Feeling tired? Try a blend of apples, beets and carrots called “Fatigue Fighter.” If you feel a cold coming on, try the “Cold Buster” combo of apples, beets, lemons and carrots with ginger then add a shot of turmeric.
Fresh juice with all of its curative properties are on the menu at Chapel Street’s Raw Juicescape, which celebrated a ribbon-cutting on Thursday with city officials.
Owner Alexis Evans said she opened her juice business earlier this year to help make the city more healthy. “My ‘why’ is because I feel like New Haven needs change in regards to nutrition,” Evans said.
“I am also a nurse who changed my career to help the community in another way – the natural way – with fruits and vegetables,” Evans said. “When people walk through the door, I try to educate them.”
Ongoing residential development downtown and in neighboring Wooster Square has helped spark new businesses like Raw Juicescape, said Carmen Rodriguez, the board of alders representative for the area.
“We do have a lot of apartments that are up and coming – you have a lot of folks, so get the message out,” Rodriguez advised Evans. “Thank you so much for choosing this area and we look forward to continued success.”
Raw Juicescape is one of a flush of new restaurants and bars that have opened around downtown in recent months.
Newest in downtown is Chacra, a Peruvian eatery that opened in the former Temple Grill three weeks ago. Centered around the grape-derived brandy called pisco, the restaurant’s novel drinks menu has proved popular, according to the staff.
Chacra also brings a host of new Peruvian dishes to downtown, including causa limeñas, a traditional layered dish of potatoes, chicken and avocado aioli. Many versions of Peru’s famous ceviches are also on the menu showcasing a range of seafoods and marinades.
Around the corner on Crown Street, Noa has seen busy weekends with its blend of a stylish bar and modern Thai food, manager Nok Noi said. The owner of East Rock’s September in Bangkok opened Noa two months ago to showcase modern Thai food and cocktails like its lychee cucumber mojito and the Siam Emerald with gin, mango and Prosecco.
Even as new restaurants continue to open in downtown New Haven, several longtime favorites have closed their doors.
Tikkaway, a novel concept that opened a decade ago at 135 Orange St. featuring assembled-to-order Indian plates, has closed permanently. The owner decided to close the restaurant for personal reasons, according to city officials.
Micro-eatery Jeera Thai has closed, and its space, at 216 Crown St., is advertised for rent. Around the corner, Tacos Los Gordos, a Mexican restaurant at 167 Orange St. near City Hall, closed earlier this month due to a fire and the owner is crowd-funding to reopen, according to media reports.
The space that housed Cask Republic on Temple remains shuttered as the planned Torino restaurant has yet to materialize. The interior was vacant and the restaurant’s website was inactive as of Thursday.
The city wants to encourage more business owners to open concepts downtown, Economic Development Administrator Michael Piscitelli said Thursday.
“No wrong door in the city right now for the next entrepreneur,” Piscitelli said, adding that many city staff were dedicated to supporting women and people of color starting ventures. “There are many avenues to find success here,” he said.
Contact Liese Klein at lklein@newhavenbiz.com.
