This past week was New Haven Restaurant Week, where over two dozen nearby restaurants provided fixed-price lunch specials and three-course dinner options off their temporary Restaurant Week menus. Q30 Television members checked out some of the participating restaurants and gave their opinions on everything from the food to the atmosphere.
By: Brenna Oricoli
Follow @brennarose16
I visited Prime 16, a well-known burger place, for lunch. Right across the street from the Omni Hotel, guests could order an appetizer and entrée for $17 from Nov. 5th to Nov. 10th. The cozy, dimly lit bar and restaurant have two sides to please guests. One side is for those that are just stopping in for the bar and a quick bite to eat while the other side is for a more formal sit down meal.
To start, I had the barbecue street tacos. They were delicious and had a bit of a kick. There were three on the plate, but of course, I forgot to take a picture before I had already devoured one of them.
My boyfriend, Michael, got the burger bao to start, which was two steamed buns with beef, pickled red onion, pickled mustard seeds and scallions. They added a different taste to the meal because of the Asian flare.
For my entrée, I had the bahn mi salmon sandwich. The salmon was really well cooked and the wasabi aioli was a nice addition. My side of rosemary parmesan chips was amazing. They were my favorite part of the meal. I could tell that they were freshly made.
Michael got the Bod-Egga-A Bacon Burger for his lunch. He really liked the runniness of the egg and the amount of bacon that they added. He made sure that his ketchup was perfectly swirled for this picture.
According to the website, Prime 16 is committed to using meat products that do not contain hormones or antibiotics. Prime 16 has two locations in Connecticut– Orange and New Haven. They also have one location in Pelham, New York.
Overall, I really enjoyed my lunch at Prime 16 for Restaurant week. I highly recommend making the trip to New Haven to try some of the prix fixe meals. An added plus is that Ben and Jerry’s is right across the street for dessert.
You can visit Prime 16 at 172 Temple Street in New Haven.
By: Alex Taglieri
Follow @alextaglieri
To cap off restaurant week, I visited Olives and Oil, located just down the street from Prime 16. While its restaurant menu included plenty of delicious options, from butternut squash risotto to pumpkin pie panna cotta, Olives and Oil’s full menu had too many intriguing options that I couldn’t pass up.
Everything about the Italian restaurant was slightly off-beat, from the design of its menu, which looks like a vintage Italian magazine, to the food selections within it, like its New York-style everything bagel pizza. Instead of bringing out bread in a basket, the starter is served in a flower pot, standing upright like a bouquet. Everything about the dining experience is casual and fun.
The food did not disappoint. I started with my go-to appetizer, burrata mozzarella. Instead of your typical Italian dish, the appetizer was a deconstructed caprese salad, where basil leaves and tomato slices were substituted for basil pesto and tomato jam. It was an unexpected and delicious way to kick off the meal.
Although the everything bagel pizza was calling my name, I settled on the meatball pizza for my main course. The 10-inch pie was the ultimate comfort food, and the combination creamy ricotta cheese topped and savory meatballs made for the perfect meal on a cold November night.
Olive and Oil’s menu boasts tons of interesting options to explore, from small plates for sharing to interesting pizzas. Anther standout option is the “All Hail the Pig” pie, which is a grown-up Hawaiian pizza featuring pork belly and a pineapple marmalade. This is the kind of venue that makes you want to come back again and again as you try to make your way through all the delicious options. While Restaurant Week may be over, the affordable restaurant is a great choice any time of the year.
Olives and Oil is located at 124 Temple Street in New Haven.
