Date
4/9/2014
Location
Downtown (?) Branford
1070 Main Street, Branford, CT
What I ate
Coconut soup
Vegetarian samosa
Hyderabadi mixed vegetables
Garlic naan
Kheer
Who came
Jolene, Michael, Helena, Rempe
Website
Darbar India
Thoughts
This is the hands-down winner for most foot/best value for restaurant week; I've never walked (waddled?) out so stuffed! They didn't have to sacrifice quality for quantity, either. Intrigued by the vegetarian menu, I deviated from my normal choices and was not disappointed. The soup was quite good and a nice way to start the meal, though a little sweet. The samosa was as tasty as expected. The only drawback was that my meat-eating co-diners were given two samosas. I can always use more samosas. Indian cuisine is one of my favorites when it comes to shining the spotlight on vegetables as the main part of an entree and the Hyderabadi mixed vegetables further cemented this in my mind. The garlic naan didn't taste like much, but was an excellent vehicle to sop up anything that was left behind. The kheer could've used some addition, maybe a little bit of fruit or some almonds, but that and already being full didn't stop me from wolfing down the whole thing.
The dining room is big and open, great for a group. The only negatives were with the service. The waiter was friendly and attentive, but didn't seem to fully grasp the restaurant week concept. The timing of service was also a little odd - this was only exacerbated by the fact that the restaurant was mostly empty. The soup and samosas came out in rapid succession, while there were long waits for the entree and dessert courses. This might've been more of a problem without a group as conversation helped cover up the delays, but they were still noticeable.
Recap
Pros - Delicious food and tons of it
Cons - Pacing of the meal was off
Overall - I still haven't had better Indian food in Connecticut. Darbar is my go-to when I'm craving Indian food and restaurant week was no exception. Go. Get good food. Thank me later.
Tuesday, May 20, 2014
Roìa
Date
4/8/2014
Location
Downtown New Haven
261 College Street, New Haven, CT
What I ate
Salad of blood orange, grapefruit, and shaved fennel with toasted nuts
Agneau braise a l'oignon (Braised lamb with onions, kale, peppers, and potato pancakes)
Poppy brioche bread pudding
Website
Roìa
Thoughts
In looking through the New Haven Restaurant Week menus, this was one of the ones that stuck out and it didn't disappoint; let's go right to the food. I'm generally not a fan of grapefruit, but this seemed like a good opportunity to change that and I wasn't keen on the other appetizer options. My only complaint was that there wasn't more of it. It was delicious and I would've eaten a double-portion without hesitation. The entree was even better. The lamb was mixed with the delicious veggies and the potato pancakes acted as a great base, sopping up anything that was left behind. This was also one of the largest portions for an entree I've ever had at any restaurant week, so they score a few bonus points. The dessert was a bit of a letdown. It was good, it just didn't carry through the momentum from the preceding courses. Frankly, it has been about a month since I went and, while I can clearly remember how the salad and the lamb tasted, I'm drawing a bit of a blank on the bread pudding.
The place feels like it used to be a lounge outside of the symphony, but doesn't take itself quite that seriously. The ceilings were tall and, while I liked the sense of openness, it did get a little loud once the place filled up. Still, it had a general inviting feel to it, a little dark, a little warm, but not at all sedate. The wait staff and kitchen were also very accommodating, finding gluten-free substitutions for my date and happily talking through both the menu and wine options. Oh, and don't be thrown off by the sink in what looks like the hallway. There isn't one in the restrooms, so that's what you use. It seemed weird to me, but friends who know such things assure me that's something restaurants do.
Recap
Pros - Tasty food, helpful wait staff, comfortable atmosphere
Cons - A little loud at times
Overall - When the food is that good and the complaints are that weak, it's going to score well. There are so many places in New Haven I still have to try, but I'll be heading back to Roìa before too soon.
4/8/2014
Location
Downtown New Haven
261 College Street, New Haven, CT
What I ate
Salad of blood orange, grapefruit, and shaved fennel with toasted nuts
Agneau braise a l'oignon (Braised lamb with onions, kale, peppers, and potato pancakes)
Poppy brioche bread pudding
Website
Roìa
Thoughts
In looking through the New Haven Restaurant Week menus, this was one of the ones that stuck out and it didn't disappoint; let's go right to the food. I'm generally not a fan of grapefruit, but this seemed like a good opportunity to change that and I wasn't keen on the other appetizer options. My only complaint was that there wasn't more of it. It was delicious and I would've eaten a double-portion without hesitation. The entree was even better. The lamb was mixed with the delicious veggies and the potato pancakes acted as a great base, sopping up anything that was left behind. This was also one of the largest portions for an entree I've ever had at any restaurant week, so they score a few bonus points. The dessert was a bit of a letdown. It was good, it just didn't carry through the momentum from the preceding courses. Frankly, it has been about a month since I went and, while I can clearly remember how the salad and the lamb tasted, I'm drawing a bit of a blank on the bread pudding.
The place feels like it used to be a lounge outside of the symphony, but doesn't take itself quite that seriously. The ceilings were tall and, while I liked the sense of openness, it did get a little loud once the place filled up. Still, it had a general inviting feel to it, a little dark, a little warm, but not at all sedate. The wait staff and kitchen were also very accommodating, finding gluten-free substitutions for my date and happily talking through both the menu and wine options. Oh, and don't be thrown off by the sink in what looks like the hallway. There isn't one in the restrooms, so that's what you use. It seemed weird to me, but friends who know such things assure me that's something restaurants do.
Recap
Pros - Tasty food, helpful wait staff, comfortable atmosphere
Cons - A little loud at times
Overall - When the food is that good and the complaints are that weak, it's going to score well. There are so many places in New Haven I still have to try, but I'll be heading back to Roìa before too soon.
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