Jason said it could be my end-of-the-hike reward.
- Gelato?
Jason's hazelnut and pine nut gelato was "meh." Not much flavor. Stick with the Italian ice.
- Nata
On our walk to East Rock Park along Orange Street, we passed by Nica's Market where I bought a Portuguese egg tart. They offered a variety of home-baked goods; I gravitated towards the egg tart because egg tarts are one of the best things in the world. Unfortunately, the initial excitement died off as soon as I bit into the chewy crust. Egg tarts aren't supposed to have chewy crusts. Epic fail.
On the upside, I bought a bottle of sparkling water to stave off dehydration.
This is where I burned calories
And then walked. A lot. And wished we had a car. But since the point of going to East Rock Park was to get exercise and fresh air and whatever it is that people did for fun before computers were invented, it would've been dumb to speed up the "getting there" process. My cursory calculations tell me that the distance between Libby's and the park is about two miles. Not that we knew that during our walk, which is why it seemed like we would never make it.
- But we did make it. At least, Jason did.
The "climb" up the rock was fairly easy; it just involved going up steep Mordor-esque steps made of giant rocks. I only took this one photo during the upward trek due to being distracted by the sensation that my lungs were going to explode. Ha ha. Did I mention I was out of shape? (Don't worry; I take Advair now. Take that, nature.)
- NEW HAVEN, there it is.
Our reward for reaching the top was a beautiful view overlooking New Haven. Being surrounded by trees instead of buildings and trees was also nice. Along with the fresh air.
As we sat on a bench, I treated myself to the celebratory chocolate hazelnut cannoli that had been sitting in my bag for god knows how long. I don't actually like cannolis that much (whether freshly filled or not); I just keep eating them (I've had about five during my lifetime) thinking that I might like them someday. Libby's cannoli was nothing special—the thick, cheesy filling was kind of tacky and missing the advertised hazelnut flavor and, like every other cannoli shell I've ever eaten, I didn't like it. It's similar to my feelings towards choux pastry: I might like it more when it's fresh and crisp, but even then I still think it lacks any enjoyable flavor.
Pizza time, part deux
- Abate
Due to lack of time, we passed the long lines at Sally's and Pepe's to eat at the line-less Abate.
- FRIES
Abate is nice if you want something besides pizza. Like french fries. Amy and I had a french fry craving and nearly filled up on the mountain of fat-soaked sticks of carby goodness before our pizzas could arrive at our table.
- Eggplant parm
The eggplant parmigiana pie was alright. The last time I ate an eggplant parmigiana pizza was at Sally's, which makes for an unfortunate comparison because nothing would taste as good as that. Abate's pie wasn't bad—it was just boring.
- WHITE PIE
The white pie with fresh tomato slices with garlic and basil was much better. It's all about the layer of sweet, mozzarella cheese meshing harmoniously with the thin crust. ...And the gobs of garlic. I prefer pizzas topped with whole tomato instead of tomato sauce, but I don't come across them very often.
- Crust
The crust didn't have much flavor, but I liked its thickness.
Although Amy and I had to push ourselves to eat just half a pizza each (the fries may not have been a good idea), Jason managed to eat an entire pizza rather than see it go to waste, apparently without any stomach discomfort. It boggles the mind. I'm still impressed.
We took a cab to the train station—like hell we were going to do any more walking after the six+ miles we covered that day. Amy and I passed out on the train ride back to New York.
Since I wouldn't consider this trip a focused "fooding" excursion, I'll probably go back to New Haven sometime this year. There are people I have to see and things I have to eat. Like more pizza.
Related
New Haven Food Tour: Part 1 (Modern Apizza and Ashley's Ice Cream)
New Haven Food Tour: Part 2 (Sally's Apizza)
New Haven Food Tour: Part 3 (Frank Pepe Pizzeria)
New Haven Food Tour: Part 4 (Louis' Lunch)
Addresses
Bar
254 Crown St
New Haven, CT 06511
Atticus Bookstore and Cafe
1082 Chapel St
New Haven, CT 06510
Libby's Italian Pastry Shop
139 Wooster St
New Haven, CT 06511
Nica's Market
603 Orange St
New Haven, CT 06511
East Rock Park
41 Cold Spring St
New Haven, CT 06511
Or, you know, just look for the BIG ROCK towards the east.
Abate Apizza and Seafood Restaurant
129 Wooster St
New Haven, CT 06511
Comments
It's a shame I only live about a 40 minute drive from New Haven and I still haven't branched out of my Pepe's habit whenever I'm down there. I'm thinking that potato and bacon pie might be the thing that does it. Goodness that looks ridiculous and totally delicious at the same time.
I love your beautiful photos! Another great post as usual. My husband and I used to stop at Pizza Cafe in Stamford, CT en route to Boston, he loved the clam pizza. I guess there is an ongoing contention as to whether pizza was invented in New Haven, NY or NJ...I know that Pappa's in Trenton is the third oldest pizzeria in the U.S. (That pie looks a little like Jersey's tomato pie, in fact.) Whatever, New Haven has terrific pizza! Time for a detour to that city for a sample...
I work at a bakery and we always sell out of cannolis almost as soon as we make them. It boggles my mind too, especially when they are RIGHT NEXT to the glorious marzipan rolls that sell slow like snails. Until I eat them all.
Also, a bacon/potato/gravy pizza can be had in Canada; I've seen it a few times as 'poutine pizza'. Totally great. Problem is, most nicer pizza places won't make something like it so it's always really greasy, haha. Even greasier than something like that should be.
I don't really like potatoes, but I like saying 'pillowy mounds of mashed potatoes!' in hopes that I one day will.
Interesting concept with the mashed potato pizza.
If it makes you feel any better, I was heaving and my lungs hurt the last time I ran. >,
Merp. I can't tell you how many times I've been to New Haven to visit my friend Mike, and he's never taken me to ANY of these places. PROBLEM. I need to make a list now.
Also, your post about "Obrigado" and now Portuguese egg tarts just make me want to run back to Florence and hug my Brazilian neighbors and then make them cook for me. =)
Hooray--more fun food than a county fair, with the same varied degress of tastiness. Dry scones are a bummer, and I agree--cannolis and pate a choux always look better than they seem to taste. They almost always leave me disappointed, yet I often convince myself to buy them. =\
You on a pizza diet lately Robyn? Wow bacon and mash on pizza sounds different. Hope it was better than it sounds ;)
TastyNewEngland: Pepe's is pretty awesome so I wouldn't blame you for not having been to Bar. Next change you get, just try both? ;)
Bonnie: New Haven has a certain pull when it comes to pizza. I don't think I could visit and not eat pizza for lunch and dinner. :P
Katrina: Mmm, I think I would rather eat marzipan than cannolis, but I can't eat that much marzipan...it's heavy stuff!
POUTINE PIZZA. I was thinking about that! ...With fries? Hehe. I want it.
Christina: Wah to hurting lungs! :( WHY DO OUR LUNGS HATE US?
Kathryn: Man, you need to smack some sense into your friend! Where DOES he take you? ;)
I WANT BRAZILIAN NEIGHBORS.
Julie: Stop buying them! We must stop this madness! Of creamy pastries with tasteless outer crusts!
G: I'm only on a pizza diet in New Haven. :)
"hello, dough blob."
You called?
if you ever come to Boston you MUST try the scones at Canto 6 Bakery. They are the best ever. And I don't even care a whit about scones. I had to go on a no-scone diet because they were so good.
Happy Birthday Robyn! I look forward to reading about your birthday eats. :D
The great thing about Bar (aside from the mashed potato pizza) is that it is actually large enough to fit more than five people in it. They also have a great room in the back - my husband and I had our rehearsal/welcome dinner there and it was a huge hit.
Another suggestion for great scones in Boston: Sherman in Somerville. Especially strawberry. Or cherry almond. Perfectly crumbly but not too dry.
Wow! Ive never heard of mashed potato in pizza but it sure sounds good :)
i wish there were more pizza choices here in singapore aside from modestos and the overly-commercialized not-so-good pizza hut..
:-)
Carl: DOUGH BLOBS TALK TO ME.
Astrid: I want those scones. :(
Angeline: Thanks! It'll probably be the end of September before I get to it..HAHAA.
Erica: Oo that's true, it's a huge place. And wahhh so many tasty scones, SO FAR AWAY!
Shan: Ahh, Singapore has other good foodstuffs you keep you happy, even if there isn't more awesome pizza? ;)
(friend of Rose's, who you met IRL recently)
Dunno if it's still the case as it's been a few years, but one way of getting around the lines at Pepe's was to go to the a few stores down and set back from Wooster St. alternate location, called The Spot. It's a spinoff of Pepe's and has roughly the same quality of apizza. But in general was less crowded.
New Haven has changed since I was there, but you certainly can't go wrong with BAR and a hike to East Rock Park!! The views from East Rock are amazing especially in the fall when the leaves are changing color. Atticus has really good black bean soup and pie from what I remember. I would also get hot drinks and sandwiches when I was tired of dining hall food.
A good Italian/Mediterranean restaurant in New Haven is the Amalfi Grill.
There used to be a good tapas place, not sure if it's still there on York and College St, but I have forgotten the name. . .
And then there are two streets lined with Indian and Thai restaurants.
Oh and there's a great Malaysian restaurant on Orange Street called Bentaras.
Oops, I meant Chapel street, not College Street.
Bar looks like a cool place - and i take Eating AND sweating as the sign of a good feed!
Tom: Ahh, we did consider The Spot but that too had a long line! It just wasn't meant to be.
Patty: Thanks for the recs! I'll have to keep those in mind for my next visit.
Leigh: Sweating also makes me feel like I'm burning calories. ..Not nearly enough to make up for what I ate, but still. I CAN DREAM.
Honey. If I even eat 1/2 as much as you do, I'd be like 3 ft wide!!
You are too lucky!
I've never heard of mashed potato on a pizza before, but double carbs always sound like a good idea to Asian people, right? :)
I just moved to Brooklyn-- on the JMZ-- and am struggling to find good restaurants/ supermarkets/ all that stuff.
Any chance you could email me- or post- some JMZ-accessible favorites? (Will repay you by taking you to one of them if you're interested.)
@Bonnie: Napoli, Italy. That's where pizza was invented.