Nine Squares Restaurant

[Ramya Bradbury]

Ihave amassed an extensive collection of cooking implements during my visits to thrift and antique shops, mostly while passing the time waiting for my kids to finish lessons, classes and sports practices.

These pots, pans, baking dishes, gadgets, small appliances, bowls and plates fill my kitchen cupboards and most of the shelves in our basement. Now there's no room left, and I can't even locate items when I need them. It's time to cull the herd. I've adopted a strict use-it-or-lose-it philosophy, giving myself a short window of opportunity to use items, or stash them in a box headed back for donation to a thrift shop. But it's not easy to give up on the idea of making cute cornbread sticks in those cast iron cornbread pans, or pizzelles in that electric pizzelle maker.

While I wish I could say the recipe was an exact clone of the Panera souffls, that would be overselling them. The filling comes fairly close, but the puff pastry has a breadier texture than the Panera version.

After doing some sleuthing, I discovered that the Panera souffls are based on the more toothsome croissant dough, which I've never seen in sheet form. I picked up some frozen croissants from Trader Joe's (Williams-Sonoma, my basement's classy alter ego, also offers frozen croissants, but they are pricier). I tried thawing them and unrolling them into the desired rectangles, but that didn't work. I tried smooshing them into the tart pans, but that didn't produce those attractive folded-over corners, and they rose to such an extent that the egg filling overflowed out of the tins.

Although I gave up on using croissants, the puff pastry version produces attractive, freezer-friendly, savory breakfast treats that justify keeping four-inch tart pans on hand. If you don't have tart pans, just make them smaller and use a regular muffin tin. Unless, of course, you spot a good deal on four-inch tart pans at a thrift shop.

If you do not have tart pans, use a standard 12-cup muffin tin, and cut the puff pastry into nine squares. The action of the sour cream and the baking powder will cause the eggs to puff; be precise with those measurements.

Whisk the eggs, cup Parmesan, sour cream, baking powder, salt, pepper, garlic powder, hot sauce and spinach in a medium bowl until blended. (I found this easiest to do in a large Pyrex measuring cup with a lip for easy pouring.)

Divide the bacon evenly between the tart pans. Carefully pour the filling into the pans. Sprinkle 1 tablespoon Parmesan cheese on each tart, then gently and loosely fold the four corner points over the filling.

Bake for 25 minutes, until the pastry is browned and the eggs are puffy. Cool for at least 10 minutes before removing from the pans. At this point, you may serve immediately or refrigerate in a covered container up to four days. These also freeze well, individually wrapped in plastic wrap, for up to two months.

The Frownie, as much as I have been able to learn, was dreamed up about three years ago to drum up business at the 40 year-old restaurant chain, which had been flagging in recent times. Thanks to Smith Brothers Advertising, who make the likes of other Pittsburgh-area brands like Heinz Tomato Ketchup sexy, the Frownie has caught on.

2. Melt the butter and chocolate together in a 2-quart saucepan over low heat, stirring constantly with a wooden spoon, since one cannot imagine Miss Hepburn using anything else. Remove the pan from the heat and stir in the sugar. Add the eggs and vanilla and stir to make a smooth batter. Add the walnuts, flour, and salt; stir until incorporated. Pour batter into the baking pan and spread evenly. Bake until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean, 40-45 minutes. Let cool on a rack. Remove from pan and cut into nine squares.

3. Mix the powdered sugar and water in a small bowl, making a smooth, thick icing. Place icing into a piping bag fitted with a fine, plain tip, or place in a zip-lock bag, cutting a very small amount off one of the bottom corners with scissors. Pipe two blank, disappointed-looking eyes and a frown onto each brownie. Serve.

Downtown New Haven is the neighborhood located in the heart of the city of New Haven, Connecticut. It is made up of the original nine squares laid out in 1638 to form New Haven, including the New Haven Green, and the immediate surrounding central business district, as well as a significant portion of the Yale University campus. The area includes many restaurants, cafes, theaters and stores. Downtown is bordered by Wooster Square to the east, Long Wharf to the southeast, the Hill neighborhood to the south, the Dwight neighborhood to the west, the Dixwell neighborhood to the northwest, the Prospect Hill area to the north, and East Rock to the northeast.

Downtown New Haven is one of the most residential downtown areas in the United States, with nearly 7,000 inhabitants.[1] The expansion of housing options in recent years has helped support downtown businesses and has brought about a surge in economic activity.[2] Secondary streets and areas at the periphery of the neighborhood that once contained vacant storefronts are now almost entirely leased to restaurants and retailers, and the office vacancy rate has dramatically fallen as well.

Downtown New Haven is divided into several independent sections centered on the New Haven Green. This basic structure is a remnant of the 1638 New Haven Plan. The main campus of Yale University, which is located to the north and west of the Green, is sometimes considered distinct from but intermingled with Downtown.

The area is largely coterminous with the Chapel Street Historic District. Notable buildings include the Hotel Taft and the Chapel Square Mall. The Yale University Art Gallery and Yale Center for British Art are also located here.

The Broadway area is a commercial center that has since the 1990s been bought piece-by-piece by Yale University and redeveloped into The Shops at Yale shopping district. This section was previously notable as home of the Yankee Doodle Coffee Shop and Cutlers Records.

The Whitney Avenue corridor, north of the New Haven Green, contains shops and eateries that are primarily owned by Yale University and cater to its student population. This area serves as a center for New Haven's East Asian community, with several restaurants and grocery stores catering to this population and an annual Chinese New Year festival parading up Whitney Avenue.

Sharpen your golf-stroke mechanics or work on your hook with a PGA head pro at this Brookline course, which offers instruction for all player levels, as well as clinics and junior programs. Constructed in 1933, the course was renovated six years ago to enhance the quality of play and provide new obstacles (check out the water hazards and sand traps). Bonus points for custom golf-club fittings and a restaurant that serves three squares a day.

Easily accessible by the Red Line and only nine holes (including two par 5s), this course is ideal for a quick weekday outing to destress and unwind. It wraps around Fresh Pond in Cambridge, which means water comes into play on four of the holes, and even hosts tournaments throughout the summer should you want to get in on a little friendly competition.

Located just eight miles north of the city, this course, established in 1994, is open to the public and spans 1,125 yards. Neighboring Unicorn Golf Course, under the same management, is popularly for those who just want to get in nine holes. The length of the course provides golfers, of all abilities, challenges and play suitable for their level.

Many Americans dread pooping in public, especially if other people are lingering outside the stall. When asked how they feel about it, most people say they feel either very (32%) or somewhat (29%) uncomfortable pooping in a public bathroom stall when other people are also in the bathroom. Women (40%) are far more likely than men (24%) to say they feel very uncomfortable.

There is a great deal of variation in the cleanliness of public bathrooms, and many people don't want to take their chances when it comes to sitting on a potentially dirty toilet. While most Americans (63%) say they usually sit when using a public toilet, half of people who do so say they first line the seat with toilet paper. One in five (21%) say they squat over public toilets and 9% say they never use them.

Public bathrooms can offer a range of amenities and most Americans would like to see them expanded. The vast majority of people (81%) support having infant-changing tables in both the men's and women's bathrooms. Most Americans (56%) also believe that feminine-hygiene products (such as tampons or pads) should be provided for free in public bathrooms. Women (60%) are more likely than men (52%) to favor this.

Another piece of evidence demonstrating that women have longer waits is the finding that women (46%) are more likely than men (39%) to say they've used a bathroom designated for the other gender when there was a line for their own.

Restroom reasoning: While toilets tend to be the main attraction, public bathrooms serve a variety of purposes for their patrons. A majority of people (59%) say one reason they often enter is to wash their hands. One in five (19%) frequently go to the bathroom to check or touch up their appearance, and 44% say they do this at least on occasion (women are more likely to use the bathroom for this purpose than men). Other purposes for which people say they use public bathrooms at least on rare occasions include having a moment of quiet alone time, getting out of an awkward or uncomfortable situation, or chatting privately with friends. Very few say they often use the bathroom to use drugs (7%) or have sex (6%).

What are Americans' nighttime potty patterns? On this, there is more fluctuation. One in five (20%) say they always get up at least once to use the bathroom at night, 20% say they often do, 31% say they sometimes do, and 30% say they rarely or never do.

More people prefer to fold toilet paper into squares before wiping (44%) than prefer wadding it up into a ball (22%). While 70% of Americans say that when they're at home and use the last piece of toilet paper, they always immediately replace it with a new roll, just 6% say they rarely or never do. By 57% to 14%, Americans prefer toilet paper to be hung so that the next sheet comes over, rather than under the roll; 24% say they have no preference.

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