Sandra's Next Generation

A Hill neighborhood institution where Sandra Pittman has cooked for more than three decades, from selling five-dollar dinners off her back porch at thirteen to a full restaurant. CTbites frames the menu as Southern comfort food drawn from Alabama and the Carolinas. The fried chicken is marinated two days, egg-dipped, then dredged; the chopped BBQ comes with mac and cheese and candied yams from her husband Miguel's family recipe. Order the fried chicken with cornbread, or the chopped BBQ plate.

Picks from CTbites and New Haven Independent

A Hill institution run by Sandra Pittman, sister of Mama Mary's Robert Harris; both learned to cook from their mother Mary Harris. CTbites describes the menu as stick-to-your-ribs soul food alongside Carolina chopped BBQ and Southern cakes. The most soul-food-specific move is the Soul Rolls and Soul Empanadas, stuffed with pork, BBQ chicken, mac and cheese, or candied yam. Order the Soul Rolls.

Picks from New Haven Independent and CTbites

A Hill neighborhood institution run by Sandra Pittman, cooking recipes learned from her mother Mary Harris across more than three decades. CTbites' guide to Connecticut fried and hot chicken sandwiches calls out Sandra's fried chicken sandwich as impeccably made, built on chicken that is marinated two days, egg-dipped, then dredged before frying. Come for the sandwich, then stay for the Southern plates and Soul Rolls the kitchen is equally known for.

Picks from CTbites and WTNH News 8

A soul-food institution in the Hill from owner Sandra Pittman, going more than 34 years. CTbites (Andrew Dominick) details fried chicken marinated two days, then egg-dipped and dredged, drawing on Alabama and Carolina cooking. Order it with cornbread and honey butter. Beyond the plate, Sandra's runs community meal programs, part of why it has held the block this long. Come for the chicken, stay for a table that feels like a neighborhood fixture.

Picks from CTbites and The Infatuation