CT Italian restaurant recognized as one of the best in the world by Gambero Rosso

CT Italian restaurant recognized as one of the best in the world by Gambero Rosso

Gambero Rosso, a leading Italy-based authority on Italian food, wine and travel awarded New Haven’s Strega “Due Forchette” or two forks, akin to Michelin Stars

By Daniel Figueroa IV, Staff Writer

March 17, 2025

A New Haven-based restaurant group continues to rack up honors and distinction from one of the world’s leading authorities on Italian food and wine.

Gambero Rosso honored New Haven’s Strega with its “Due Forchette” or “Two Forks” award. Similar to the Michelin Star rating system, Gambero Rosso awards restaurants around the world up to “Tre Forchette” or “Three Forks.”

“While Michelin awards stars to the world’s finest restaurants, Gambero Rosso—Italy’s premier food and wine authority—distinguishes top authentic Italian restaurants with its highly selective one, two, or three "Forchette" (Forks) rating,” Strega wrote in a social media post.

New Haven’s Strega, located on Chapel Street in the shadow of Yale, is the second Strega from restaurateur Danilo Mongillo. The original Strega opened in Branford in 2016. In 2019, the restaurant became the first in Connecticut to receive the prestigious Gambero Rosso honors. In 2021, Strega moved to Milford and last year opened a second location at the Shops at Yale on Chapel Street. The 2025 honor is Mongillo’s sixth for his Strega Restaurant group.

According to Strega’s website, the restaurant specializes in "a deeply authentic Italian experience. With a profound appreciation for Italy's historical and culinary heritage, we focus on using imported Italian products and are committed to authenticity in our recipes and menu selections." The menu features antipasto, salads, assorted gnocchi dishes and entrees like slow-cooked lamb leg and rabbit rollé.Strega’s Milford location is known for its pizza, which Gambero Rosso called out on its website.

"It is possible to have a delectable pizza even in Connecticut," Gambero Rosso writes on its website. "The credit for one of the most authentic restaurants in the United States goes to Samnite Danilo Mongillo, who moved here for love. His high-quality pizza is the result of a proper balance of flavors and a very soft and airy dough; the other courses are just as good. The raw materials are imported with uncommon rigor and passion. The location is sleek and the service very attentive. It is definitely worth the detour."