The Taste of New Haven!

Hew Haven, CT:  Where Pizza is King!

Visiting a new area requires the sampling of local food!  Josh has been telling us about his quest to try the perfect east coast pizza.  The day he met us in New York City, he traveled to Brooklyn to experience their pizza.  So, we put ourselves in Josh's experienced hands to eat the best pizza.  Frank Pepe's Pizza is the King of thin crust pizza.  We waited in line outside in order to get a table.  This is not a particularly small restaurant. It is, however, a very popular restaurant.  We were lucky that day - it only took 20 minutes or so to get a table.  This is the site of Frank Pepe's original pizzeria.
http://pepespizzeria.com

In ordering, we once again put ourselves in Josh's hands.  We were delighted to eat white clam pizza and fresh tomato pizza.  The clam pizza has a white sauce which pairs so well with the thin crust.  There is the perfect amount of cheese.  This pizza is not the type which has a ton of cheese.  This is very much to our liking.  The fresh tomato pizza is very much like a margherita pizza only with very fresh tomatoes.  The mozzarella cheese is so mild that it doesn't compete with the tomatoes for flavor balance.

A Creative Take on Sushi

http://miyassushi.com
Josh certainly has his Father's flair for picking out new and innovative restaurants.  We walked to a very lovely restaurant called Miya's Sushi.  This place takes sushi to an entirely new level.  Their slogan:  "Because man cannot live on rice alone" really sets the table for nouveau cuisine.  While the dishes may appear to be sushi - the ingredients are far more than rice and fish - sweet potato, papaya, crickets (yes, you read that correctly), goat cheese, fava beans, okra - and the list goes on.  The fish is always from a sustainable source.  They feature tilapia, shrimp, crab, lion fish, arctic char, and scallops. Their famous scallop dish is called THE SOFTEST FRENCH KISSES:  Ridiculously sexy, warm scallops in a sake-based ginger garlic oyster sauce.  They even tell you how to enjoy eating this dish - it is quite intimate.

New Haven Farmer's Market

http://www.farmfresh.org/food/farmersmarkets_details.php?market=293
Eating is one of our favorite ways to get to know a new place.  Our children have inherited this same trait from their parents.  Josh took us to the New Haven Farmer's Market.  This is where he buys his fresh eggs, produce and milk.  There is a stall which specializes in Apple Cider Donuts!  Josh and Monica really enjoyed these!  We bought fresh greens, cucumbers and pea shoots for the evening's salad.  We also bought some incredible bread to pair with the spaghetti!

Wine and Dine!
http://www.thewinethief.com
Imagine - Josh lives right next door to The Wine Thief!  This is such a great little wine store.  They have very knowledgeable, yet unpretentious employees.  We were able to ask questions and get informed answers.  They made suggestions and we purchased a sauvignon blanc and a cabernet sauvignon not only for the evening's dinner but also to enjoy the rest of the week.

Can you imagine a better way to get to know a new city than to taste its food?  Our next post will take you on some great hikes to view the wonders of New Haven!

How could we talk about the Pizza King without pairing it with this great song?  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=69O4PXzAQ5Y

It's Time For Another Adventure!

Our sons, Josh and Justin moved a year ago - away from the Pacific Northwest.  They both graduated from the University of Washington and were ready to start new chapters of their lives.

Josh graduated with degrees in Trumpet Performance, Music History, and Italian studies.  He worked for a year as an Admissions Counselor at UW.  He then applied for graduate school.  He was accepted at Yale University.  Monica, his girlfriend,  was accepted at Harvard.  So, last August, they set off for a cross country car trip to New Haven, CT and Cambridge, MA.  They car camped at National and State Parks.  They had a wonderful time getting to their new homes.  Each of them will be working on their Ph.D for 5-6 years.

Justin graduated from UW with degrees in Physics and Astronomy  He then applied to the Peace Corps and moved home with us while he prepared to depart for Mozambique where he would live for 27 months.

This is how we came to this adventure.  We left bright and early so that we could fly to New York City.  We landed at JFK airport.  We took the sky train to Jamaica station and then the subway to Time Square.  We walked through Time Square with four suitcases.  I think that I was the only who enjoyed that part.  We then took a train from Grand Central Station to New Haven, CT.  It was a lovely two hour train ride.

Yale University

New Haven is the picturesque town in which Yale University is located.  Josh took us on a walking tour of the campus of Yale University.  Yale was founded in 1701 as a "collegiate school."  It is the third oldest institution of higher education in the United States.  It was renamed as Yale College in 1718 because of a donation by Elihu Yale, a Welsh merchant.  He donated the proceeds from the sale of nine bales of goods together with 417 books and a portrait of King George I.  http://www.yale.edu

Beinecke Rare Book and Manuscript Library

Yale's Beinecke Library is one of the world's largest repositories for rare books and manuscripts.  It was designed by Gordon Bunshaft. The "windows" are 1 1/4 thick marble and are framed by granite.  The marble panels filter the light so that rare manuscripts can be viewed safely.  http://beinecke.library.yale.edu/about/about-building

When it was built, people thought that it looked like a book of S&H green stamps.  The Beinecke family owned the Sperry & Hutchinson company which distributed the green stamps as a part of a rewards program.  The green stamps were extremely popular in the 1960s when the library was built.

The Beinecke Library houses two volumes of the Gutenberg Bible.  These bibles are on permanent display.  The library is free and open to the public.  It is quite an "awe"some experience looking at the Gutenberg Bible.  History….almost in your own hands.  

http://news.yale.edu/2014/08/25/following-spectacular-restoration-treasured-yale-landmark-reopens-public#.U_vnQE6zr9W.facebook

The restoration of the beautiful Sterling Memorial Library is now complete.  The nave is exceptionally exquisite.  The library is now open to the public and very worth visiting!  When we were there, they were still working on the renovations.  We saw bits and pieces - but can't wait to go back to see everything.

Yale University is a beautiful campus.  The buildings are architecturally captivating.  You can almost believe that you are on the campus of "Hogwarts" at times.  It is an easy campus to walk - you do not need a car.  Take the train to New Haven and then walk until you drop!  Oh…and look for our son, Josh.  If you see him, say hi for The Gaileys!

Our next posting will continue the great journey through New Haven and will include East Rock Park,  Frank Pepe's Pizza, and Sleeping Giant State Park!

Our musical pairing comes from the Yale Glee Club!  This is a medley of Yale Fight Songs! https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WhcInoTe63U