On a warm summer evening, 75 people gathered in the middle of Orange Street to experience New Haven’s first “Street Table.” I was one of them.

The premise: each dinner pays $29.99 to be served a-3 course meal including wine from a participating restaurant.  You don’t know which restaurant will be assigned to you, and you don’t know the menu in advance.  Oh, and major point here…you’re all sitting at one long dining table, in the middle of the Orange Street, in a block closed off to traffic.

The table was decorated simply, with brown butcher paper, flowers, candles, plates made of re-purposed leaves, and colorful plastic ware held together in the paper coin rolls that you use for nickels or quarters…creative!

My section was served food from 116 Crown restaurant.  Other participating restaurants included Bentara, Olde School Saloon & Bistro, Nini’s Bistro and Skappo. The Wine Thief provided the wines.

First course was grilled in-shell langoustines, split in half, with just a touch of a slightly thick sauce made of squid ink, flavored with cilantro and other seasoning, along with a colorful pea puree making the platter look, as well as taste, quite appealing.

The filet mignon entrée fit the billed “cuts like butter” description. Nicely seasoned with a sauce of onions and peppers alongside it.

Dessert was a delicious, moist bread pudding served in the shape of a thick round disc.

During dinner we lifted our glasses for a toast, led by the Italian owner of Skappo, and then her son, on guitar, serenaded the crowd with both the Italian and English versions of “God Bless America.”

Fabulous experience and I look forward to the next one, possibly August on High Street.

– Special correspondent Robbin Seipold
– Photo by Mike Franzman