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Boeuf on the Hoof
Now open for lunch, Charlie B's hopes to
benefit from Bagdon's magic touch
Charlie B's Steakhouse, 1157 Chapel Street, New Haven (776-7689). Open (lunch) 11:30 a.m.-2:15 p.m. weekdays; (dinner) 5:30-closing daily.
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Business New Haven
7/3/1995
By: Angelina Anderman
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As we reported last issue in our Comings & Goings, John Bagdon, late of Bagdon's fame, has moved to Charlie B's Steakhouse at the Colony Inn in New Haven, so off we went to see how he was doing. We're pleased to report that he's doing fine. Previously, Charlie B's did not serve lunch, opening only for dinner with a typical steakhouse menu. Bagdon has brought his sophisticated, light-style menu to Charlie B's, where he hopes that loyal customers from Elm Street will make the short trek up Chapel Street to enjoy his kind of lunch. Fortunately, he was able to bring his two chefs with him, though not his waitstaff.
If you liked the cool, minimalist style of Bagdon's, Charlie B's will come as a bit of a culture shock. A clichéd masculine décor, with cattle-on-the-hoof artwork and a few longhorns festooned with drapes, the restaurant is comfortable with well-spaced tables and sports an attractive wall of wine bottles.
The chilly, wet spring day called for soup, so we had bean and escarole, a large soup plate of hot, tasty stuff for $2.95, and corn and crab chowder, a deliciously creamy concoction with potatoes for $3.50, although served not nearly hot enough for my taste. Oddly, there was no bread or butter on the horizon. Among other appetizer offerings are phyllo purses filled with chevre, spinach and sweet peppers ($5.95), fresh mozzarella with spiced figs ($5.95) and shredded beef tortilla with corn relish and salsa ($4.50).
The boss thought he ought to have something cloven, so he chose New York strip Bordelaise which came with mashed potatoes and mixed vegetables. He reported that it was a good piece of meat but not served rare as requested - which set off a long conversation about the vagaries of beefy rareness. The dish was $12.50, and in retrospect we agreed that he had probably made a wrong decision as there were more interesting things on the menu. One colleague had Andouille sausage with mixed greens and potato salad - at $8.75, a much better choice. The spicy Cajun sausage mixed well with the German-style potatoes.
My friend and I had salads, which seemed like a good idea after the large soups. One of them was a summer garden salad Julienne ($7.75), with everything cut up into small strips, except the tomatoes. This is probably one of the dullest dishes conceived by an obvious herbivore. It had nothing to recommend it, except that it was fresh and not too chilled. My salad was a traditional Caesar with grilled shrimp, which was much tastier. Crisp Romaine lettuce, torn into just the right-sized bites, with a good Caesar dressing and adorned with four large grilled shrimp was $11.50.
There are some interesting-sounding sandwiches: hot chicken with herbed mayonnaise ($5.75); cold roast beef with spiced apple jelly ($6.50); warmed veggies with cheese ($5.50) and burgers ($6.95). There are several pastas ranging from $8.50 to $11.50 (including one with Prince Edward Island mussels), and main entrées offering items like crab cakes, salmon, scallops, spare ribs and grilled veggies with polenta for between $9.50 and $13.50. The lunchtime service at Charlie B's will probably come up to speed as the venue becomes more popular.
There are the usual dessert items including ice cream starting at $1.95; coffee is $1.25, and a glass of house wine is $3.75. As Charlie B's has a large bar in the darker depths of the restaurant, plus the featured wine display, there is probably a comprehensive wine list, and Bagdon may have transferred some of his good listings also.
If you enjoyed John Bagdon's food and attentive service, you should definitely give Charlie B's a try for lunch. He is just settling into his new surroundings, but from the menu and the feed we were served, he has made a good start.
Comings & Goings: When we reviewed Bellini's of North Haven in April, we suggested that all this attractive restaurant needed was some TLC. Well, the triumvirate of Vinnie LoMonaco, Alison McDonald and Nick Mastroianni of LoMonaco's in Branford have taken over the restaurant and are waiting for liquor license approval. We hope they will be successful in bringing their enthusiasm and talent to revitalize Bellini's. More on their progress later.
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