CT: There’s a new way to explore international highly rated restaurants in CT. No car needed.

In the mood to try some top rated Brazilian, Guatemalan, Vietnamese, Indian, Thai or other ethnic foods across the state, but don’t want to drive or don’t have a car?

Those with international tastes or curiosity can now hop aboard one of Connecticut’s rail lines and try that food within walking distance from select stations.

The just launched “CT Taste Train: Cultural Eats Along Connecticut’s Rail Line” is in service.

The taste train is a collaboration between Connecticut’s Department of Tourism and students at University of New Haven who designed the concept as part of a capstone class and saw it come to life.

It’s a milestone moment for the students who made the winning pitch in the university class and for their professor, Jan Jones, who is also head of the tourism and hospitality management department at UNH.

“To see the project go from an idea we handed over to the industry and really come to life was an experience for them,” Jones said.

The winning group wanted to highlight Connecticut’s ”vibrant culinary scene,” Jones said, and show there’s no need to go to New York City for superb ethnic food.

People can ride the train to get to the restaurants or get off at a stop for dinner or lunch while already travelling to a destination.

The winning group researched culturally rich restaurants from Stamford to Hartford within walking distance from train stations and created a Google map to get people there easily.

The assignment was to design a trail for their generation and the train was chosen to highlight publication transportation because many students don’t have cars.

“Connecticut has some of the best cuisine. We talked about how rich the variety of restaurants are in the state,” Jones said. “So this was to highlight you could experience these restaurants using public transportation.”

Students researched each restaurant on Google to be be sure they’re highly rated.

They started with 15 restaurants along the trail and the tourism department expanded it to 50, giving people multiple choices at various stations.

Anthony Zambro-Moran, a member of the winning team, said it was a “really exciting” project because they “got to create something for the real world.”

“It was fun,” he said. “Seeing it come in first was amazing.”

Recent graduate Mansi Patel, also in the class, said she loved being part of bringing diversity in dining to the forefront in Connecticut.

“I like to bring attention to hole in the wall, under represented restaurants,” she said, noting the project was so interesting that she, “developed a passion for tourism.”

Rachel Lenda, director of tourism for the Connecticut Office of Statewide Marketing & Tourism, said Jones came to her department proposing a project with students so they could get “real life experience.”

“The students presented some great ideas,  but the one we liked the most was to create a CT taste train,” Lenda said. She said it’s a great example of the state partnering with a university.

The finished product involves the Connecticut rail line, including Shoreline East.

Even though New Haven is famous for its pizza, those restaurants aren’t included on the list for that stop because they don’t meet the culturally diverse standard.

“They chose highly-rated fares that’s not typical American fare,” Lenda said.

The restaurants listed near the New Haven station are: Thai Time, SOMOS, Arepas, Skappo, Wow Tikka, Mr.  Cookbop.

Stops near Hartford’s Union Station include: PhoGo Express, Dhaba Wala, Banh Meee, and Salute.
Lenda said they liked that the students who built the trail are “next generation riders.”

“This generation loves to experience culture. They want to be in the community,” she said.

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