Wooster Street

As many of you know, I play a game called Ingress, which is a sort of Geocaching version of Battleship. You can read more about it at http://www.cnn.com/2013/08/26/tech/gaming-gadgets/google-niantic-ingress . It is basically a game that has opposing sides and you look to dominate. Throughout the process, you level up and get to use more equipment that you earn. Anyway...back to the important part here...food!

So, I have played Ingress for about 4.5 months or so. In that time, I was lucky enough to level up to Level 8 (the highest and 1.2m points). Each portal (landmark) has 8 slots to fill. So the rules are that you cannot have more than one 8 slot on a portal, more than one 7 slot, etc. As higher gear is harder to get, because to get higher gear you need a higher level portal (e.g. a portal with 8 slots filled with 7 & 8), you need to get social with the other players around you. I've gotten friendly with some of my teammates as well as some of the other team. But, its critical to get to know your teammates, as you will all need to put high slots on a landmark to get the gear you need. Hence where Wooster st comes in...

I have been down there once or twice in my life to pick up my dad a Pepe's pizza, but what I didn't realize was there is much more to Wooster Street New Haven then just Pepe's. Pepe's pizza is amazing, although to get it, you must have patience. So, I took a drive down one Saturday a few weeks ago...

The smells coming out of that area...call it a half mile square, are amazing. You smell tomatoes and cheese and basil and some seafood, depending on the time of day. Your mouth instantly waters, and you try to figure out what you want to actually eat. You certainly have your choices (website listing below....Sallys, Pepes, Consiglios, Goodfellas, Anastasios are all great. Brazis is not on Wooster st but is also amazing), and you have the quintessential Italian bakery in Libby's there as well, which serves up Cannolis, all kinds of things with Marscapone, and just yummy nummins. I drove around that 1/2 mile square easily for forty minutes and by the time I got home, I wanted nothing but Italian for dinner.

Of course, my foray down there came on the heels of me being in Boston with my dear friend, who showed me the delicacies of Boston, Italian Style. I had tiramisu, one of my biggest weaknesses, and espresso. I went to an Italian pasta shop where they had no less than 50 different kinds of fresh pastas....I am surprised that I did not gain 50 pounds just sniffing (or maybe I did, and that's why I'm going to the gym).

Regardless, if you ever get a chance, In New Haven, to take a drive down and need to eat, check out any of the below. They truly are landmarks in their own right and all kinds of history. And, of course, the smell permeates your clothes, and who doesn't like Italian smells! As far as Ingress...I am lucky enough to venture over there once a week now to get more gear...yummo. If you want an invite to Ingress, just let me know!

http://www.yelp.com/search?find_desc=italian&find_loc=new+haven%2C+ct&ns=1&ls=48610873977810b2