West Haven Word

 Fresco Menu

A friend and I had dinner at Fresco’s in West Haven last night. I’ve been waiting for that place to happen for about a year now and it finally opened it’s doors last week. We were blown away. Our meals were fantastic. Fresco’s serves the freshest Mexican food around. It also has an extensive list of tequilas and speciality drinks that I was only too happy to sample. But before I start making you drool for the food, I’ll tell you about their cocktails.

I started with special drink of the day, a watermelon margarita. I ordered mine on the rocks, but of course you can have it frozen, too. It came with a huge piece of fresh watermelon on the rim. Yum. It tasted like summer in a glass! I could have had several more of them, but decided to try a traditional margarita next. You can always tell the quality of a Mexican restaurant by the quality of its margarita. It was perfection as well. They also have a number of different tequilas you can sample. In the menu it gives the characteristics of each one. I’m going to have to go back and try a flight or two of some tequilas I’ve never had before. That sounds like fun (or maybe trouble).

The menu is really special. They have some traditional items as well as some unique fare. I was in the mood for tacos, and many times when I go to other Mexican restaurants, they only have beef, chicken, or pork. I eat a lot of seafood, so I was thrilled to learn that Fresco’s was serving up shrimp, scallop (special that night), or fish tacos. Of course, they offer beef, chicken or pork versions, too. You can pick one of three tasty ways to have your tacos seasoned: El Carbon, Asada, or Al Pastore. I’ve linked the menu up above so check it out. You will be drooling. I ordered my shrimp tacos El Carbon and it was fantastic. Beans and rice come with your order. I also had to sample a side of guacamole because I love it. And being a bit of a guac snob, I am very happy to report that Fresco’s makes a damn fine guacamole.

Fresco’s salads and appetizers look awesome. I am sorry I could only eat so much because there are many other things on the menu I wanted to get, too. Well I will just have to make a few more trips back for the Coctel de Carne de Cangrejo (crab cocktail) and the Queso Fundido (melted cheese dip). They have ten different kinds of enchiladas and several taco specials. An outstanding lineup of entrees includes roasted breast of turkey in a fantastic mole sauce with 26 ingredients, coconut chicken, duck breast with a fig mole, grilled thick cut pork chops with a tamarind chipotle glaze, marinated char grilled steak, shrimp in a rich sweet chili tomato sauce, and many more mouth watering dishes.

The ambience of the restaurant is really fun. There is a bar area that sits at least twelve in an airy room with additional bar tables. They also have a dining room with plenty of seating. So come hang out at the bar, or bring the family down for dinner. I promise you will love it. The food is great and reasonably priced. And with summer just about here, who does not want a fresh and fruity frozen margarita! There’s outdoor seating, too.

Fresco is located at 240 Captain Thomas Blvd in the C-Town shopping parkade (in the old Danny’s Espresso Italian Restaurant) so there is plenty of parking. They are open Monday-Sunday from 3pm to midnight. For reservations call 203-691-8492.

Dawn and Tim Callahan are the owners of Fresco and are West Haven residents. I wish them all the best and much success with their new restaurant.

“I’ve learned that you shouldn’t go through life with a catchers mitt on both hands. You need to be able to throw something back.”

– Maya Angelou

I thought I would incorporate some quotes in my post today to help inspire us all to get out and do something to make our world a better place. John F. Kennedy once wrote, “To those whom much is given, much is expected.” With those words ringing in my ears, I try to make a positive difference in whatever ways I can. This weekend, my daughter and I will be helping to clean up the beaches along parts of the walkway in West Haven. We would love to see some fellow residents out there with us! Just one hour of your time can really make a difference. “Nobody can do everything, but everyone can do something.” I’m not sure where that quote originated, but it sure is true.

The Land Trust of West Haven (LTWH) is sponsoring this Beach Clean-Up event. Full disclosure. I am on the Land Trust board. If you aren’t familiar with LTWH,  it is a non-profit that strives to protect the natural resources and open-space in the City for the benefit of the residents and future generations. Visit its Web site at www.ltwhct.org to learn more, and if you are so inclined, become a member, too!

Here are the details for the event:
Saturday, May 12, from 10:00 A.M. to 12:00 Noon. Children are welcome if accompanied by an adult. Please go to the Park/Rec Activities Building on the Bike/Walk Path between Oak Street and Altschuler Plaza a few minutes before 10:00 A.M. to sign up. Gloves and trash bags will be provided. Parking is free in the paved lot on the left of Oak Street.

“Everybody can be great. Because anybody can serve. You don’t have to have a college degree to serve. You don’t have to make your subject and  your verb agree to serve. You only need a heart full of grace. A soul generated by love.”

– Martin Luther King, Jr.

I hope to see you this Saturday!

When I opened the Register this past Wednesday and scanned the front page, the heading “HBO, W. Haven fighting childhood obesity” immediately caught my eye. Unfortunately, my heart sank once I read the article because it wasn’t about West Haven, it was about New Haven. The Register had made a typo and printed a “W” instead of an “N” for New Haven. Hey, it happens. My point is not to call attention to the error, but to lament that the story wasn’t about West Haven.

New Haven Public Schools have salad bars in all its schools, except five, that were donated by various companies. And now HBO has stepped up to the plate and donated five salad bars for those remaining schools without them. I would love to see West Haven schools with salad bars and less processed foods being offered to our children.

Some improvements have been made to West Haven lunches over the past year or so thanks to West Haven residents Michelle Lorenzo-Caprio and Christine Abboud El-bakri. They were unhappy with the nutritional quality and variety of food being served to their children at school. They went to the Board of Education with photos of the food, such as burnt hot dogs and food past its expiration date. Their efforts resulted in school menus having more variety so children have more food choices. They also meet about once a month with Alan Belchak, West Haven’s Food Service Director, to go over menus and provide their feedback to him on them. Mr. Belchak has been the Food Service Director for 31 years.

In March, I attended a screening of “Cafeteria Man” held at the Peabody Museum with Ms. Lorenzo-Caprio and Ms. Abboud El-bakri. “Cafeteria Man” is a documentary about the people working to transform Baltimore’s public school food system by introducing fresh, healthful, local food to school cafeterias. It was an eye-opening experience on how difficult it is to implement change due to rigid rules and regulations, coupled with people’s dislike of change. There’s a part in the movie where a boy eats a ripe peach for the first time. He had never had a fresh peach before! Talk about heartbreaking. It made me wonder how many students in West Haven have never eaten a peach that didn’t come out of a can. Nearly 70 percent of West Haven students get free or reduced cost lunch, and I bet that a good percentage of them lack access to nutritious food on a regular basis. That’s why it is so important they get healthful food at school.

So while improvements to the food in our school cafes have been made, I think more can be done – like having salad bars in all our schools, having gardens at schools (edible classrooms!), and getting produce directly from local farms in Connecticut. New Haven does all of these things, why can’t we?

I spoke with Mr. Belchak about the possibility of having salad bars. He is open to the idea, but pointed out that a salad is served to the students three days a week now. But I want a salad bar that has more than just iceburg lettuce, tomato, and shredded carrots. Make the salad bar an educational experience! It’s a way for children to learn about different types of fruits and veggies. It could have a variety of things like edamame, mango, kiwi, artichoke, beets, etc. He also noted that the children only have 22 minutes to be served their lunch and eat it. If you are that poor kid at the end of the line, you may have just 5 minutes to eat your lunch. How crazy wrong is that? Since children serve themselves at salad bars, it can take more time. But New Haven is successfully doing it, other schools in Connecticut and across the country are doing it, so we should be able to find a way to make it work, too.

Ed O’Brien wants to be the next mayor of West Haven in 2013. And he’s not the only one who thinks he’s the right man for the job. This past weekend, Ed started fundraising for his mayoral run by hosting a breakfast at Off Shore Restaurant. “We had a huge turnout for the breakfast and I received so many calls from people all over the city pledging their support,” Ed said. “They are confirming what my campaign is all about – Inclusion. The residents of West Haven are tired of the infighting and want decisions made on what is best for West Haven, and not based on politics.”

I have known Ed for a few years and worked with him on the election in November 2011 and on the Democratic Town Committee primary this past March. Ed knows our city and he has what it takes to move it forward. He is a life-long resident of West Haven and married to Roberta, his wife of 25 years. They have two children that are in the West Haven public school system. Ed is the founder and owner of Goldworks at 499 Campbell Avenue in the downtown center district. He has been in business for 23 years despite the ups and downs of the economy.

Ed was elected to the West Haven City Council in 2005 and was elected Chairman for the 2009-2011 session. He has also served as Majority Leader. He has been the Chairperson of the Redevelopment Committee and the Streets & Squares Committee.  He served as a member on the Health, Welfare and Safety Committee and the Education Committee. He currently serves on a number of boards and committees in West Haven.

I asked Ed why he wants to be mayor. “I can make West Haven a better place for all of us,” he said. “The current administration has had a long history of exclusion. Only a few people are involved in the decision-making process and very few elected officials, department heads, and residents are involved in planning our future. The results of this practice are alarming, and it puts us at the bottom of some of our state lists that rank cities in everything from debt to educational districts. Connecticut’s bond rating list currently has us with the worst bond rating in the state. West Haven residents have a lot of talent and each of us should be allowed to be heard and have a part in solving the crisis facing our city. It is time to have an administration that is inclusive, one that welcomes input from all, and a Mayor that is willing to listen to everybody. By sharing ideas and working together, we can put West Haven back on the top of every list and restore pride to Connecticut’s best kept secret.”

To learn more about Ed O’Brien and follow his campaign, visit his facebook page and web site at:

https://www.facebook.com/EdOBrien2013

http://www.obrien13.com/

For the past several years, the West Haven Chamber of Commerce has held its Women in Leadership Conference. This year’s conference will take place next Thursday, April 26, from 8:30 am to 1 pm at the Savin Rock Conference Center. The event is so well-received by the community that it sells out every time. I am excited to be attending it for the very first time.

From what I’ve been told by a variety of people, it is a very uplifting experience. Each of the speakers talk about their life experiences, such as their current position with their company; how they arrived at their position; who motivated, inspired, assisted them along the way; and the struggles they overcame in attaining their present position.

One of the best things about this event is that the Chamber invites all the students from the local high schools and colleges to attend. In fact, Amy Bentley, Chamber member and one of the conference organizers, as well as the Admissions Director for Paradigm Healthcare of New Haven, says that “the Chamber hosts this conference each year because it gives the students a firsthand look at a very diverse group of women who have succeeded despite having to overcome some obstacles. No matter what happened to them, each of our speakers found a way to move forward. It is an absolutely wonderful opportunity for these young students to be able to hear these stories, be inspired by them, and apply some of the lessons learned to their own lives.”

Opening addresses will be given by West Haven Chamber of Commerce President Dottie Celata; Lieutenant Governor Nancy Wyman; and Mayor John Picard.  The five featured speakers are Morgan Amarone, Miss Connecticut 2011; Karen Hinds, a consultant, author of four books, and Founder and CEO of Workplace Success Group; Allison Shemitz-Walker, CEO, The Lighting Quotient; Nancy Rossi, West Haven Councilwoman and CPA; and Michelle Mays, Communications Analyst at the Hartford Foundation. Ann Nyberg of WTNH will MC the event.

There will be a Question and Answer Session following the speaker panel. The program ends around 1:00 pm, following award presentations and drawings for door prizes.

Men are encouraged to attend the conference, too! You can register online at http://2012womensconference.eventbrite.com. Tickets purchased in advance are $15; $20 at the door. Breakfast and Registration begin at 8:30 am; Program begins at 9 am. For more information, please call the WH Chamber of Commerce at 203-933-1500.

It’s West Haven Word’s one year anniversary! I cannot believe I have been writing this blog for one whole year, and not a single death threat yet. When I began this journey on April 15, 2011, I really had no idea of what to expect and wondered if I could offer up interesting posts on a regular basis that people would want to read. Well, it seems I have, and it seems you do.

As of today this blog has had nearly 14,000 all-time views. As you can imagine, I am absolutely delighted – and surprised – by the number of people who click in to read what I have to say each day. Over these past 12 months, I’ve written about the good, the bad, and the ugly in West Haven. These posts represent my thoughts about our city’s politics, school system, people, and events. Because I realize people do read this blog, I try very hard to be fair and accurate. Of course, I have to add my opinions on the subject matter to the mix. And sometimes they are a bit stronger than some would like, especially my political commentary. Ah well, you can’t make an omelette without breaking some eggs.

I am honored, humbled, and proud that there is interest in West Haven Word. I know you care, like I do, about what happens in West Haven. That is the reason I write this blog. I thank you for your continued interest, and for those that have the fortitude to make them, your comments.

Here’s to another year of West Haven Word! Cheers!