Cooking Up a Legacy: Claire’s Corner Copia Turns 50

For five decades, Claire’s Corner Copia has been more than a cafe.  It’s been New Haven’s cozy kitchen table, serving fresh flavors, comfort food, and a whole lot of love. This fall, founder Claire Criscuolo is celebrating her golden anniversary the way she knows best: with a brand-new cookbook full of beloved recipes and stories from her landmark corner café.

From Nurse to Neighborhood Icon

Claire didn’t set out to run a restaurant. A registered nurse turned restaurateur, she followed her heart (and her taste buds) into a new path. “Love has always guided me,” she says. “I wanted to create something that built community around real, fresh foods made with care.”

Fueled by family recipes, her brother’s travel tales, and a deep respect for ingredients, she opened Claire’s in 1975 on a sunlit corner across from Yale’s Old Campus. “Once I saw the steeple from Trinity Church and how the light hit that corner, I was in love.”

The Coffee Cake That Became a Legend

Over the years, trends have come and gone, but Claire’s has stayed true to its roots: vegetarian, kosher, organic, and community-focused before any of that was trendy. And then there’s the cake. If you know Claire’s, you’ve probably met the Lithuanian Coffee Cake, a cinnamon-streaked, crumb-topped masterpiece with a sweet twist of backstory. (“The secret ingredient?” Claire says with a grin. “Just yumminess.”)

A New Chapter, a New Cookbook

To mark 50 years, Claire has released her fifth cookbook: 50 Vegetarian Recipes from 50 Years at Claire’s Corner Copia, blending favorites from the menu with heartfelt memories. “This one felt different,” she says. “I knew the restaurant deserved a cookbook that celebrated this milestone with some ‘Oldies but Goodies’ and new creations I love.”

A Mission That Goes Beyond the Menu

Claire’s has always served more than food. “The reason we’re given more than we need is so we can share with those who have less,” she says. That philosophy is written right on the café’s walls and in everything she’s built.

So what’s next? “I’m going to Italy soon!” Claire laughs. “And when I do retire – not yet – Claire’s will be in the best hands, thanks to our incredible team.”

After 50 years, her guiding principle remains the same:

“Every day is an opportunity to be better, kinder—and if we do that, we’ll be happy.”

(photo: Catherine Avalone – New Haven Register)