Picks for the Parents

This weekend thousands of Yale parents will flood the streets of New Haven. On campus, there will be comedy shows, panels with professors, open houses, receptions, and a capella performances. It’s a true showcasing of the Yale experience: there will be too much to do and you cannot do it all no matter how hard you try. 

For me, parents weekend is also an opportunity to get off campus – I’m always excited to explore a new restaurant or cafe, and parent’s weekend is the perfect excuse to do so. Here are some of my favorite parent’s weekend spots. 

Zeneli Pizzeria

Price Range: $20-30

Cuisine: Italian 

Zeneli’s is a great parent’s weekend option because there are no reservations required. All you have to do is show up, ready to chow (and maybe wait a little, depending on your timing). New Haven-style pizza is tasty, but sometimes it doesn’t do the job. Sometimes there’s a void within you shaped like a doughy Neapolitan margherita pie — and that’s okay. Zeneli is here to fill that void. Situated on Wooster St. in New Haven’s “Little Italy,” Zeneli’s has copious seating and turbo-speed service. I’d focus on the appetizers and the pizzas, although some people rave about their cacio e pepe. 

Tavern on State 

Price Range: $50-100

Cuisine: American, farm-to-table

Tavern on State requires a reservation – especially on parent’s weekend, and it’s worth trying to snag one. Here you’ll find some tasty, elevated American fare. You can probably imagine the ambiance: white card stock menus with tiny typewriteresque font, dark lighting, limited seating, and a menu that lists every ingredient in the dish and attempts to use words aside from “with” to describe what the dish is. We all know a place like this, and they do tend to hit the spot. 

September in Bangkok

Price Range: $20-$40

Cuisine: Thai

September in Bangkok is a Yalie favorite and serves up a solid curry. The portions are ginormous: at September in Bangkok, Thai food meets American abundance – the pad thai could serve two, maybe three. There is also the mother restaurant to NOA by September in Bangkok, which is closer to campus and has more of a night-time vibe, though the walk up towards East Rock is worth the trek. I’d recommend getting a reservation for parent’s weekend, but it shouldn’t be too hard to make one. 

Elena’s on Orange

Price Range: Under $10 or about $10 if you go the sundae route (which I always recommend)

Cuisine: Soft Serve Ice Cream

Elena’s appreciates the tasty simplicity of vanilla soft serve with chocolate dip. I’m not even a vanilla ice cream supporter, but at Elena’s it’s the move. The Elena’s favorite — which is said vanilla soft serve with their signature chocolate dip and Maldon sea salt — must be on your sweet treat radar. Their chocolate dip will make you sing. If you take your parents, they’ll be overjoyed in the moment, but a depression will follow once they realize they don’t go to Yale and therefore cannot get Elena’s every week. 

Shell & Bones

Price Range: $50–100

Cuisine: Seafood, Steakhouse

Shell & Bones is perched right on the waterfront in City Point, and is great for an escape from the New Haven bubble. The food is good, but what one really comes for is the ambiance: the waterside seating and white wood interior transport you to a summertime evening. The $49 Boullabaise and $67 Ribeye aren’t exactly the most student friendly dining options, but perhaps they could be in a parent’s weekend context. 

Sabor Sajoma

$10-$20

Cuisine: Hodge-Podge. Dominican, Asian groceries, and Spanish-American Deli 

Sabor Sajoma is also an escape from the Yale bubble, but in a completely different way from Shell & Bones. The environment is casual and comforting. The platters of mofongo and oxtail with rice and beans taste like home-cooked meals, and don’t miss out on their cubano. Sabor Sajoma is a true hidden gem of New Haven and is a great place to take your parents to if you guys want an off the beaten path option – or just some great cheap grub.