"Too much oil, not enough spice"   My Rating
3 Elsie	Posted on: Monday, October 12, 2009
	Review: I had gone to http://www.clairescornercopia.com/ to print out their menu prior to a trip to New Haven, CT. On the menu it states that they are open everyday at 8 am. Well, not exactly true. If I had looked at the bottom of their website, they open at 9 am on Saturdays and Sundays. I was there on a Saturday at 8 am expecting to get in, along with several other couples and passersby- they probably lost quite a bit of business that morning! I waited until they opened and ordered a vegan tofu scramble in a whole wheat wrap to-go. The wait time was 15 minutes (and I was first in line to order, but others were served first). The meal was very bland. It was basically just cubes of tofu heated with a few undercooked red onions and some spinach, and a whole lot of oil. I ate half and took the rest home to doctor it up with spices. I will give this place another try though, because I would like to experience eating at the restaurant. If I didn't have to order food to-go (due to lack of time by that point), then I would have ordered the vegan pancakes. I did attempt to return for lunch that same day, but after driving by and not being able to immediately locate any street parking and seeing the line was just out the door (this was at 3:30 pm on a Saturday), I passed. I'll post another review after giving it another chance.   Pros: Cute interior * Lots of organic food used * Cons: Hours * Downtown parking * Bland tofu
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"NEW AND IMPROVED!"   My Rating
8 felmotes	Posted on: Sunday, August 02, 2009
	Review: Claire's used to snub us vegans by offering very little for us. This has CHANGED. The default rolls served with everything are now VEGAN. She offers vegan mayo. I think she still has yet to offer vegan cheese. She usually has at least 1 thing in the bake case that's vegan, and several in the daily specials case that are vegan as well (usually half or so). Way to go Claire! Now she just needs to (1) stop giving pats of butter by default with every order. (2) start offering vegan cheese! p.s. The food is stellar. Try the broccoli rabe with soy chicken and soak it up with one of her vegan rolls. ::drool::   Pros: more vegan options * vegan rolls * food is great Cons: a little bit pricey * needs vegan cheese * can get busy
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"Great experience- wish for more vegan options."   My Rating
3 Scott Grenerth	Posted on: Tuesday, May 19, 2009
	Review: I greatly appreciate the push to using locally sourced ingredients. A great mission. While there were multiple vegan choices on the menu when I visited, I certainly would like to see more. I have been very happy with everything I ordered, beverages, entrees, and deserts (I LOVE the Lemon Coconut mini bundt cakes!!!). I think the prices are quite appropriate for the quality & quantity that I got. I'm looking forward to my next trip.   Pros: Great food * Freindly staff * Locally sourced ingredients Cons: Wish for more vegan choices * It can get busy *
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"A new lease on Claire's"   My Rating
7 FIYHF	Posted on: Thursday, November 06, 2008
	Review: I have previously had a few experiences with Claire's that made me skeptical, and I realize that this is because to experience Claire's at it's finest, it is up to you to become a wise and skilled orderer. I recommend that everyone peek into the glass case near the registers that shows the specials of the day, and peruse the desserts and see what looks good and is vegan (in my case anyway). If they have the Shepherd's Pie (which is vegan)and the Lemon Coconut Cake (also vegan) you must not look at the rest of the menu, as this will be a perfect meal. They give you a nice portion of the Shepherd's Pie which, if it does not fill you up completely, you can eat the Cake right away, otherwise you can eat the cake later when your hunger returns. Another good choice is the Vegan Meatloaf. If meatloaf is something that appeals to you, they make a nice vegan version and serve a good portion. I heard from friends that the Arnold Palmer drink has been watered down on several occasions. I usually get hot cider which is just fine. But who needs to pay for a drink when you can just have some nice cold new haven tap water?... I've also had a couple of salads that were good featuring a good assortment of veggies and avocado and spicy soyness and they have a good tahini dressing, I usually require a double dressing because i like a lot of tahini. The bread is usually hard but it's good anyway and if you are dipping it it's no problem. They unfortunatley give out butter packets even if you order all vegan food and i'm sure this just gets thrown out so ask for no butter if you don't want it! I like the order at the counter and pay first and then sit down and they bring the food to you method because then when you are done you are free to go as soon as you clear your dishes, there is no after meal payment confusion or delay. I heard the wholegrain pancakes on weekends are really good but have yet to be in town at the right time. I don't really recommend falafel items or mexican dishes because i find that these kind of specialties usually disappoint when you order them at a restaurant that does not specialize specifically in that kind of food. If you have had a bad experience on Claire's, I recommend giving yourself another chance to improve your ordering skills, and maybe it would be a good idea to go with someone who can approve of all of your selections. I gave up on Claire's a long time ago, and friends brought me back, and now I have realized the potential.   Pros: Good Specials * Organic/Fair Trade * Cool Ordering Method Cons: Haven't realized full vegan potential * a lot of dairy on menu *
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"Unsurpassed Vegetarian Cuisine"   My Rating
1 Mary McCurry	Posted on: Wednesday, October 29, 2008
	Review: Claire's Corner Copia was my daily hangout over twenty years ago until I moved to CA. I since have found no other restaurant that compares with the unique dishes that Claire provides at a remarkably low price. The large and varied menu of both vegetarian, vegan and organic dishes provide an eclectic combination of ethnic foods in incredibly delicious dishes. The atmosphere is warm and friendly and theview of New Haven Green adds to the charm. Each meal comes with a freshly baked mini loaf of homemade vegan bread. Portions of food are quite filling even for big appetites. claire's is always a must visit place when I return to CT as I've done in 2008. As a vegan let me recommend the avocado salad with baby spinach leaves, red onions, tomato, grapes, large portion of fresh ripe avocado, and vegan chipotle soy chicken topped with Tahini dressing. It can't be beat!!! And after 33 years in business Claire says she still has fun with her little 'Corner Copia'. Her joy comes thru in all the food. Don't miss this gem of a restaurant when coming to CT and be prepared to come back over and over again.!!   Pros: Food Combos * Friendly Atmosphere * more than reasonable prices Cons: 3000 miles from CA * *
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"Inconsistent..."   My Rating
4 bertz413	Posted on: Saturday, July 05, 2008
	Review: The best thing I loved about Claires was my weekend "brunch" there....a yummy peice of mushroom swiss quiche and a delicious cup of organic, fair trade coffee. Ok, so it cost me like $13, but it was good. Also, I really liked their muffins and cupcakes. But, after that, it gets wishy-washy. Staff is slow, no doubt. Nice, but slow. I tried their veggie burgers a couple of times. It really was more like a veggie dessert burger than a meal. It was so sweet, one could taste brown sugar...and the "oatmeal" stuff was more like cake. I did have a pasta dish there once, it was yummy, but, $$$, and how could anyone really screw up pasta? Again, I only went there for a couple of good stand by's that I knew were consistent. Because of the lack of yumminess in their food, I was so hesitant to try new things because I didn't want to spent almost $14 for an entree that sucked. Well, that last time I was there I was so, so, so hungry. I ordered this curry soy tofu dish thing. It was SO heavily seasoned, that immediately I thought "maybe the tofu is old, and that is why they are covering it up with all this spice". I went back to the counter and they informed me that they had made it "yesterday". So, I ate about almost half. What was yet to happen I will spare you the gory details but will say that I was so stomach sick for several hours - yes, I vomited until the wee hours of the morning. And, no, there was absolutely nothing else that I could I haven't been back.   Pros: yummy coffee * yummy muffins * yummy quiche Cons: curry * tofu * : (
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"Needs a Vegan Makeover"   My Rating
3 jennifer.w right	Posted on: Saturday, May 24, 2008
	Review: I'll echo what's been said before. They are in dire need of more vegan options. Also, a cold salad in a tortilla is not a burrito. You could call it a wrap, I suppose. But, it's disappointing when you order a vegan burrito, expecting hearty, warm beans and rice, and it's filled with cucumber and raw onions and a boatload of lettuce. And, what a bummer to walk in and see all these cakes and desserts, and not a single one is vegan. But, their pumpkin spice soy latte was out of this world!   Pros: veggie food in a not-so-veggie town * nice atmosphere * great location Cons: source of vegan frustration * way crowded * slow service
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