Lunch at Camacho Garage in New Haven CT

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Mexican Street Food at Camacho Garage

We were finally able to visit Camacho Garage, the newest location from the team behind the award-winning Geronimo Tequila Bar and Southwest Grill, Shell & Bones Oyster Bar and Grill, and Nantucket’s Bar Yoshi! The restaurant is operated under the ownership team of co-owners Robert Bolduc and Marc Knight, and Executive Chef/co-owner, and Camacho Garage's namesake, Arturo Franco-Camacho.

Camacho Garage in New Haven

The restaurant features Mexican street food type dishes along with a bar menu that highlights beer, specialty cocktails, tequila, mezcal and other traditional and inspired Mexican beverages. 

Camacho Garage on Fountain Street in New Haven CT

Located in the Westville neighborhood of New Haven at 36 Fountain Street (corner of Fountain Street and Central Avenue) the restaurant offers a fun and lively atmosphere with an elevated vintage garage theme throughout its indoor and outdoor dining areas. 

Vintage Texaco Sign at Camacho Garage

Due to the 2020 pandemic, the restaurant has positioned tables with ample room to allow for dining at safe distances, and has many lucite dividers in place, at both the bar and in the main dining room between several booths. 

Inside Dining Room at Camacho Garage

How perfect for safe dining and social distance practices! In addition to the bar area and inside dining room, Camacho Garage also offers four season outdoor dining, with heaters for the colder weather!

The Bar at Camacho Garage in New Haven

We started with some cocktails from their specialty cocktail menu, from the "high octane" selections (with a nod to the restaurant's garage / petro theme) the King Julien's Pisco Sour, made with Barsol Pisco, Tamarind, Lime, and Egg Whites (so good...and sooo tart)

King Pisco Sour 

... and a Siamese Dream, made with Espolon Reposado, Hibiscus, Lime, Elderflower, and Strawberry. What a perfect pick!

Siamese Dream

For starters, we shared a Quesadilla de Huitlacoche made with wild mushrooms, corn truffle, epazote, onions, chihuahua cheese, and avocado, and you can put your own stamp on it by adding any of the following: chorizo, guacamole, shrimp, chicken, steak, or lobster (for additional costs). We decided to go seafood ALL THE WAY and added both shrimp AND lobster, because we're smart like that!

Quesadilla de Huitlacoche with shrimp and lobster

For our lunch we went with tacos, and a side of Mexican Street Corn. OMG - it was so good! I couldn't believe that corn (that is definitely out of season in February in Connecticut!) could taste this amazing! 

Camacho Garage Mexican Street Corn

Camacho Garage's street corn is dusted with a seasoning of chipotle mayo, cotija, ancho power, and just a hint of lime.  Be sure you order one!

The tacos were equally good! We ordered the Fish Tacos, made with beer battered cod, red cabbage slaw, crema, salsa verde, and pico de Gallo!

Camacho Garage Fish Tacos with Beer Battered Cod

... and the Camaron Ala Diabla, made with shrimp, arbol salsa, Chihuahua cheese, and pico de Gallo. 

Camaron Ala Diablo made with Spicy Arbol Salsa and Shrimp

We followed up with dessert, and decided to share the delicious Tres Leches Cake! For those not familiar with tres leches cake, it translates to 'milk cake' and is made with a variety of different milks, such as condensed milk, evaporated milk, and heavy cream. 

Tres Leches at Camacho Garage

Served with a shortbread cookie, a dollop of creamy ice cream, and accompanied by fresh fruit, it had just the right amount of silky richness to end our lunch on. 

Quite honestly, everything was delicious, from the high octane cocktails, to the savory dishes, to our sweet and happy ending! 

Stacked Quesadilla at Camacho Garage

Camacho Garage is a perfect place to  enjoy a delicious lunch, dinner, or share some small plates with friends and family! Next time we're there we're anxious to try the duck and lamb items, and some of the Middle East inspired menu items. Let's face it, we know everything will be amazing if it has Chef Arturo's hand in it!

Vintage Neon Mobil Gas sign at Camacho Garage

Reservations are accepted via OpenTable.com, or by contacting the restaurant at 203-691-1969.

Camacho Garage

36 Fountain Street

New Haven, Connecticut

203.691.1969

https://camachogarage.com

About Camacho Garage:

Camacho Garage brings acclaimed Executive Chef/co-owner Arturo Franco-Camacho’s exciting and unique tastes of contemporary Mexican street food to the lively Westville neighborhood in New Haven, Connecticut.  With a small plates food menu heavily focusing on tacos with housemade corn tortillas, ceviches, salads, tostadas and guacamole made with fresh, local and seasonal ingredients, the complementing beverage program offers an extensive and unique menu of beer, wine, cocktails, tequila, mezcal and other traditional and inspired Mexican beverages.  Located at 36 Fountain Street, the restaurant, with a sophisticated, vintage garage atmosphere, features indoor dining with a large bar area, outdoor dining with fire pits, a large shipping container bar and a heated, covered pergola, as well as takeout and catering services.  For more information, visit www.camachogarage.com.  The restaurant can also be found on Facebook (@camachogarage), Instagram (@camachogarage) and Twitter (@camachogarage).
 

About Chef Arturo Franco-Camacho:

The Executive Chef for Geronimo Tequila Bar and Southwest Grill, Shell & Bones Oyster Bar and Grill and Camacho Garage, Arturo Franco-Camacho (Franco) is a veteran of the Connecticut food scene whose extensive repertoire spans from five years as Chef de cuisine on the prestigious QE2 to opening several of his own successful restaurants (Roomba, Bespoke, and Suburban) in New Haven and Branford, CT.  He has also served as Guest Chef at the Director’s Dinner at the Sundance Film Festival.  
 
Chef Franco’s cuisine has been recognized as “Excellent” in the New York Times, and has received accolades from Connecticut Magazine, Yankee Magazine, Zagat and on Food Network’s “Food Nation with Bobby Flay.”  He has been nominated for Chef of the Year by the Connecticut Restaurant Association and has been recognized as an Ambassador Chef by the annual Greenwich Wine + Food Festival.  Chef Franco is a graduate of the Culinary Institute of America.

Disclaimer: We were invited to Camacho Garage by members of their management and marketing team, however, the views and opinions expressed herein are our own.

 

© Home Place 2021

ROIA Restaurant in New Haven

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ROIA Restaurant Celebrates Five Years in New Haven

If you follow my Connecticut food and travel adventures regularly, you know that my number one criteria for dining out is to sit back, relax, and enjoy the experience. Eating out is an occasion to be relished and appreciated!

ROÌA Restauran
261 College Street
New Haven, CT

Breaking bread with friends, both old and new, while drinking in the sights and sounds of my surroundings is what every successful dining excursion must include. 

Chef's Sample Small Bite

And while I typically aim my camera at the beautiful sights that decorate the plate in front of me, sometimes the details and the ambiance of the decor at my location demand equal attention from the camera lens. 

Follow along with me at just such as place, as I indulge in the stately elegance found at ROÌA Restaurant - along with some exceptionally notable cuisine.

Magnificent architecture, old world charm, convenient location, delicious food, outstanding service... the ROÌA has all this, and so much more!

ROÌA is located on College Street, adjacent to New Haven's legendary Shubert Theater, in the area formerly occupied by the equally historic Taft Hotel's grand dining room.

Dining at ROIA Restaurant and Cafe

Named for the river ROÌA that begins in the French Alps and winds its way down to the Ligurian Sea to the little Italian town of Ventimigilia the menu blends a bit of both France and Italy's cuisines, highlighting seasonal harvests and fresh catches from the sea.

Executive Chef and Owner, Avi Szapiro, discovered the space while acting in a restaurant consultant capacity for the location's former owners. 

Chef Avi and Meera
Photo Source: Instagram

But Chef Avi fell in love with the space, and instead of a consultancy, acquired ownership, beginning a journey that included over a year of extensive renovations, opening the ROÌA Restaurant and Cafe in March of 2013. 

With his wife Meera at his side, Chef restored the venue to its former glory, uncovering the beautiful plaster molding and columns found within.

And while the space surrounding us as we dined was indeed beautiful, it was in the flavor of the dishes that we ordered where Chef's attention to detail would truly shine.

We started our meal with some signature cocktails, the Orange Blossom pictured below on the left and the Liqueurian to right. 

Next we ordered from the appetizer section, the Carciofi alla Judea, a citrusy artichoke dish, and the Soupe du Jour, a deliciously light butternut squash soup.

Carciofi alla Judea 

with pecorino di fossa, 

meyer lemon, parsley and pickled chilies

Soupe du Jour
Butternut Squash

View from the upper level
(Available for private parties)

Then we moved on to our main dishes, ordering one of the many specials of the evening Tajarin and Clams - with made on premise pasta. And the great thing --- Chef Avi is now including this dish on the new spring menu!

Tajarin and Clams
thin egg-yolk ribbon pasta with littleneck clams,
spring onion, ‘nduja, garlic 

I cannot begin to describe how delicious this dish was,  particularly the savory with 'just a hint of spice' sauce made with nduja sausage, a spicy, spreadable pork salumi from Italy, loosely based on the French andouille.

The cowboy, who isn't really a fan of shellfish, dug right in for a forkful and declared he was ordering this on his next visit!

Tajarin and Clams
thin egg-yolk ribbon pasta with littleneck clams, 
spring onion, ‘nduja, garlic 

For his selection, he chose the ever popular Steak Frites, a lovely grass fed beef, perfectly rested, dressed with an aromatic and flavorful tarragon shallot butter.

Steak Frites 

8 oz. grass-fed beef onglet, 

tarragon-shallot butter

(Served with arugula salad not pictured)

Chandelier at ROIA

The finale, two extraordinary desserts, a Lemon Panna Cotta and a special Pear Dessert offering.

Lemon Panna Cotta 
with poppyseed shortbread crumble

Pear Dessert
with Meringue and Pistachios

The ROÌA Restaurant is the perfect place for a romantic dinner, a special occasion, or a fun gathering with friends. The restaurant is also available for private parties and functions, both large and small.

With its location next to the Shubert Theater, it's the ideal location for dinner and a show! 

Open for brunch on Sunday - check out their Mother's Day Brunch Menu  HERE

Be sure to stop in soon and enjoy some of Chef Avi's delicious offerings!

ROIA Hours of Operation

Tuesday to Saturday
Lunch    11:30 am – 2:00 pm
Dinner   5:00 pm to close

Sunday
Brunch  10:30 am – 2:00 pm
Supper  4:30 pm – 7:30 pm

ROIA Restaurant

261 College Street
New Haven, CT
(203) 200-7045
http://roiarestaurant.com/

About Avi Szapiro

A native of Bogota, Colombia Avi Szapiro was just 13 years old when he discovered his passion for cooking in the family kitchen. In 1998, Avi enrolled in the Culinary Institute of America (CIA), which led to his first experience in a Michelin-starred kitchen as the apprenticeship program took him back to France and to Lyon’s Restaurant Pierre Orsi.  The training he received there fostered the love of French techniques and classics that are elements of his cooking to this day. Chef Avi's intention and main goal is to uplift and nourish his guests with each meal they have at ROIA. 
  

About ROÌARestaurat and Cafe

ROÌA Restaurant is located in the heart of downtown New Haven next to the Shubert Theater and adjacent to Yale University campus. ROÌA is housed in what was originally the grand restaurant of the historic Taft Hotel built in 1912. The charm and grandeur of this architectural gem have been restored to create a setting where you can enjoy great food and great company. 

Pronounced ROY-ah, ROÌA showcases Avi’s seasonally informed food, inspired by French and Italian cuisines and rooted in local sourcing.  The restaurant features food that delivers maximum flavor with a minimum of ingredients; food that combines culinary restraint with dynamic creativity.   

New Haven Restaurant Week - Spring 2018 Edition #NHVeats

- NEW HAVEN RESTAURANT WEEK -

PRESENTED BY KEYBANK 

RETURNS

WITH SPECIAL MENUS 

APRIL 8-13, 2018

Prix Fixe Options 

Plus Discounted Parking 

Follow the fun at #NHVEats

New Haven Restaurant Week returns this spring in a BIG way -  celebrating its 10th anniversary!

The spring New Haven Restaurant Week will be presented by KeyBank, and will take place from April 8-13, 2018. The bi-annual Restaurant Week will be made all the more super special with the line up of restaurants that are featured! 

With 30 participating restaurants, diners will have the opportunity to experience a variety of New Haven’s finest epicurean talents at an exclusive rate.

“New Haven Restaurant Week has become a much-anticipated celebration of our city’s dining scene and KeyBank is proud to once again partner with Market New Haven and participating restaurants to make it happen. We encourage everyone to take advantage of some great pricing to sample New Haven’s terrific culinary offerings.”

-KeyBank Market President Jeff L. Hubbard.

Special two- and three-course, prix fixe menus will be offered at $17 per person for lunch and $34 per person for dinner, excluding tax and gratuity.  

This year’s spring lineup of restaurants will include newcomer, Jack’s Bar and Steakhouse - the City’s only steakhouse - as well as official wine sponsor, Josh Cellars. 

“Josh Cellars, one of the hottest wine brands in America, is proud to be the official wine sponsor of New Haven Restaurant Week. During this time, we will be extending a special offer to patrons.”

-Tina Afonso 

Trade Marketing Manager 

Deutsch Family Wine & Spirits 

Visit www.infonewhaven.com/NHRWInfo to learn more!

As an added incentive, Park New Haven and The Shops at Yale will be offering a special discounted rate of $5 parking throughout the duration of NEW HAVEN RESTAURANT WEEK.  

The offer will be valid at the Temple and Crown Street garages and parking spaces at 255 Crown Street (behind Pacifico) and 161 York Street (behind Harvest) from 4:00 p.m. - 12:00 a.m. 

The full list of 30 restaurants for this edition of New Haven Restaurant Week includes all your favorites!

New Haven Restaurant Week Participants:

• 116 Crown – Mediterranean
• Adriana’s Restaurant – Italian
• Atelier Florian - New America/Belgian Flair
• Barcelona Wine Bar - Spanish Tapas Read HERE
• Basta Trattoria - Organic Italian
• Caffe Bravo - Italian
• Caseus Fromagerie Bistro - Sustainable Cheese-Centric Bistro
• Cask Republic - Upscale American Fare 
• Christopher Martin’s Restaurant - American Bistro Read HERE
• Fornarelli's Ristorante - Italian
• Geronimo - Southwest Grill
• Goodfellas Restaurant - Italian
• Harvest Wine Bar - Modern American Read HERE
• Heirloom - Coastal Farm Cooking
• Jack's Bar & Steakhouse - American Steakhouse
• John Davenport's - Contemporary Coastal New England
• L'Orcio - Contemporary Italian
• Lenny and Joe’s Fish Tale - Seafood
• Miya's Sushi - Sustainable Sushi
• Olea - Spanish, Mediterranean 
• Olives and Oil - Italian
• Pacifico - Nuevo Latino Cuisine
• Prime 16 - Modern American
• ROIA Restaurant and Café - French and Italian
• Shell & Bones Oyster Bar and Grill - Seafood, Steak & Raw Bar Read HERE
• Soul de Cuba Café - Cuban Soul Food
• Tarry Lodge - Italian Read HERE
• Tre Scalini Ristorante - Italian Read HERE
• Union League Café - Contemporary French
• ZINC - Modern American

About Market New Haven: 

Market New Haven supports jobs and taxes in New Haven through promotion of the City’s thriving dining, shopping, arts, culture and events scene, with a view towards bringing in visitors to generate economic activity.

Market New Haven is a public/private partnership among the City of New Haven, Mayor Toni N. Harp and the Board of Alders, Yale University, Yale New Haven Hospital and the local business community.

Local business community funders include: KeyBank, Knights of Columbus, Citizens Bank, Avangrid, U.I., Southern Connecticut Gas, The Study at Yale, Omni New Haven Hotel at Yale and Anthem Blue Cross Blue Shield. 

http://infonewhaven.com/marketnewhaven

About New Haven: 

A vibrant destination whose deep-rooted history has coined it the “Cultural Capital of Connecticut,” New Haven is enjoying renewed fervor. Famed historic sites host lively year-round concerts and events. Acclaimed internationally diverse restaurants, eclectic shopping, cultural adventures and sophisticated nightlife add to the destination’s urban renaissance and dynamic pulse. 

Join the conversation on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram with #NHV.

New Haven Restaurant Week - Fall 2017

New Haven Restaurant Week for Fall 2017

Fall, food, fun, feast, and prix fixe - it all comes together for one week in the Elm City when New Haven launches their delicious RESTAURANT WEEK!

For one week - participating New Haven Restaurants throw open their doors and offer some amazing deals and menu items! Some for lunch specials, some for dinner specials, some for both! There are some prix fixe specials that you simply must try!

Running Sunday, November 5th through Friday, November 10th - treat yourself to a fab meal during New Haven Restaurant Week at one or more of over thirty participating restaurants!

Participating New Haven Restaurant Week Restaurants:

116 Crown (203) 777-3116 http://www.116crown.com

Adrianna’s  (203) 865-6474 http://www.adrianasnewhaven.com

Atelier Florian  (203) 859-5999 http://atelierflorian.net

Barcelona (203) 848-3000 http://www.barcelonawinebar.com/location/new-haven/
Read about my 2013 Restaurant Week visit to Barcelona HERE

Basta Trattoria (203) 772-1715 http://www.bastatrattoria.com

Caffé Bravo  (203) 772-2728 http://www.caffebravo.com

Caseus Fromagerie Bistro (203) 624-3373 http://caseusnewhaven.com

Cask Republic (475) 238-8335 http://caskrepublic.com 
Read about my 2012 dinner at Stamford's Cask Republic HERE

Christopher Martin’s (203) 776-8835 http://www.christophermartins.com
Read about my 2013 Restaurant Week visit  to Christopher Martin's HERE

Elm City Social (475) 441-7436 https://elmcitysocial.com

Fornarelli’s Ristorante (203) 745-5677 http://fornarellisristorante.com

Goodfellas (203) 785-8722 http://www.goodfellasrestaurant.com

Harvest Wine Bar & Restaurant (203) 777-2500 http://harvestwinebar.com
Read about my 2015 Restaurant Week visit to Harvest HERE

Heirloom (203) 503-3919 http://www.heirloomnewhaven.com

John Davenport’s (203) 974-6858 http://www.johndavenports.com/enews/index.html

L’Orcio (203) 777-6670  https://lorcio.com

Lenny and Joe’s Fish Tale  (203) 691-6619 http://ljfishtale.com/page/19694-New-Haven-Lunch-Specials

Mecha Noodle Bar  (203) 691-9671 https://mechanoodlebar.com 
Read about my 2016 visit to Mecha for dinner HERE

Miya’s Sushi (203) 777-9760 http://www.miyassushi.com

New Haven’s Taste of China (203) 745-5872 http://www.tasteofchinaus.com/newhaven/

Olea (203) 780-8925 http://www.oleanewhaven.com

Olives and Oil (203) 891-5870 https://www.olivesandoil.com

Pacifico (203) 772-4002 http://pacificonewhaven.com

Prime 16  (203) 782-1616 http://prime16.com

Roía (203) 200-7045 http://roiarestaurant.com

Shell and Bones (203) 787-3466 http://shellandbones.com/restaurant-week
Read about my 2016 visit to Shell & Bones for Restaurant Week HERE

 Soul de Cuba Cafe  (203) 498-2822 http://souldecuba.com

Tarry Lodge  (203) 672-0765 http://newhaven.tarrylodge.com
Read about my 2017 visit to Tarry Lodge for Restaurant Week HERE

Tre Scalini  (203) 777-3373 http://www.trescalinirestaurant.com
Read about my 2012 visit to Tre Scalini for lunch HERE

Union League Cafe (203) 562-4299 http://unionleaguecafe.com/menu-new/

Zinc (203) 624-0507 http://unionleaguecafe.com/menu-new/

Make sure if you visit one of the participating restaurants during restaurant week that you tag #NHVeats and #CTRW and follow the hashtags for some looks at some amazing fare!

New Haven Restaurant Week at Tarry Lodge - Spring 2017

Spring 2017 New Haven Restaurant Week at Tarry Lodge

I love that so many towns hold restaurant weeks twice a year, especially when it's in the spring when the days get longer and your mood elevates with all the sunshine to come! This spring, the 2017 New Haven Restaurant Week returned from Sunday April 2nd through Friday April 7th.

This year over 30 of downtown New Haven's ethnically diverse restaurants featured a two course $17 for lunch and a three course $34 prix fixe menu for dinner.

Tarry Lodge 2017 Spring "Restaurant Week" Menu

Restaurants that participated offered a  multi-course, prix fixe menu. For lunch it was an appetizer and an entree and for dinner it typically consisted of an appetizer, entrée and dessert. Great idea for a two course lunch (instead of the usual 3-course lunch) because three courses for lunch can be a bit too much, especially when you have to return for the afternoon work day!

The year we had a pretty hectic week at work so I couldn't break away for an off-campus lunch with work mates, and the cowboy and I couldn't coordinate a night earlier in the week so, Gayle and I decided to get together for a girls night and make reservations for Friday night at Tarry Lodge. This was actually my first time dining at Tarry Lodge, in spite of the fact that both Gayle and I used to baby sit for the Executive Chef, Sam (Samantha) Moore -- AND we had stopped there multiple times for New Haven's Wine Crawl - Flights of Fancy!

Tarry Lodge Interior
Note: This picture is from a different date -
the night we stopped for New Haven Restaurant Week it was PACKED

It was great going downtown on a Friday night - and I was pleasantly surprised to see A LOT of traffic and busy restaurants - a great sign that our New Haven community is alive and well and booming!

Tarry Lodge serves classic Italian fare and is operated by the Batali / Bastianich group. Yep, that one, consisting of Mario Batali, Joe Bastianich, Andy Nusser and Nancy Selzer– the team behind the VERY successful Tarry Lodge Restaurants in Westport CT and Port Chester NY.

Cozy seating, a bit too cozy for me with close seating to maximize square footage, and ambient lighting, the restaurant pays homage to Yale's New Haven roots with a bronze bulldog statue of Handsome Dan, the Yale mascot.

Handsome Dan - Yale Bulldog Mascot

Tarry Lodge offers an impressive wine list and menu that includes house-made pasta, fritti and meats cooked over a grill. The restaurant’s pizza bar is wrapped around an oven crafted by Valoriani, the storied family operation that has constructed ovens outside of Florence since 1890. (Tarry Lodge, 2017, About Us)

We settled in at our table and began to peruse the menu over a deliciously tart Bellini

Bellini

Oh, and the bread! Tarry Lodge serves up some delicious peasant bread with olive oil for dipping.

Now let's move on to our Prix Fixe dining!

First Course: Antipasti at Tarry Lodge New Haven

Gayle went with the Tarry Greens with White Bean Vinaigrette and I selected the Funghi Arancini with Truffle Aioli. 

Funghi Arancini with Truffle Aioli at Tarry Lodge

Tarry Greens with White Bean Vinaigrette

Entree Course: Secondi at Tarry Lodge New Haven

For our entree's Gayle selected the Eggplant alla Parmigiana and I went with the Black Fettuccine with Rock Shrimp and Chorizo Sausage. 

Tarry Lodge
Eggplant Parmigiana
Black Fettuccine 

Both were equally delicious, the eggplant had just a hint of crispness and the the Fettuccine had a nice heat from the chorizo sausage.

Black Fettuccine with Rock Shrimp and Chrorizo Sausage

Third Course: Dolci

Believe it or not we had room for dessert. Gayle went for the Butterscotch Budino, a custard like rum pudding with a deep butterscotch flavor that hit your taste buds amazingly well and lingered on for a delicious way to end the night! I went with the Olive Oil Soft Serve Ice Cream drizzled with Honey and Candied Pistachios, equally delicious! 

Tarry Lodge - Desserts
Budino Top Left - Soft Serve Bottom Right

Don't let the sound of Olive Oil soft serve 'scare' you off, it's a delicate rich addition to the soft serve ice cream that actually enhances the vanilla flavor of the dish.

Tarry Lodge - Olive Oil Soft Serve

We thoroughly enjoyed our visit to Tarry Lodge! Chef Sam was able to come out and say hello for a moment and gifted us with some 'babysitter' biscotti to take home!  Thanks Sam!! 

Take advantage of the special menus at a restaurant week in your town soon and look for the next restaurant week coming in fall of 2017 to New Haven where you can enjoy similar specials like those we sampled at Tarry Lodge!

Tarry Lodge - New Haven location

278 Park Street

New Haven, CT 06511

Tel: 203 672 0765

http://newhaven.tarrylodge.com/