By Steve Cooper
The Foodie Foursome
Steve Cooper
If you have lived in Milford, Orange or surrounding communities you have probably seen the big yellow Chip’s sign a million times. The Post Road in Orange has been the home of one of Connecticut’s most iconic restaurants, Chip’s Family Restaurant, since 1966. This month marked the 60th anniversary of the family restaurant. It has expanded its seating with a well-designed covered stone patio with plenty of tables and decorative umbrellas.
When “Georgie” Chatzopoulos took over the restaurant in 2003, he not only maintained the previous culture of community involvement but took it to a new level, creating fundraisers and support for Rotary, Parkinson’s research and way too many more to mention.
Chatzpoulos’s philosophy was clear: “We are here because of the local people; I believe that providing great service, high-quality food, and a friendly atmosphere will keep our customers coming back,” he said. We lost him in 2022, but his legacy lives on through his sister, Dina, and brother-in-law, Adam, as well as their boys A.J., Alex and Evan.
Chip’s created a wonderful outdoor oasis for their loyal patrons to enjoy an al fresco dining experience. The stonework patio and spacious, umbrella-clad tables make for a fun dining experience that expands their seating capacity.
On this night Christine and John joined Cindy and me for a relaxing outdoor dining experience.
Chips, famous for their breakfasts served all day long, features what Connecticut Magazine has dubbed the “best pancakes in the state.”
On this evening, however, we decided to go with the dinner menu, starting with a few savory appetizers. The southwestern mini egg rolls were so good, the wrappers filled to the brink with chicken, tomato, corn and black beans and served with fresh salsa and sour cream.
To take a more creative path, we chose for our second app a light fare breakfast item which when shared by several people made for an incredible starter: the crab cake benedict, which was artfully prepared with two poached eggs atop hash browns, baby spinach, tomato and crab cakes and topped with hollandaise sauce. The sauce was good, but surprisingly enhanced with the oozing egg yolk creating a silky smooth addition to the taste and texture of the crab cake and the griddled hash brown construction. This came with a choice of sides. We had the onion rings, which were ever so crispy with a tender onion interior. This will be on my radar upon my return.
Next up were the salads. There are so many well-constructed choices with generous servings and fresh produce to choose from. We decided to go with the Chip’s power salad and the Mediterranean bowl. The power salad is a combination of shredded kale, quinoa, sunflower seeds, cucumbers, red onion and blueberries tossed in an incredibly tasty champagne vinaigrette dressing. While I am not a huge lover of kale, this was a balanced salad and pleasing to the palette. It can also be a complete meal if you add protein.
The Mediterranean bowl is made with a five-grain blend topped with tomato, kalamata olives, feta, artichokes, red onion and cucumbers, with a side of fresh tzatziki dressing. This, along with several other menu options, shows off the family’s Greek heritage.
We kicked off our entrees with the patty melt, an 8-ounce certified angus beef burger with American cheese and grilled onions on toasted grilled wheat bread. The simplicity of seasoning and quality meat was extremely flavorful, cooked to a tender yet seared exterior and a juicy medium inside, just as we all liked. The price for this quality burger and crispy fries was more than reasonable compared to other restaurants in the area.
Next was the chicken a la Greco. The tender chunks of marinated chicken were served with perfectly grilled peppers, onions, mushrooms, tomatoes and topped with feta cheese over rice pilaf. The combination took us back to our trip to Greece. We ordered the moussaka to further sample their Mediterranean fare. This signature dish featured eggplant layered with tomato meat sauce and topped with béchamel that showed off the Chip’s family, cultural and culinary expertise.
From here, we moved to a couple of my favorites: family-friendly comfort foods. One was the turkey dinner, made with a bountiful amount of sliced roasted turkey, mashed potatoes and stuffing and served with cranberry sauce and their perfectly sautéed veggies.
Our last entrée of stuffed peppers was perfectly tender without losing structural integrity. The stuffing was a combination of seasoned ground beef, rice and breading and capped with a subtle tomato sauce. Served with mashed potatoes and sautéed vegetables, these stuffed peppers were terrific.
We had rice pudding for dessert, a giant fresh waffle topped with vanilla ice cream and served with fresh whipped cream and syrup. The last was four thumbs up: the warm lava cake oozed a wonderful chocolate sauce that was truly drool-worthy.
Generations of customers know that is what sets Chip’s apart from other restaurants in the area: the atmosphere, community participation, the sourcing of only the highest quality products available, the homemade dishes, a culture that everyone in the community appreciates.
Chip’s has fused Mediterranean favorites with traditional American comfort food to create a restaurant that the locals love for breakfast, lunch and dinner seven days a week. They also cater to vegan and vegetarian appetites. And of course they have the best pancakes in the state. They have plenty of off-street private parking at 321 Boston Post Rd. in Orange.
Steve Cooper is a local, national and international award-winning photographer, culinary influencer and executive director of the Milford Performance Center. Contact him at 203-723-3672.