Claire's Corner Copia
Profile
$$ - average
American, Mexican, Tex-Mex, Italian, Eclectic (Varied)
Vegetarian entrees, sandwiches and baked goods.
Claire's has been serving the Yale crowd in downtown New Haven for over 25 years. The small eatery is a dependable source of good food throughout the day and into the late night.
Orders are placed at the counter. The menu sprawls across a series of blackboards on the wall. Daily specials and local, seasonal options are available. Once your order is placed you'll pay, give your name and find a seat. Once prepared a member of the small waitstaff will bring out your dishes and call your name. Service is generally quick enough for a fast lunch. Once finished you're expected to bring your dishes to a bin for cleaning.
Food is excellent and there are many vegan options (listed with a heart on the menu). Occasional fish options prevent me from listing this as completely vegetarian. But it's still a fantastic place to eat.
Coffees, teas and fresh juice/smoothies are available.
Free wireless.
Corner of Church and Chapel, just off the New Haven Green. Not far from Edge Tattoo, the Shubert theater and the old Yale bookstore.
- Wireless (free)
Added by Joshua Warchol on Apr 16 04 (updated Jun 6 06)
Reviews
Claire's has been around for so long and yet it does not seem to change. I am distressed by the inclusion of fish on the menu and most things seem to have cheese on them, which, depending on the rennet, wouldn't even be vegetarian. Eating at Claire's for a vegan is like eating at any other restaurant where you look for the one or two things you can eat. It's a great place for omnivores and for those people who call themselves "vegetarian" and still eat chicken and fish.
When I walked in, I was unpleasantly surprised to see how few things on the menu were vegan. It was breakfast time, and they don't serve anything off the regular menu, so I ordered one of the two vegan items off the breakfast menu. The tofu scramble I had was much much worse than any other tofu scramble I've ever had. The tofu did not have any spices or flavor. It looked like big white chunks of gelatinous tofu on a fancy white plate. It did have a few bits of vegetables but these had no flavor or texture. It was so gross that although I was really hungry and had paid $8 for it, I couldn't finish it.
This place might be good for vegetarians, but it is bad for vegans. It makes veganism seem hard by charging extra for soy milk, not offering easy vegan dishes (e.g. I can't believe that they don't have any vegan desserts!! How hard can it be to make one vegan cookie??), refusing to make other simple things vegan, and finally making the few vegan dishes (or at least the ones I tried) without much flavor, texture, or taste.
Almost everything has cheese in it, and most items without cheese don't taste good. They will only make vegan desserts if you request them the day before, as "vegan desserts don't keep well." For better vegan food in New Haven, visit one of the many ethnic restaurants or just about anywhere else. This place only promotes the notion that being vegan is a sacrifice.
I used to go here but they don't have anything for me to eat and they don't seem to care. I have spoken to Claire but still no changes. For my vegan diet I go the Edge of the Woods or Duck Soup. I have vegan choices and I don't walk away disappointed.
Nameste