Summertime Eats in CT, Chapter 8

Where can you find really great pulled pork in New Haven? (Remember that I said “great”; Uncle Willie’s on Whalley Avenue is sadly mediocre.) For starters, Atticus Bookstore & Café has an excellent Cuban Pork sandwich. An across-from-Yale institution on Chapel Street since 1981, this small eatery is well known for their baked goods, specifically their Chabaso breads. Though the pork’s chipotle sauce has lost its piquant kick over the last few years, the meat is very tender, punctuated by black beans and softly melted cheese on a panini-pressed brioche roll. Due to the copious stacks of books on their shelves, Atticus also promotes a certain air of intellectualism. Thus, my friend Olivia (who lunched on the Hummus Salad Plate with bulgur black bean citrus salad and mixed greens) and I discussed Greece & Rome, the nuances of translating French, and the demand for Atticus’ artisan bread.