FEATURED RESTAURANT:

Claire's Corner Copia

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Claire’s Corner Copia has served vegetarian food in New Haven, Connecticut for 33 years. Its mission of providing sustainable foods and commitment to the community have not changed, but its menu and initiatives have become more global, influenced by people who come from all over the world to attend nearby Yale University and Yale Medical Center.

The menu reflects owner and chef Claire Crusculo’s Italian heritage, with dishes like the Topo Gigio Sandwich, a garlic-roasted organic Portobello cap, and roasted organic peppers with mozzarella. However, they also serve things like falafel, tostados, buffalo soy chicken, Lithuanian Coffee Cake (their signature), and one of Claire’s favorites, mango lassis with homemade yogurt. “Really, I love fresh, homemade, foods - mainly organic. Basically, I'm good food obsessed!” says Claire.

Claire pairs her passion for delicious food with a strong emphasis in nutrition. In 2001, the restaurant stopped using trans-fats, and they’ve continued to choose organic produce whenever possible, as well as expanding their vegan options.

Respecting the earth is another facet of the restaurant’s mission, and in honor of Earth Day, on April 22nd, they have an annual Earth Dinner Celebration. “We refer to Earth Day as our ‘Super Bowl’ because it's a day that we remember why we do what we do and that our decisions to choose to eat organic and sustainable foods, share good food with others, and care for our earth and its inhabitants, really matters,” says Claire.

This philosophy is carried beyond Earth Day to Claire’s year-round commitment to her community through different initiatives and events. One exciting project is The Growing Connection, a United Nations Food and Agriculture project that helps alleviate world hunger by teaching the art of growing food. “Our goal is to encourage children to start vegetable gardens in their back yards and to learn the many lessons from growing; nurturing, nutrition, commitment, history, science, and math, and entrepreneurship, while enjoying delicious and wholesome foods, fresh from the garden,” says Claire.

“If we teach the art of gardening to those who have lost this gift, we help bring healthful foods to families that might not have this access because of their financial status. No one should be denied a healthful diet and I believe it is our responsibility to help attain this.”

Claire also believes that no one should be denied health insurance, and she works very hard to make sure that her staff is taken care of by offering it. “It costs us more money than it should, but I've always believed there should be regulations on profits allowed for insurance companies, similar to regulations for the utilities - isn't health insurance a necessity?” she says. Claire points to the current issues with AIG as a reminder that strong regulation is needed.

She spends a lot of time and effort making health care costs work at the Corner Copia. “These are big challenges for us, but as my Mother always said ‘Anything worthwhile is never easy’ and we persevere,” she says. “It's worth the trouble because my staff are worth the effort - they matter. We are not perfect, we could and will be better, but we absolutely do our best each and every day.”

Every day Claire also invites her community to do their best by donating to the restaurant’s monthly “Coins for Causes” collection. When Aids Project New Haven came to Claire’s decades ago to ask them to put a collection jar on the counter to benefit their work, they collected several thousand dollars. And so the tradition continues. “After that success we felt tremendous energy to continue to collect for other causes. People are generous and really do want to help, they just need to feel they can,” she says. “It’s easy, customers became educated about the cause, and empowered by the fact that their change could make a difference.”

It’s easy to see why Claire’s Corner Copia has been a fixture in New Haven for so long. With every decision made, Claire is working to nurture and educate her local and global communities and make sure the world is a better place through delicious food. “If you love your community, and I do, creating a welcoming atmosphere comes naturally,” says Claire. “Really, we try to run our restaurant the way we would want for ourselves and for those we love.”

Cookbooks from Claire's Corner Copia