I revisited Tarry Lodge for dinner two days after attending its opening party, the first day it accepted reservations, and the day before New Haven Restaurant Week madness descended upon it. I found the setting warm and intimate, the staff gracious and attentive, and the food delicious.
My companion and I started with a sausage and Gorgonzola pie from the wood-burning pizza oven. While not quite New Haven-style, the artisan pies, similar to those of Sorella in Hartford and OTTO in Chester, immediately rank among Connecticut’s upper echelons. We watched a clam pie go by, and it looked as if it was topped with cockles in their shells, cheeky homage to New Haven’s own creation.
We also got to try tender, delicious pieces of octopus served with squid ink and shishito peppers. And although we did not get to try them, I snapped photos of our neighbors’ appetizers, which included a hen-of-the-woods mushroom and arugula salad, Liuzzi burrata with roasted beet, and a platter of prosciutto di San Daniele.
For our main dishes, we enjoyed a black fettuccine with rock shrimp and chorizo as well as a free-range half chicken with hen-of-the-woods mushroom. We watched a whole branzino deboned at our neighbors’ table and witnessed their exclamations of pleasure.
Dessert was simply soft-serve chocolate, olive oil, or twist ice cream with choice of accompanying topping.
As I post this, Tarry Lodge will be immersed in New Haven Restaurant Week, and if you can snag a reservation, by all means… I’m sure there will be a number of bloggers and tweeters reporting on their experiences. But if you’re wondering what a meal at Tarry Lodge will look like after the Restaurant Week madness, enjoy this sneak peek I have provided.
THE VERDICT: Tarry Lodge has established itself from the get-go as one of the Elm City’s major players.
FEEDBACK: Tell us about your experience with Tarry Lodge in New Haven.
CONTACT INFO: Tarry Lodge, 278 Park St., New Haven, 203-672-0765, www.tarrylodge.com