It’s summertime in New Haven, and those of us who are enrolled in Yale Summer Session have just wrapped up our first round of summer courses. While my main reason for spending this summer in New Haven is to knock out the last few prerequisites for my major, I’ve also made it my mission to explore the city’s cuisine. In an ambitious attempt to generate gastronomic adventures, I’ve decided to opt out of the Yale meal plan this summer.
Over the years, I’ve accumulated an impressive track record of nixed resolutions and abandoned self-improvement initiatives. The last time I tried to quit coffee, I lasted about one miserable week before I came crawling back to the percolator. So, when I arrived on campus for classes a few weeks ago and came to the realization that I couldn’t renege on my latest resolution to liberate myself from the summer meal plan, I was seized by a few seconds of melodramatic panic and the premonition of a summer filled with ramen noodles and dry cereal. While the independence of grocery shopping and meal-planning can be pretty satisfying, it comes with a lot of responsibility. I’m only now coming to appreciate how much the Yale meal plan has spoiled me; I’ve developed the expectation that whenever my stomach starts rumbling, I’ll always be able to stroll into the dining hall and gorge myself of Chicken Masala, Lobster Bisque, or whatever delicious dishes the dining hall has cooked up.
Despite my initial distress, I’ve had a lot of fun exploring New Haven restaurants this summer, and have even tried my hand at cooking a few simple meals of my own. With the safety net of the Anytime Meal Plan wrenched out from under me, I’ve come to realize that New Haven’s gastronomy is teeming with everything from cozy, affordable diners like Patricia’s to swanky establishments like Zinc, and the city offers a mind-boggling spread of traditional cuisines—Thai, Turkish, Italian, Greek, Chinese—you name it.
On the subject of restaurants, here are my three favorite summer haunts so far:
Froyo World: A pay-by-the-ounce frozen yogurt bar, with delicious toppings and unique froyo flavors. Every few days, Froyo World cycles in a new batch of flavors. As of right now, my favorites are honey lavender and pumpkin.
Gourmet Heaven: Affectionately known as “GHeav” by the Yale community, it’s a great place for tasty deli sandwiches. I recently discovered their panini menu, and I’m pretty sure that’s where my next few lunches will come from this week. The pictured panini is called the ”Godfather”, and consists of roast beef, cheese, lettuce, tomatoes, and horseradish sauce.
Thai Taste: Thai food is a big thing at Yale, and Pad Thai is often the go-to dish for any sort of social event on campus. Of the many Thai restaurants within walking distance of campus, Thai Taste is my favorite. This summer, I’ve discovered that their takeout dishes can generally be rationed into three meals if you’re living on a tight budget, and the price is really affordable.
That’s all I have to share for now, but I’ll keep you posted on any particularly exciting meals this summer. Now that I’ve survived about a month of dining hall privations, I’m confident that I’ll be able to keep my taste buds entertained for the rest of the summer!