I crave historical architecture. Though I’ve recently felt the pull towards a more modern abode*, there were a few times while walking around Yale when I threw practicality to the wind and shouted out my desire to live in the magnificent buildings we passed. Battell Chapel was among several locations I dubbed my future home. I’m not quite sure how that would work, it still being a fully functioning chapel and all, but I’m willing to work with them.
*A house which has been around for nearly two hundred years is quite different than a university with stones precisely placed and adorned with hand carved statues.
I’m lucky this guy puts up with my crazy antics. He even pointed out the gorgeous coloring the sunset was letting off on Harkness Tower:
And I might have whispered a silent want to live there, too. But only after crouching down on the snow framed sidewalk to catch this angle of it:
With my fascination of Yale, you wouldn’t think I live a short drive from another Ivy League school with architecture of equal prominence….
On our last night in New Haven, we had a fabulous dinner at what we quickly discovered was a student favorite: Tarry Lodge. The decision to eat there was based on it being one of my buddy, Mario Batali’s restaurants. You remember when we hung out for a little, right?
Don’t be disappointed, but, I didn’t take any pictures at Tarry Lodge. I was in one of those I-need-food-right-now kind of moods. The kind where you inhale the bread basket before it is placed on the table. The kind where you order an appetizer only because you think it will come faster than your entrees.
I will tell you this…best bolognese sauce of my entire life.
As we rolled out of dinner, we walked behind a few college students who were making plans to go somewhere and then get donuts later. My ears perked up because…donuts? Hello! I’m there.
We realized the donut place they were referring to was a short walk from the restaurant.
I fell in immediate love with Donut Crazy when I looked their hours up and saw they are open until 1 am during the week and 2 am on weekends. If you know anything about me and my love of desserts, you know I want all bakeries to be open 24 hours. Actually, it isn’t a want. It’s a necessity of life.*
*And perhaps the reason I shy away from opening a bakery of my own. I would have difficulty conforming to my own needs because I love sleep equally as much as I love baked goods.
Despite their late night hours, Donut Crazy was nearly sold out of donuts when we stopped by.* Being that it was a Saturday, I figured it is one of their busier days, either that or they keep later hours for students more interested in a place to study than donuts. Gosh, I hope people like that don’t exist.
*And all I could think about was those poor college students who were going to show up a few hours later disappointed because no donuts were left for them.
While cake donuts are on a rise across New Jersey* Donut Crazy offered both cake and yeast donuts, reminding me why yeast donuts cannot be fully written off. Unlike the base donut from somewhere like Uncle Dood’s or Duck Donuts**, every donut we picked had something different going on from outside in.
*Especially those continuously rolling out of a machine, sitting hot and fresh, waiting to be dipped and drizzled to each patron’s preference.
**Both of whom I love dearly. Don’t misunderstand my loyalty.
Can you say jelly donut?
Our favorite was the French Toast donut…the one in the background with the white and brown drizzles, oh wait, there’s two!
I’ve had a French Toast donut at every single donut place we have visited. This one had the most developed flavor, by far. It came down to the fact that they didn’t shy away from the cinnamon. Most places will let sugar overpower the cinnamon. Here, it was the main attraction.
Candy apple donut. I mean, really?! Candy apple! The apple jelly inside tasted like apples that have been left over low heat to cook until transforming into liquidy gold.
Donut Crazy
290 York Street
New Haven, CT 06511
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