Sandwiched (pun intended) between 116 Crown
and The Kitchen Table
in New Haven is Meat & Co.,
a sandwich shop by 116 Crown’s John Ginnetti.
The storefront provides some explanation of the origin of the restaurant’s name, the “a” in “meat” inverted to look like “meet,” a pun on the fact that the word “company” loosely translates from Latin as “meeting for bread.”
In good weather, at least, the City of New Haven has been allowing Meat & Co. to cordon off and use the space in front of the restaurant for three tables.
But my buddy and I prefer to eat at the counter inside,
from which we have a great view of the Downtown Union Station Shuttle slipping by,
the menu board, which shows the farms from which Meat & Co. sources its produce,
the ingredient bins,
and most important, the sandwiches cooking.
We have two of Meat & Co.’s sandwiches, both of which are a bit unconventional and both of which are terrific. One is a PLT (porchetta, arugula, tomato confit and paprika oil),
the other a Rick Reuben (pastrami, tongue, all-day sauce, Swiss cheese, cardamom and braised red cabbage slaw).
We eat our sandwiches with Deep River potato chips
and wash everything down with Coca Cola Refresco made with real sugar rather than high fructose corn syrup.
As we leave the restaurant, we see that a young family is availing itself of the al fresco lunching opportunity.
Meat & Co., 116 Crown Street, New Haven, 203-776-6328, meatandcompany.com