Yes, I'm leery of going there just yet after reading reviews about the mediocre food and service/wait times. I'd like somewhere where I can make a reservation. It does look like a fun place to go for drinks - I know they are new so hopefully they can work out some of the kinks

Mazorca, hands down

Whalley's wild, both drivers and pedestrians are very negligent. Drivers are always speeding (I blame the lights being out of sync and therefore taking forever to drive through it at the posted speed limit), and pedestrians just don't give a damn and jaywalk even though it's a five-lane avenue (probably because it takes forever for the pedestrian signal to turn on).

Neither is near any shopping!

what about union league? that's almost right across the street from the yale art gallery. some accuse it of being a little stodgy but i've never had anything but a truly lovely meal there. doesn't hit the trendy notes, but it's definitely posh as hell (though, you know, the prices can be too).

I recommend Pacifico. Zinc is a step above. You’ll do very well with both. And, most definitely, make a reservation to sit at the bar at Ordinary when your day is done. Best cocktails in the city—possibly in the state. Stick with what I’m suggesting!

Deep procrastinating right now and did a bit of digging. Per this Connecticut Evening Post Annual from 1885, Charles L. Mitchell, the son of Edward A. Mitchell, lived at an estate called "Fernhurst," which had been in his family for three generations. Googling the name of the estate on Google came up with this stereograph from the NYPL, which looks to be taken from the lawn of the same building. You can see the right side of the photograph matches up with what's in the stereograph.

That's as far as I think it can be taken without the help of the New Haven Museum as other commenters have stated. Still doesn't answer where in New Haven this is, but there's some more info for you if you're looking to dig further.

Avoid it.

From what I hear, the place 2 be doesn’t have the best food, but they meet all your other criteria.

I'd say between pretty good and excellent would be preferable- how about very good?

The house style is Second Empire, which was fashionable in the 1860s to 1870s. According to the 1869 Price & Lee City Directory, there was an Edward A. Mitchell who was quite rich (see p. 47), earning $30,273, or about $661,000 in 2023 dollars. His home (see p. 633) is listed as 133 Wooster St. But Wooster Square was already quite built up by then, so I doubt the pictured house is at that address. The 1886 Sanborn map shows a very different (and smaller) building shape at 133 Wooster.

I don't feel like doing more digging tonight, but those are both pretty solid reference materials I linked to, if you want to do more research on your own. You could also reach out to the New Haven Museum. Best of luck!

Update: He's buried in Evergreen Cemetery, which is on the western side of the city. There were/are a lot of grand homes near Edgewood Park, so this home may have been out that way.

Update: He died in his country home, Fernhurst, identified by /u/whathuhwhatwhen. Fernhurst was in East Haven.

Update: success! I followed up on /u/tigerraaaaandy's lead that the home was owned by Frank Kimberly as of 1902, who was having steam heating installed for the home and 7 greenhouses. Further, that Frank Kimberly owned a home on the corner of Townsend and Munn (directory entry). I looked up the 1911 Atlas of New Haven, and at that corner, you can see the outline of a large home, as well as 7 outbuildings that could well be greenhouses. The property is marked as belonging to Frank H. Kimberly. Munn St has since been renamed as a continuation of Fort Hale Road, and Hall St has been added, so it's a little hard to say precisely where it was. There are no homes remotely like this photo on Townsend in the vicinity of Fort Hale Road or Hall Street, so I conclude that the home was there, but no longer exists.

Update: and for the curious, while that area is now the East Shore neighborhood of New Haven, in 1876 it was part of East Haven. When East Haven could no longer afford to maintain the bridge that's where the Rte. 1 bridge over the Quinnipiac is today (and that Charles Mitchell helped oversee its funding and construction), East Haven sold off land east of the Quinnipiac to New Haven to pay its debts. That's why Morris Cove, East Shore, the Annex, Fair Haven Heights, and Quinnipiac Meadows are now part of New Haven.

Love the new Vivas! The old Vivas literally put American cheese on the nachos.

Sort of fancy Mexican fusion. Good food, but not a traditional Mexican restaurant.

I don't understand the attraction. Everything is swimming in cheese and sauce. It's not very Mexican.

Mazorca is our jam. Probably my favorite Mexican in the area. Tried Orale a couple times and didn't love it.

Heirloom

Shell & Bones or Fair Haven Oyster Co

I wondered too, did a search on the name and prospect st. Also considered hillhouse avenue but nothing came up. I wonder if the house is now gone, but let’s not think that yet.

Agree. Is it maybe one of the now-Yale buildings that’s on the upper part of Prospect Street?

Do you want excellent food, pretty good food, good enough food, or whatever food? Because this will help with recommendations.

Harvest or Atelier Florian

The OP was asking about availability on delivery apps and likes Mezcal. Camacho Garage seems like a good fit. Enjoy eating elsewhere though

I found it to be very underwhelming and extremely over priced. It’s a nice experience in terms of drinks and overall vibes, but I would hardly say it’s great Mexican food.

I think this house might be your house- it was the Townsend mansion : https://www.nhregister.com/news/article/New-Haven-s-historic-Townsend-mansion-property-16323868.php

Ayyyy