DINNER THEATER FUN IS COMING TO CONSIGLIO'S

Ever feel like you could be a great Sherlock Holmes or one of television's master sleuths like on "C.S.I.," "Bones," "The Mentalist" or "Castle"?  Many of us love to dissect clues (not bodies) and evaluate alibis, get inside the head of the killer and discover who-dunnit.  Consiglio's Restaurant on Wooster Street in New Haven, known for fine Italian cuisine for over seventy-five years, is offering a plethora of opportunities to get out your magnifying glass and finger print kits to dust for evidence with a bevy of murder mystery and dinner events.

Just in time for Christmas, our favorite Detective Chester Hadlyme is dapper and chipper and eager to get on the case of "Something Elfy."  How could a mischievous elf cause someone to commit murder or be murdered himself?  Upcoming shows are Tuesday, December 16 at 7 p.m. and Thursday, December 18 at 7 p.m. and come complete with an outrageously delicious 3-course feast Italiano.  Interactive comedy is on the menu as the cast mixes and mingles at your table dropping napkins and clues for your investigative pleasure.

Ring those bells to signal the New Year 2015 and let Consiglio's and its magical master of ceremonies Michael Sayers help you usher out 2014 on New Year's Eve.  Starting promptly at 9 p.m. on Wednesday, December 31, the festivities will end at midnight with a champagne toast.  On the agenda is another mystery murder "That Kills Another Year!"  What happens when a trio of women all make a  date and discover it's all with the same man?  The results might be messy!

Your menu for the evening will feature a choice of five appetizers including spicy Tuscan shrimp, grilled jumbo shrimp over a bed of white beans simmered with tomato, garlic, onion and a hint of cayenne or Stuffed Mushrooms, with sausage, roasted red peppers, spinach, mozzarella cheese, drizzled with a garlic lemon butter sauce.  Out of the ten entrees, you might select New York Strip Steak Gorgonzola, an 8 oz. steak topped with sun-dried tomatoes and artichoke hearts in brandy gorgonzola sauce, served with herbed roasted potatoes or homemade Lobster Ravioli with Shrimp, ravioli stuffed with fresh lobster meat and ricotta, served with jumbo shrimp, tossed in a light plum tomato cream sauce.

For dessert, sink your taste buds into a choice of three:  Godiva Tiramisu, mascarpone, espresso and Godiva liquor soaked lady fingers, or Strawberry Napoleon, layers of fresh strawberries and whipped cream in flaky pastry or Chocolate Mousse Cake, a creamy and chocolatey confection with Oreo cookie crust.  Tickets ($65) include the show and 3-course meal, with beverage, tax and gratuity not included.

Start you January off to an exciting start by making a reservation for "Murder on the Menu" on Friday, January 23, 2015 when our trusty Detective Hadlyme tries to solve another mystery, with your help.  Millionaire Sir David Fairchild is celebrating a birthday but not all the guests on the invitation list want him to enjoy good health in the future.  Doors open at 6 p.m and the show starts at 7 p.m.  The 3-course dinner and show are $55.

For reservations to any of these special evenings, call Consiglio's Restaurant, 165 Wooster Street, New Haven at 203-865-4489 or online at www.consiglios.com.

If you haven't experienced the delicious joys of Consiglio's, seventy-six years of excellence in dining, now is a fine time to sign up for special treats as 2014 ends and 2015 begins.  Mangia!