“High George” is a new rooftop bar and restaurant at The Blake Hotel in New Haven, Connecticut is now open to the public. Celebrated Chef Tyler Anderson, along with partners A.J. Aurrichio and Tim Cabral collaborated to bring their vision to life at The Blake. Located on the top floor of The Blake Hotel (9 High Street at the corner of George Street in New Haven), the three-season restaurant features a full food and beverage menu inspired by Summers in New England.
High George will be open Wednesday-Saturday from 4pm – 10:00pm. Valet parking is available at The Blake Hotel ($12 flat fee). Complimentary parking is available through the Park New Haven program at the Crown Street Garage (213 Crown Street) daily after 4:00pm.
The space, which connects to one of The Blake Hotel’s private meeting rooms, is also available for private parties and functions.
For more information, visit www.hamiltonparknh.com or the restaurant’s social media channels: Facebook and Instagram (@highgeorgenh).
“I have wanted to be a part of the New Haven culinary scene since I moved to Connecticut eleven years ago; it’s such a diverse and vibrant city with great dining options that seem to get better every year,” said Anderson. “This small plate concept will feature a fun twist on such favorites as lobster rolls, whole-belly fried clams and meat and vegetable skewers from our coal oven, as well as a raw bar highlighting the finest New England shellfish and seafood. We want our menu to be an approachable price point; our goal is to make this menu accessible for guests to be inspired to try a taste of multiple items! I am very excited to be working with Chef Ashley Flagg (Little Donkey, Winvian, Grants, Millwright’s) on creating the menu for this beautiful space.”
“To complement this food menu featuring lightened-up versions of traditional summer dishes, our beverage program will feature easy-to-drink cocktails – think Spritzes and Bubbles – and a wide variety of Rose wine by the glass and bottle,” added Cabral, who will oversee the Beverage program. “In addition to other wine varietals, our beer offerings will include New England crafted favorites, as well as other light, summer brews from around the globe.”
The cosmopolitan space features dark wood accents contrasted with seasonal greens and plants, a marble bar top and seating for 80 guests at the bar, tables and banquettes. The rooftop’s glass roof is fully retractable, and heaters and blankets will be available during times of cooler temperatures.
“Our goal with High George is to provide a sophisticated space that welcomes those seeking a great place for drinks after work, a fun location to meet up with friends and a date-night destination for food and drink before or after seeing a show in New Haven,” said Aurrichio. “In order to really elevate the experience, we will be closely monitoring the number of guests we welcome to this space to provide a comfortable experience for all of our patrons.”
“I am ecstatic to welcome Tyler, AJ and Tim to The Blake Hotel to open the newest and largest rooftop food and dining destination in this amazing city,” said Randy Salvatore, founder and chief executive officer of RMS Companies, the owner and operator of The Blake Hotel. “Just six months into our opening, our occupancy and event booking numbers are exceeding our expectations, and with the addition of High George, we are confident that this space will draw additional interest from both hotel guests and those from the New Haven community and beyond.”
“In addition to High George, I am pleased to share that this team is taking over operations of Hamilton Park restaurant, as well as the food and beverage program for the hotel, applying years of experience in the Connecticut market to further shape and define our offerings,” added Salvatore. “We’ve had great success working together with Tyler, A.J. and Tim running the food and beverage operation at The Goodwin Hotel in Hartford, and I’m excited about the possibilities of working together in New Haven, especially with the opening of our new rooftop.”
“We will be working in phases to put our mark on the food and beverage program at The Blake,” added Anderson. “Starting with the opening of High George and then working our way through all the restaurant operations, you should see a full menu from Chef Ashley and I by the end of July.”
