New Haven Independent

Fair Haveners have flocked to the restaurant in its first month of operation, some hoping this could be the “community place” people have been clamoring for.

It’s also becoming known beyond the river, for these moms Wednesday morning were visiting from Morris Cove.

Meanwhile, another restaurant, Salsa, opened up about a month ago on Grand just east of Atwater Street. Juan Marquez, who works there, said his place too will have customers from beyond Fair Haven area, some from as far as Hartford and New Jersey.

Salsa serves Mexican food from the Tlaxcala region. Marquez said the restaurant also attracts lots of non-Mexican Latinos and about 25 percent non-Latino customers.

Owner Jenelle Coughlin also has several Latino families who are regular customers, she said.

Fair Haven’s Latino and so-called “yuppie” populations don’t always hang out at the same places. The early success of these two new neighboring restaurants may show how food can break barriers.

Both appear to be fortunate in their timing; they have opened their doors as the general economy is swinging up from the depths and as the area’s business association, GAVA, has become increasingly active.

On Wednesday morning Coughlin served the moms her house blend coffee as well as the healthful egg whites on wheat toast with tomatoes. Corolla had been here before with her kids for the Sunday brunch. At that time they had the less abstemious strawberry crepes.

The menu, Coughlin said, has some things Greek, some Italian, lots of eclectic, upscale American. Assistant Linda McNeff said one of the tastiest items is the Italian wedding soup. Coughlin said all the food’s homemade; she attends to customers’ dietary and allergy needs. She called attention to a fat-free Greek yogurt as well as a tzatziki sauce, of yogurt and cucumbers.

That could be seen a kind of penance for one of her signature dishes, poutine, which, she said, are “French fries topped with cheddar cheese curds and gravy.” A reporter’s cholesterol soared merely on hearing the description. Coughlin ascribes the dish’s origin to Canada, where she has many relatives.

She’s getting 65 to 75 customers a day, half of those from outside of the little sanctuary from around the marina. Helene Sapadin of Perkins Street compared eating at Jenelle’s to visiting Cape Cod or in Maine.

The other half of the clientele hails from Hamden and the other Havens. They pull into the marina, where there’s adequate parking, mostly on word of mouth. For example, Sonia Corolla’s sister dates a guy who lives near Jenelle’s.

Lisa and Bill Fitch, the marina’s owner and Coughlin’s landlord, are going to put in a radio to expedite maritime take-out, or docking and dining, Coughlin said.

“The neighborhood people pay your bills,” said Coughlin, who is 27 now and has worked since she was 16 waitressing and cooking. Jenelle’s is her first solo business venture. “They support you [so] they can tell you something’s not toasted enough, but they come back.”

Platos Tipicos

Over on Grand, Salsa’s owner, Juana Ramirez herself was busy getting her kids to their first day at the John S. Martinez School, so she wasn’t available to talk with a reporter. Juan Marquez reported that Salsa’s Mexican, Puerto Rican, and other Latino customers generally favor the chipotle, the hottest of the four salsa sauces served.

The restaurant’s special sandwich or torta is the most popular. It features pork, avocado, cheese, onion, beans, and you can have your choice of chipotle sauce or jalapenos.

Sunday brunch is popular here, too, said Marquez (pictured with his niece Handy). Kids enjoy cheeseburgers (that well known Mexican dish) as well as torta de queso, otherwise known as cheesecake, in this instance with fresh strawberries.

Alderwoman Erin Sturgis-Pascale brought her family recently to dinner at Salsa, and pronounced the food “flavorful with good sized portions and timely, friendly service.” There’s an easy-to-read bilingual menu, an airy, light feel to the place, and a view, or almost, of the Quinnipiac River from one or two of the window tables.

Coughlin said that while she isn’t yet planning specific new Latino additions to her menu, “I do run specials like fish tacos.”

Both restaurants also do take out and catering, with Jenelle’s finding, she said, that these are growing part of the business.

Salsa is at 99 Grand, 752-1265. It is open seven days a week, 6:30 to 10 p.m. Monday to Friday, and weekends 7 a.m. to 10 p.m.

Jenelle’s serves breakfast and lunch, no dinner yet, but you can kayak up, hungry from your paddling, and shout up from the water for service. The phone is 624-2233, and hours: weekdays 7:30 to 2:30 p.m.; Saturday 8 to 2:30 p.m.; Sunday Brunch, 10 to 2:30 p.m.