Every Tuesday, Kevin and Jenna talk about all things food in Connecticut with Alex from CT Food Girly. This week to celebrate all the Connecticut teams who made the Men’s and Women’s NCAA Tournaments Alex gives you the best places to grab a bite near the campuses of the schools in the tourney.
MEN’S TOURNEY EATS:
Quinnipiac University: Although the QU men’s team did not make the cut this year, this is my
alma mater and they do have some delicious bars in the Hamden/North Haven area to watch
the games. There is Eli’s which has locations in Hamden, Milford, Orange, Branford, and
Manchester. They offer casual American food with a flair. I know the one in Hamden has over 20
HD TVs and a huge horseshoe bar. They have 25 beers on tap, a late night menu and some of
the best nachos around. Perfect spot for viewers. Another great spot in the QU area is J’Roos
Restaurant in North Haven. This is a great place to meet up with friends for the games. They
have a whole side of the restaurant dedicated to the sports pub with pool and live music on the
weekends. Cold beer on tap and flat screen TVs surrounding the entire bar area. There is
always a nice atmosphere at J’Roos and if you want to watch the game, but not sit at the bar,
you can see those TVs from all around the pub section. They also have great starters for the
table section, definitely try their hot spinach and artichoke dip. When I went to QU, I always
loved heading to Side Street Bar & Grill in Hamden to hang out at this offbeat pub and eat
some really great food on a Sunday with friends. Definitely an unforgettable atmosphere, Side
Street serves up some tasty meals and cold draft beer, even offering a late night menu as well.
You have the restaurant side on the left, which also has televisions for game day viewers, and
the bar side on your right. It’s small in there, but that’s the neighborhood family atmosphere
people love. I’ve had some of the best wings and nachos at Side Street, a perfect game day
spot.
UCONN: As we know, UCONN men’s basketball earned the number 1 seed in the NCAA
tournament and they play Stetson in the first round. Around the campus in Storrs, is Ted’s
Restaurant & Bar. They have a pub-style menu with pizza, grinders, wings and more. This is
the number one bar on campus for students and it will be packed for the big games. Another
great spot for the basketball lovers in the area is Willington Pizza House, they do a bunch of
deals on food and drinks during games. They have great reviews online, people seem to really
love their pizzas and toppings.
Yale: Lastly, we have Yale on the list. Archie Moore’s. Which has multiple locations around CT.
They’re in New Haven, Fairfield, Milford, Wallingford and Branford. All of these Archie Moore
locations have indoor and outdoor seating, with an awesome neighborhood bar and restaurant
vibe that is perfect to view the games this year. They have legendary wings, with or without the
bone, served with their house-made blue cheese dressing and celery. Their buffalo sauce is so
good, I even buy it at the grocery store. BAR is another nice spot to get in front of a TV for the
games in New Haven. Not to mention they have incredibly delicious pizza, definitely get a hold
of their bacon and mashed potato pie.
WOMEN’S TOURNEY EATS:
Fairfield University: The Fairfield stags are ranked 13th this year and they will play #4 Indiana
on Saturday at 1:30. A couple great spots to watch this game are Local Kitchen & Beer Bar. A
really spacious spot with craft brews and american dishes. They have enough TVs around the
bar for everyone. Another spot is J.B. Percival Co. that is really a premier craft cocktail bar and
lounge, but does have two TVs right by their bar, so a different pace from your typical sports bar,
but still enjoying cocktails and some small plates and snacks for the game. Last one for Fairfield
U is Craft 260 which is more of an elevated pub with craft draft beer and a very modern-rustic
space, they even have a patio as well. They do have a TV above the bar and some in the dining
area, Craft 260 has great reviews and looks delish in the photos, especially their pulled pork
nachos and burgers.
UCONN: As we know, UCONN women’s basketball is the number 3 seed in the NCAA
tournament. This is the lowest seed they had since 2005. They will play Jackson State on
Saturday. Around the campus in Storrs, is Ted’s Restaurant & Bar. They have a pub-style
menu with pizza, grinders, wings and more. This is the number one bar on campus for students
and it will be packed for the big games. Another great spot for the basketball lovers in the area
is Willington Pizza House, they do a bunch of deals on food and drinks during games. They
have great reviews online, people seem to really love their pizzas and toppings too.
Sacred Heart: Last on my list today is Scared Heart, who is ranked 16th in the NCAA and will
play the 16th seed this Wednesday, Presbyterian College. A great sports bar in the area is The
Blind Rhino, perfect for fried chicken sandwiches, wings, and cheesesteaks. There are plenty
of TVS in this bar, covering every inch of the top part of the walls. Next is Notch8, a great pizza
restaurant with TVS on the walls as well. Their photos look fantastic with their pizza, making me
want to take a drive to watch this game
