From engagement dinners to job interviews to parents’ weekend splurges, New Haven Union League Cafe has been serving up the city’s special occasions for a quarter-century. Mayor Toni Harp and other city notables gathered on the sidewalk outside the Chapel Street restaurant to toast to that anniversary with Chef Jean-Pierre Vuillermet on Monday.
The Union League’s success has contributed to the city’s reputation as a dining destination, Harp said. “It seems so much more than coincidence — New Haven’s emergence as a destination for delicious meals has taken place in these 25 years,” Harp said. “I give a great deal of credit for that to the Union League Cafe, setting the standard for some of the finest food in the Nutmeg State.”
Vuillermet thanked his family, his team and landlord University Properties for orchestrating the revival of Chapel Street in recent decades. “So much has changed since we first opened the Union League Cafe in New Haven,” Vuillermet said. ”It’s been exciting to see and also be a part of it.”
Diners can celebrate the eatery’s anniversary with a special three-course set meal ($55, $79 with wine pairings) that features dishes like smoked salmon terrine, medallions of veal and tarte tatin. See the menu here.
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Modern Thai food has come to the corner of State and Bradley streets just north of downtown. September in Bangkok opened last month at 754 State St., a space that has seen rapid turnover in recent years. Chef Winyu Seetamyae draws from his experience cooking in New York to create a menu of fresh, regional Thai cuisine. Dishes include Thai mainstays along with items like lobster Pad Thai, tea-leaf salad, and minced pork with Chinese broccoli.
Su Casa, a Mexican eatery at 400 East Main St. in Branford, has closed after 44 years in business. Owner Susan Van Antwerpen closed the local favorite Saturday to make way for an Archie Moore’s restaurant, the sixth outpost of the local pub-food chain. Archie Moore’s currently operates restaurants in New Haven, Derby, Milford, Wallingford and Fairfield.
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