New Haven Register (New Haven, CT)
Six new restaurants to try in September
A look at some new and interesting places on the Connecticut dining scene.
La Plage, Westport
La Plage translates to “the beach” in French, an appropriate name for the new Westport restaurant’s setting on the waterfront between Long Island Sound and Longshore Golf Course.
The casual coastal restaurant and oyster bar opened Aug. 4, taking the place of Pearl, the former restaurant at the Inn at Longshore.
Seating provides views of the Saugatuck River and Long Island Sound, and the menu specializes in fresh seafood and plant-based dishes, with a section of “garden appetizers” highlighting vegetables.
260 Compo Road S., 203-684-6232, laplagewestport.com, @laplagewestport.
SoulFully Vegan
Middletown residents Allison and Calvin Vaughan eat a vegan diet, but they know that doesn’t have to mean missing out on burgers, hot dogs and fries. Their food truck, which launched in May, offers vegan versions of the comfort foods, using plant-based Beyond Meat. Unique burger preparations include the “Soulful,” with sweet plantains and jerk sauce, and the Spicy PB&J, with peanut butter and jalapeños.
The truck posts its weekly schedule at soulfullyvegan.com/our-locations and also on Instagram at @soul_fully_vegan.
Patty’s at New Park Brewing, West Hartford
The brewery recently introduced its wood-fired kitchen, with pizzas made from naturally leavened dough, cold-fermented for 72 hours.
Seasonal starters and small plates will rotate, with recent features like Caesar salad, heirloom tomato salad and meatballs. Pies with red or white bases are available in 14 and 18-inch sizes, with pepperoni, local sausage and artichokes among the toppings.
The brewery now also offers a list of natural and biodynamic wines, available by the glass or bottle.
485 New Park Ave., 860-232-2033, newparkbrewing.com/patty-s, @newparkbrewing.
Square Peg Pizzeria, Orange
Square Peg, a popular Glastonbury pizzeria, opened its second location Aug. 17 inside Orange’s Montana Nights axe-throwing bar. But that’s
just the start for owner Jay Maffe, who aims to open 20 Square Pegs within five years. New locations of the Italian-American restaurant, with wood-fired thin-crust and Detroitstyle pizzas, pastas, sandwiches and craft cocktails, will open in Newington, Manchester and Vernon this year.
200 Indian River Road, 203-8551522, squarepegpizzeria.com., @squarepegpizzeria.
Villa Lulu, New Haven
The new contemporary Italian restaurant by Pacifico’s Moe Gad and Rafael Palomino, which opened in early August, is two doors down from its sibling eatery on College Street, with regional Italian comfort food, Italian wines and modern cocktails.
The menu offers antipasti, pizzas, fresh housemade pastas and main courses like shrimp risotto, branzino puttanesca, chicken scarpariello and
eggplant Parmesan. At lunch, Villa Lulu offers a $20 two-course menu.
230 College St., 203-691-7177, villaluluct.com, @VillaLuluCT.
Guilty Kitchen, Hartford
Destanie Chappell’s new restaurant in Hartford’s South Green district “proudly serves up soul food that is guilty of being delicious,” according to its website.
A court theme extends to the menu, with entrées categorized as “recess and verdict” and sides as “small claims.”
Entrees and soul food favorites include fried whiting, lamb chops, grilled shrimp, garlic butter salmon, wings, collard greens with turkey and macaroni and cheese, and a brunch menu features stuffed waffles and a shrimp and grits “martini.”
7 Congress St., 860-308-2057, guiltykitchenandlounge.com, @guilty_kitchenandlounge.