A Day In New Haven's Historic District

The Daily Meal Staff|Aug. 30, 2014 7:00 am EST

At one time Connecticut's co-capital city, New Haven is teeming with fine dining, culture and entertainment. There's no way you can get to everything the city has to offer in one day, but the Chapel Street Historic District is a good place to start. All of the following establishments can be found on one block adjacent to the New Haven Green, and are representative of the diverse pleasures to be found in the city.

Pacifico
220 College St.
New Haven, CT 06510
(203) 772-4002
www.pacificorestaurants.com

One of the highlights of New Haven's impressive restaurant scene, Pacifico, founded by chef Pafael Palomino, specializes in Latin seafood dishes. Start at the bar and have a margarita, Mexican lager or better yet, one of its acclaimed mojitos. When you're ready for dinner, the guacamole is mixed right at your table while you peruse a menu that includes favorites like paella, Mediterranean sea bass, duck quesadilla and for dessert, dulce de leche cheesecake. Pacifico also includes a lounge for salsa dancing on Friday nights.

Stella Blues
204 Crown St.
New Haven, CT 06510
(203) 752-9764
www.stellabluesbar.com

Music lovers will definitely want to check out this bar and nightclub. It hosts live music every night from local and national musicians playing genres from blues and folk to rock and EDM. Stella also has an open mic night every Tuesday. The bar (whose counter is decorated with covers of classic albums) serves up a good offering of craft beers or you can order a Bloody Mary, which may be the best in the city.

Shubert Theater
247 College St.
New Haven, CT 06510
(203) 624-1825
www.shubert.com

Celebrating its 100th anniversary in 2014, the Shubert Theater has long been one of the state's premier venues for live dramas, musicals and dance. Some of the most popular stage shows of the 20th-century debuted at the theater, including "Oklahoma," "Carousel" and "A Streetcar Named Desire." Among the presentations that will be playing this fall and winter are the comedy "A Jew Grows In Brooklyn," the holiday musicals "A Christmas Carol" and "White Christmas" and concerts by Jim Brickman and 12-year-old piano prodigy Emily Bear. In 2015, watch for the Broadway hits "Matilda The Musical" and "Million Dollar Quartet."

Karaoke Heroes
212 Crown St.
New Haven, CT 06510
(203) 848-8854
www.karaokeheroes.net

For those days when the only way to express what you're feeling is through the words of a hit song, there's no better place to go in Connecticut than Karaoke Heroes. A recent addition to the neighborhood – it was founded in 2012 – the bar has a catalog of thousands of songs in English, Spanish and even a few Asian languages. Karaoke Heroes is a haven for geeks with its walls and decor adopting a comic book theme. So if your superpower happens to be belting out classic pop songs, take to the main stage or gather some friends and rent one of its private rooms.

The Owl Shop
268 College St.
New Haven, CT 06510
(203) 624-3250
www.owlshopcigars.com

The Owl Shop – a New Haven fixture since 1934 – gives cigar aficionados the opportunity to purchase high-quality cigars and smoke them in its lounge. In also sells pipes, humidors, lighters and even chess sets. The Owl Shop doesn't just specialize in tobacco; it has a cafe that serves a wide variety of coffees and teas, along with panini, meat and cheese plates and truffles. There's a bar with a terrific selection of microbrews and specialty cocktails, and live jazz on Wednesday nights.

Joshua Palmes is a freelance writer covering all things Connecticut. His work can be found on Examiner.com.