|
|
|
An Agreeable Addition
to Café Society
Christina's christening shows promise of passagiate to come
|
Business New Haven
9/8/1997
By: Angelina Anderman
|
Christina's Caffé, 969 State Street, New Haven (203-624-9722). Open 11:30 a.m.-10:30 p.m. weekdays; 11:30 a.m.-midnight weekends.
In search of a low-key, casual lunch in comfortable surroundings, we discovered Christina's Caffé on State Street. Owned and operated by the doyens of the New Haven restaurant scene, the Gennaro family, Christina's is located in the funky section of State Street within easy reach of downtown New Haven.
Quite unlike the family's usual deluxe offerings, this little caffé (yes, with two Fs) is based on the ubiquitous small café/bars found in every Italian piazza. To Christina's credit, however, it is much more elegant and comfortable.
The one cozy room resembles a parlor. The walls and ceiling are painted a deep aubergine and one entire wall of antique brick frames a neat display of sepia prints and photographs. Polished dark-wood panels and flooring complete the intimate ambiance. The windows sport lace curtains and there are plenty of old lamps; the front door even has a cut-glass window.
The furniture consists of small café tables and a full bar with impressive espresso equipment lines the back wall. On our visit, lovely Italian opera music played softly in the background, but there are also lighter tapes, too.
The menu is small but interesting, augmented by daily specials including at least two soups and several chicken and pasta dishes. We started with a bowl of piping hot lobster bisque ($3.95) with a piquant flavor and lots of lobster bits. Panini (Italian sandwiches) sounded intriguing and came on a choice of bread or croissant.
Six standards including tuna salad, smoked salmon, turkey and porchetta came with lettuce, tomato and onion. The special on our visit was fresh tomato and mozzarella with pesto on foccacia ($4.95), which was ample and delicious. Prosciutto and fresh mozzarella was $5.95, as was the smoked salmon.
Salads such as egg, mesculin, spinach or chef ranged from $3.95 to $5.50. The chicken dishes were Valdostana topped with prosciutto and mozzarella, à la Rossi with peppers, garlic and white wine, and Christina with peppers, pignoli nuts, sun-dried tomatoes and white wine. All three were served over pasta and fetched $7.95.
Pasta dishes included fettucine with rock shrimp, pignoli nuts and sun-dried tomatoes ($8.25); penne arrabbiata with a spicy sauce; and linguine puttanesca ($7.95 each). All entrées were served with a hard French roll.
Half the menu is taken up with beverage choices, mostly Italian-style. Espresso and cappuccino offerings abound starting at $1.50. A huge glass of iced cappuccino or a double espresso was $2.50, while a latté was $3. Imported soft drinks like Amarena, Orzata, Crodino, Menta and Aranciata could be had for $2. Gelati and sorbet (also imported) were $4.95.
Italian mineral waters started at $1.50. Glasses of good Italian wine were $3.50 and up, while bottles ranged from $14.95 to $29.95.
With such a casual Italian flavor to both the ambiance and the menu, Christina's could also be a perfect place to end an evening with espresso, a little gelati and perhaps an Italian liqueur or cordial after you have completed your passagiata (evening stroll). For warm nights, there are two sidewalk tables from which to view the passing parade.
The Gennaros' son, Ray, in true family tradition, makes a perfect host in his own little kingdom of Christina's Caffé. By the way, the family will open their newest eatery, Amalfi, at Crown and Temple streets downtown, some time this fall.
|
Go FirstGo PreviousGo
NextGo LastGo
to Index
|
|
