Biagio’s in Stratford, Sal E Pepe in Newtown, Tuttis in Westport are probably my top 3.

There’s a few in Bridgeport I want to try, Ralph n Rich, Vucchella. Via Sforza and La Zingara are solid. Cafe Silvium is quite good.

My favorite Italian in the state has been in New Haven area generally. L’Orcio, Strega, Zeneli, Pasta Eatalia, and for old school red sauce Sopranos vibes: Biagetti’s.

You don’t have to spend that much for a smaller house.

I’d look at West Hartford, Southington, and Middletown personally.

West Hartford is great. More expensive than East Hartford and Manchester, but you do get what you pay for. Manchester is a solid value though.

Newington and Rocky Hill are worth looking at for a higher value area.

If you don’t mind a bit of a commute, Middletown is great with a nice downtown, good restaurants, not far from shoreline, and very good value for money.

I’d also consider Southington, which has an up and coming vibe.

Doug is a great guy and Next Door is a NHV pizza gem!

Chip’s (a friend knows owner) and Superior Motors (good reviews) in Milford would be good places to start.

They have way too many 1 star reviews

Women’s bathroom. Safe squat zone.

Carpool or stay at a hotel. They should be reasonably priced on a weekday if there aren’t any big Yale events happening.

Over the Edge in Orange. Owner is a great guy

I mean, I’ve traveled everywhere and had some of the best art and food experiences in NHV. I think some of it may be due to the accessibility. Especially for their core readership. Also, good chance a lot of NY’ers discovered it due to Covid, and many write for the Times.

One way to look at it, many cities and places on this list have been overlooked and aren’t typical choices. So it doesn’t seem THAT out of place. Good lists uncover hidden gems that wouldn’t normally be found. NHV (and CT in general) are great examples of places with hidden gems that are great to discover.

Another way to look at it: many popular tourist destinations weren’t always popular. Some were even in disrepair and economic ruin. As places get discovered, momentum of interest makes them better places to visit as investments are made. There is great momentum for New Haven to become one of the best small cities to visit in the US.

Probably should’ve mentioned the New Haven area has great shoreline areas. New Haven’s are limited. City Point, Lighthouse Park, etc are nice but the region has some real gems. From the Audubon Center in Milford all the way to Hammonasset for New Haven County.

Or it’s just a nice little city. Both things can be true.

It’s a lot better than it was 10 or 20 years ago.

Yeah, New Haven is the 69th (heh) biggest metro in the country at 862,000 people. When I bring people from big cities around, they’re shocked at how much stuff there is to do in a small area.

There’s some non college nice areas too.

Great city. Give it a shot. Especially if you appreciate food and culture.

I agree with Mamoun’s and House of Naan. Rudy’s and Three Sheets have good bar food in that area too not sure how late they serve. Midpoint is open until 11pm Fri/Sat, nice sit down Turkish food.

It’s super good there.

Giv Coffee is excellent. A bit of a drive in Canton but they ship free. I’ve heard good things about Willoughby’s but haven’t tried. I like Perkatory too.

Damn, I had no idea about the wage issue. As always, perhaps there’s a lot more to the story.

Rockfish is the best sushi in New Haven now.

How’s the Branford location? Never been.

Gather Coffee Shop, Make Haven, District, Elm City Games

New Haven gets a ton of concerts for a city its size. Look at Manicpresents.com. Also Shubert, Toad’s Place, Cafe Nine, State House, and other small venues.

Nolo, Prime 16, Camacho Garage, Rudy’s, Crepe Choupette, Bella’s, Heirloom, Archie Moore’s.