Sunday, April 15, 2007

Hitting the spot

Sometimes a meal just hits the spot. Doesn't have to be fancy, just has to be right. Dinner last Wednesday at Rudy's was just that kind of meal. It was just a simple cheeseburger and fries, washed down with a beer, but that doesn't begin to describe why it was so good.

First, I had been at an ultimate practice earlier that evening. Ran hard for 2 hours in 50 degree temps. Drove an hour back to New Haven. Showered. And now, was starving. Didn't have the energy to cook, so I strolled round the corner to Rudy's. Placed my order at the kitchen corner of the bar, with the glorious fry machine (imported from Belgium) in full view, golden potatoes being lifted out of the hot oil. A deluxe cheeseburger with everything (lettuce, tomato, pickle on the side), and samurai sauce (spicy aioli) with my fries (really, more properly, frites, given their Belgian pedigree).

Took a seat at the bar, saw that the special beer on tap was Leinie's Sunset Wheat. Nostalgic for the midwest, how could I resist. And I didn't regret it, the light, flavorful beer refreshing me with every sip. The burger and the fries arrived a short while later, and were devoured. The burger isn't the most spectacular around, but it's more than competent, and the bun, meat, cheese, lettuce and tomato were exactly what I needed. The dill spear was just how I like it, not too briny, so you could taste some of the cucumber that it had once been.

Oh, and those fries. Crisp, hot, and impossibly delicious. I'm salivating just writing about them. The variety of sauces to go with them is also wonderful. Everything from Curry Ketchup, to Andalouse sauce, to many varities of aioli.

Warm, full, and still humming the Band's "Cripple Creek" which had been blasting on the jukebox, I walked back into the cool New England evening...

In summary: Rudy's is a dive, no doubt about it. For Hyde Park readers, think something like Jimmy's with better food and better prices, and a better jukebox. The TV's usually have the game on. It's everything you want from your neighborhood bar.

Rudy's New Haven
370 Elm Street
New Haven, CT 06511
203-865-1242

5 comments:

Anonymous said...

I tried Leiney's Sunset Wheat a while ago and I thought that it was pretty awful. Doesn't it have lots of flavoring in it? Like berries and so forth?

Unknown said...

I came here to say the Leinie's Sunset Wheat is dog piss in a bottle, but some one else already said that, so I'm leaving.

Bryan said...

Jay-

I love you. But I hate Leinie's Sunset wheat. Last summer I found out that Berghoff and Leinenkugel had summer beers. I generally like such things, so I tried Berghoff's Solstice Wit Beer at a bar. It's really good. Loved it. I went to the store to buy some. They were out, so I bought a case of the Leinie's Sunset wheat. Took it home. Made it cold. Drank a bottle. Well, 3 sips of the bottle, and one gulp to make sure. Yep, it sucked. I had a few other roommates try it. I ended up throwing it out. I never throw out beer. We have Miller Lite in our fridge right now that I haven't thrown out. What's the point of my story? That I wish I knew you liked it, 'cause I would have saved it for you and made you drink the rest of it. Still, I like the sound of the bar, and you made me want a burger for lunch. Thanks.

jsa said...

you know what... it tasted good that night. Maybe if I try it again when I'm not completely dehydrated it'll taste awful... I guess we'll find out.

Ian said...

I've never had Leinie's Sunset Wheat, but I did want to award the Purple Prose Prize for this sentence:

"And I didn't regret it, the light, flavorful beer refreshing me with every sip."