Say Hello to High George
Fresh local seafood, beachy cocktails full of color and surprise, cool evening air ruffling your hair... no, you're not at a shoreline hideaway. You're in downtown New Haven, six stories above the street, in a new rooftop restaurant/bar called High George, perched atop the Blake Hotel at the corner of - you guessed it - High and George.
The brainchild of celebrated Connecticut chef Tyler Anderson, along with “deeply-entrenched” New Havener/restaurateur Tim Cabral and co-owner A.J. Aurrichio, High George is a three-season concept. During clement weather, its 80 seats, including those at a long marble bar, are kept open to the heavens – an exhilarating and sometimes cinematic experience, with extra cooling supplied by industrial fans. When the rain comes down, glass panels come out of hiding and slide over the support beams.
“Storms are a blast up here,” says the blue-eyed, tattooed Cabral. “Last week we saw black clouds gathering over there…then we were hit with crazy rain and lightning…then an incredible sunset. We had front-row seats.” Cabral reported that the outermost sofa seating did get a bit soggy, but new drop-down curtains will offer extra protection as needed. Come autumn, heaters will replace the fans
Against that dramatic backdrop is served a seafood-rich menu: starting with oysters – quivering beauties, sourced from both Mystic, Connecticut and Washington state – the “Raw & Chilled” portion of the menu rolls on with Jonah crab claws, jumbo shrimp, smoked bluefish dip, and tuna tartare, hitting its apex with the outstanding Hamachi Crudo. This picture-perfect dish features a flowering circle of translucent tuna sprinkled with snipped micro-greens, delicate slivers of Fresno chilies, and – surprise! – crunchy little grains of puffed wild rice.
The micro-greens, as well as virtually all of the produce on the menu, come from local farmers and are sometimes personally picked from New Haven’s CitySeed markets by chef Ashley Flagg (most recently of Grant’s Restaurant and Bar in West Hartford), who collaborated on the menu. The veggie freshness is on full display in select skewers on High George’s menu, all roasted over an on-site coal oven. The Mushrooms Skewers, presented with salsa verde, feature caps and tender stems – an earthy delight. Asparagus Skewers, drizzled with a delicate sauce gribiche, taste of the garden and are cooked to an ideal texture, with neither sogginess nor too much snap. Cabral notes that several elements of the menu, including the skewer choices, will change with the seasons, but will always celebrate the great outdoors.
“We wanted to capture summer in New England,” explains Cabral, “like a fun clam shack, without all the frying.” Though no one would ever mistake High George for a “shack” – the sleek décor and high-end cocktails are dead giveaways – the restaurant does turn out a righteous lobster roll. When I first noted that it and other sandwich offerings were served on steamed buns – that is, bao buns, of Chinese origin – I was skeptical, as New Englanders can be. But then I set eyes on it. It was about half the size of our familiar, hot-dog-bun-bursting-with-buttery-lobster-chunks version. Though small, the sides of the extra-white bun were perfectly toasted, displaying the markings that appear on only the best grilled cheese sandwiches. Turns out, this hand-held lobster roll delivered where it mattered: the sweet, tender meat was sautéed in a divine bourbon butter that brought out the best of the lobster flavor. I learned later that the puffy bao roll had been carved out to cradle the lobster pieces, and the sides shaved flat in order to lie nicely on the grill. The bao was up to the job of holding the meat and absorbing the butter, and didn’t fall apart like saturated hot dog rolls sometimes do. (Sorry, hot dog rolls, I still love you.)
There are several other “Steamed Buns” options on the menu, including a whole belly clam roll with tartar sauce, a crab salad with spiced aioli and pickled celery, a cheeseburger, a chicken cutlet with caper sauce, and a shitake mushroom sandwich with “flavors of banh mi.” My dining companion, who favors plant-based eating, can’t wait to come back and try that one.
Drinks are an important part of the High George appeal, and we can thank Tim Cabral for that. He is a man who knows his way around a bar. Ordinary, the tavern he co-owns with Jason and Tom Sobocinski and restaurateur Mike Farber, was an early adopter of craft cocktail culture, and was named one of “The Greatest Bars in the World” by Condé Nast. At High George, the emphasis is on light, summery quaffs. There is a curated list of wines by the glass or bottle that includes chilly rosés and crisp whites as well as some unexpected bubblies. (Try the LINI 910 Lambrusca Rosato, the color of sparkling garnets.) Eight beers are mostly from Connecticut, with a few from our neighbors to the north. Featured cocktails lean toward spritzes and tonics (they do a terrific Aperol spritz), while “Beach House Creations” include the fascinating Paid Vacation, a mix of Roku gin, velvet falernum, roasted almond orgeat, and lemon. Bird of Paradise features rum, Campari, roasted pineapple, and lime cordial – a distinctly tiki vibe. A special margarita and “rotating daiquiris” are also popular.
Soon, the Blake Hotel’s first floor restaurant, Hamilton Park, will be reintroduced to the public with a new menu crafted by Tyler Anderson. At the moment, Hamilton Park is still serving breakfast seven days a week and running dinners, many for hotel guests, from the menu originally created by chef Matt Lambert (who, with wife Barbara, has returned to the Musket Room, his New York restaurant). It’s a huge undertaking, but the team is up for it: Chef Anderson and various partners operate a mini-empire of eateries, including the award-winning Millwright’s in Simsbury and Porrón & Piña at the Goodwin Hotel in Hartford.
Until then, the special event spaces adjacent to the rooftop are booking up fast, and the High George crew is looking forward to a lively summer season among friends, new and old. “We are part of the community here,” says Tim Cabral. “We really know and care about New Haven, and we want to be deeply involved.”
- High George: 9 High Street, New Haven; 203-390-5195.
