Since Taste is a local neighborhood restaurant, I’ve eaten there numerous time. It’s a small 50-seat place in a comfy setting, with the food a few steps above family-style chain restaurants.
On one visit I tried the special, a delicious sounding pan-roasted rockfish with fresh creamed corn, spinach and tomatoes,
crispy soft shelled crab and sweet pea and horseradish puree ($22). Sadly it
sounded better than it tasted as it was missing (no pun intended) taste. The only thing discernible in the puree was the peas — I would have loved a bit of the advertised horseradish kick.
But luckily I also ordered the now-signature, always tasty “chop/chop” salad. According to chef/owner Jason Ruocco, he brought that salad from the now defunct Bridge Cafe (Westport) where it was a favorite of resident Paul Newman. The salad is consistently as delicious as the first time I sampled it.
Chop-chop ($11) consists of crispy flour-coated and fried shrimp tossed with Napa cabbage, radicchio, watercress, pickled ginger and tomato in sesame-mayo Asian-style dressing made with mustard, rice vinegar, sesame, soy and — what gives it the richness — an egg yolk. Chop-chop salad, which is filling enough to be a meal, is the dish to have at Taste. It’s actually filling enough to be a meal. With the other menu items, you’re on your own.
– bonnie
Taste Restaurant & Lounge
1995 Whitney Ave
North Haven, CT 06473
(203) 230-8801
www.tastenorthhaven.com
We had dinner at Taste two weeks ago on a Wednesday night. The place was packed; only one server was on, but the hostess and Jason helped bus and set tables, and serve food and drinks as needed.
We each had an appetizer…crabcakes for me (very good), and a Chop Chop salad with scallops instead of shrimp for her (excellent). We split an entree. The food was better than I remember, but the service under the circumstances was amazing.
We’d go back.
We have eaten at Taste several times and always had good food and service and return as often as we can.
Keep up the good work Jason!!
I go to Taste quite often for lunch and always get the Chicken Cobb salad. Love it!