Last night was my 1 year anniversary with DJ. We thought about going somewhere overnight seeing how I am currently enjoying my February vacation, but because the weather has been so unpredictable these days we decided to stay local. I was trying to think of a fancy or out-of-the-usual place to go eat. I'm disappointed with the lack of restaurants in the area. I know New Haven has a ton of places to eat but I never feel comfortable enough to venture out. I feel like there used to be more restaurants you could go to for a special occasion. Right now only Food and Beverage and The Gathering come to mind but I know if I sat here and thought a little longer, more would come to mind. Then I thought of Chuck's. It was always such a big deal to go to Chuck's when I was younger. It was where we would go for a special birthday or New Year's Eve. It has since changed hands a few times but it still is Chuck's when you sit inside.
We had dinner at 6 and we practically had the place to ourselves. Everything inside looks the same except for the chairs (they seem more comfy) and there's a piano in the main room. Some people were at the bar and there was one other couple eating dinner when we arrived. Our waitress was wonderful. She was kind, attentive, and friendly. The menu is simple. One page of choices. Chuck's always had a simple menu. The menu was comprised of steaks, other grilled meats, fish, and some apps. There weren't any main choices that were totally animal-free. Not that I mind, because I enjoy eating all types of animals. I started with the New England clam chowder. It was good. New England clam chowder has always upset my stomach so I don't know if I have lost my taste for NE, or if this just wasn't too good. It was served in a bowl and if I ate the entire bowl, I never would have eaten my dinner. It was thick and creamy. The potatoes were a touch hard and there were few pieces of clam. I think the thickness is what turned me off. I know NE chowder is supposed to be thick but again, I think I've gotten sick off of it too many times to fully appreciate it. If you're looking for very good NE clam chowder, go to Chandler's Tavern at the Yankee Candle Factory hub in Massachusetts. Best clam chowder I've ever had. Moving back to Gino's....
The salad bar is still there. All of the toppings are the same... I think. Although I don't think there were any black olives. I tried the cucumber wasabi dressing. Delicious. It was smooth tasting to start and then after you swallowed it, the heat took over your throat. Good stuff. They still have bread, croutons, bacon bits, black pepper, and all of the usual salad toppings. The beets are fresh. Chuck's used to have the slices from the can, but Gino's has chunks of beets. Good stuff.
For dinner I had the rack of lamb. Lamb was never on the menu when it was Chuck's so I thought I would take advantage. I really love lamb. It somewhat of an acquired taste but once you acquire it, there's no looking back. It was pretty tasty. There must have been a dry seasoning on it because it was flavorful but there was no sauce on it. It was char grilled. All that was served was the lamb. There were 4 pieces of it which was enough for me, but it made me wish I had kept the soup. All of the dishes are ala carte. Chuck's used to serve it with a potato but not Gino. DJ ordered the NY Strip. He liked it and also ordered a baked potato for $3 extra. It was a decent size potato but I still think all the meals should come with something. It wasn't that fancy or that delicious that everything needed to be sold separately. I went back to the salad bar after I finished my lamb. We had some wine and then left. I've mentioned before that I'm not a dessert person.
All in all, it was a nice meal. That building has such potential but no one goes there. I think it's because it is a bit pricy but not THE best, it's in a crappy spot, and there's nothing offered that pulls people in. They should have a special night or have a piano player. Bloody Mary Mondays. If they had that, I know I'd go. It did have that special night aura to it. I was even tempted to write something on the ladies' bathroom wall. As I scanned the various "Nicki lovin' Sam '91" I couldn't help but wonder if Nicki still loves Sam. That was written 22 years ago. I can't believe it. Where does time go? And because it was my anniversary, I wanted to write "Betsy lovin' DJ '13" but that just seemed stupid. It was still a thought I had. And until my next bite....
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