City: New Haven, CT

Category: Restaurants

Telephone: (203) 776-8268

Address: 1104 Chapel St.

Description: The dining room of this restaurant is down a flight of stairs next to a sunken courtyard, making for one of the more interesting experiences in New Haven. Eighteen kinds of pasta are the highlight of this northern Italian restaurant, but you can also find pizza and dry-aged beef. The paella with its hint of saffron is a must-try. Get an Italian wine flight with your meal and figure out what you like best (though they also carry Chamard and Jones from Connecticut). There’s also a great selection of Bourbons and Scotches. On Sat nights they feature live music, usually jazz, and often feature jazz brunches on Sun. Scoozzi gets many of its ingredients from local farms and producers, and chef Jeff Caputo makes local food in interesting, modern Italian ways. It’s a great experience with great food, and if you can have dinner on the patio in the sunken courtyard, absolutely do it.