citybrunette's Profile
lobster lovin for yale mom?
I know it is not a restaurant, but if your visit will be July 24, The 34th Annual Milford Rotary Lobster Bake is really fun, lobster-filled event, just two towns over from New Haven. Milford is a great town full or friendly people, and the harbor area is very quaint. More info at: http://www.facebook.com/event.php?eid=132395480106209
On20/Polytechnic (Hartford) opening for dinner
Okay, it is official, they are open for cocktails and dinner on Friday nights starting tonight, the dinner is prix fixe $45, and there will be live jazz at 8 pm on the last Friday of each month.
If you have never been, it is worth every penny. Fantastic food, great views, and service unlike anywhere you have ever been (unless you were brought up in a palace with servants waiting on you). Here is the website: http://www.ontwenty.com/
What's so special about Elements Bistro? (West Hartford)
I can think of two things that make this place special - 1) there is no other fine/bistro dining in Elmwood and 2) Chef Michael Kelly (Azul, Sauce). I stll have dreams about the food at Azul.
Sauce, Glastonbury CT, Please say it is not true!
I was at Big Red for The Arts on Thursday night and Sauce had a table there. They were serving pasta with fantastic bolognese and to-die-for panna cotta. I met the new third-day-on-the-job chef (Michael Kelly has moved on to Elements Bistro in Elmwood) and the pastry chef. Nice folks, happy to be there showing off to a very foodie crowd.
Blue Pearl/New Haven?
I was there beginning of December and it was the same menu. Sadly, it was not very full for a Sautrday night, although we were there kind of early. Maybe its one of those places that doesnt get busy until after 8?
Cocoa - new restaurant in West Hartford Center
Went to Cocoa again last night, got there at almost 8 with no rez and had to wait 30 minutes for a table, the place was packed and the bar was SRO (mostly others waiting for tables). Got two martinis while we waited, they were perfect. We were seated in about 20 min. Our server, Michelle, was excellent and made educated recommendations. We split the crab cakes (perfect, lots of crab, and I could eat a whole bowl of just the rice noodle and seaweed (I think) salad that it was served with). I got the cod, the BF got the salmon. we both loved our meals. The cod was so good I briefly considered ordering it again for dessert, but instead we split the molten chocolate cake, which could have been more molten, but it was still moist and delicious. With a nice bottle of wine, martinis, the above plus two after dinner scotches and tip, total bill was $160. We left at 11 and the place was stil 75% full. We will be back.
Sidebar - we had tried to go to two other restaurants before this: the new Michael Kelly (former chef at Azul and then Sauce) place in Elmwood (Elements Bistro) and there was a 75 minute wait, and Rizutto's in Blue Back, where there was a 90 minute wait. Again, both bars SRO with patrons waiting for tables. It didn't look like there was a recession last night, that's for sure.
Options in downtown Hartford, CT?
Dish, Asylum Cafe, Mayor Mike's, The Tavern. Also, Morton's has a steak and seafood for two for $100, check their website for what it is really called.
Cooking Class/Dinner in or around Hartford
If you know anyone who is a member of The Hartford Club, they do cooking class once a month. It is not 2-10 people, it is about 50 people, but the chef (Leo Bushey, who opened Acqua in Vernon to much acclaim) does cook right in the room and the price ($50 pp?) does include wine. But you have to be a guest of a member to attend.
In this economy, for the right price, I bet there are restaurants who would come to your house and cook!
CT Local Duck Eggs?
CT Grown has a search engine for all the CT farmers who sell direct to consumer. There are three duck farms in CT, one in Shelton, Ledyard and Stonington. See
http://www.buyctgrown.com/search_map?filter0=Duck+Eggs&filter1=**ALL**&op2=250&filter2=06106
Max Downtown - Prix Fixe - Anyone gone yet?
This chowhounder has gone twice so far (Tues before Xmas (it was perfect after a hellish day shopping at the mall) and NY Eve (party of 12)) and will be going again this weekend. It is a great deal. Everyone at our table on NYE loved their meal. The entree alone is worth the $25. Don't know how they are able to keep this up (well, we did drink a lot of wine/cocktails and that is where they really rake it in).
Go, try it, I don't know anyone who has gone who hasn't felt they got more than the value for what they paid. AND if you park in Cityplace garage they will validate your parking, so don't give the old "there's nowhere to park for free" excuse.
j restaurant hartford?
It is the old Pizza Plus, they gutted the place and started over. Nice decor, I've eaten there only once and the food was good but not great. Grinders, pizza, and standard Italian fare with a few upscale dishes in the $26 range.
http://www.jrestaurantbar.com
Cocoa - new restaurant in West Hartford Center
Patrons of the old Puerto Villarta on Farmington Ave in WH Center will hardly recognize that address' new occupant, Cocoa Kitchen & Bar. With a name like that you would think there would be lots of chocolate or at least references thereof on the menu. However, if the word "cocoa" means "cozy" to you, then it is a suitable moniker.
The decor - both outside and in - reminds me of the restaurants in Park City UT, a mix of modern and rustic. There is a new wooden porch with lit pine trees in urns, multi-paned windows and french-style front doors. The space is carved into three rooms - the upper dining room, bar and lower dining rooms. Seating is a mix of tufted booths, banquettes and Eames-style bentwood chairs. Lovely lighting fixtures, although the two cozy booths under the barrel ceiling leading from the bar to the back dining room could do with their own sconces or pendants, as they are very dark - we asked for more candles so we could see our food.
Menu is modern American fare, with a nice mix of beef, fish, chicken, pasta, duck and lamb. Bar menu has burgers, mac & cheese, meatloaf and other comfort dishes. Interesting cocktail menu and a nice roundup of ports and single-malts on the dessert menu.
We started with the goat cheese and spinach ravioli and the goat cheese purse with mushrooms. The ravioli filling was tasty, but the pasta was a bit heavy and underdone, and both were overwhelmed by the garlic in the red sauce (I could have sworn the menu said served in brown butter sauce). The potato purse was supposed to encase a medallion of goat cheese but there was more potato than cheese. The outside was overdone and the inside potatoes were underdone. The mushroom sauce was delicious and there was a nice mix of cremini, porcini and oyster mushrooms.
For entrees we got the duck and the lamb. Both were cooked medium rare, tender and nicely plated. The lamb had an interesting garlic, salt and pepper crust that had a tasty crunch. It came with a mushroom risotto cake that I could eat ten of. The duck was good, also served with a potato cake and sauteed apples, but pales in comparison to the duck at FireBox.
We perused the dessert menu but due to overindulginces over the holidays we opted for a bourbon, a chai latte and the cookie plate for dessert. The cookie plate was plenty for two people, with 2 each biscotti, chocolate chunk, thumbprint cookies and one linzertorte. Had to settle for regular chai tea though, as the cappucino machine was on the fritz ("again" said our waiter - but they've been open only 2 weeks).
Apps were $8-13 and entrees were $19-28. Bar menu was less, maybe $13-20. Wine list looked decent, although we did the cab by the glass and it was nothing special. Service was good, and the place was more than half full by 7 pm, surprising for a Sunday night at a new spot that had such a quiet opening. Overall our experience was good and we will likely go back and give it another try soon.
Tea Shop in Hartford
The food is not bad, I've had dinner there only twice and both times was very nice, not jaw-dropping. Brunch on Sunday is fantastic. And I did confirm with a friend who was just there that they do serve loose tea to purchase and brew at home.
On20/Polytechnic (Hartford) opening for dinner
Rumor has it that the Poly (now known as On20) will be opening for dinner. Interesting, in this economy, but long overdue. They currently have a special for $25 tasting menu on Jan 9, in conjunction with Hartford Stage's new play. I think you have to have theater tix for that night to participate in the dinner, but it is a great play (one of the 10 best for 2007 in NYC and a nominee for 2008 Pulitzer).
Nothing on the restaurant website re dinner yet, but the Hartford Stage email specifically said "celebrating the start of their dinner service".
http://www.ontwenty.com/
Mystic dinner- Anthony J's vs Water St vs Bravo Bravo
Ditto on kelgia's responses, I would go to Bravo Bravo. Great service and menu and they make a nice martini. Always full or locals, which is a good sign in a touristy location. Most restaurants in the area rely on the come-and-go tourists, you have to be good to keep the locals coming.
Tea Shop in Hartford
Have you tried Tisane on Farmington Ave in the West End? They have a nice tea selection to drink "in" and I believe you can purchase loose tea as well.
Firebox Restaurant-Hartford: A review (long)
I've been meaning to try Firebox since it opened, and despite the raves from my neighbors, the reviews on this board kind of scared me off. However, I've now been three times since Nov 27 and I did not have one dissapointing meal or experience. The first visit was a Monday, when they serve only a prix fixe menu for $35. Worth every penny. We had an amuse bouche of crispy root veggie chips with garlic aioli, carrot soup with croutons, fish (can't remember! not sea bass, but close) with a brown rice cake and parsnip puree and a red wine reduction that I would bathe in if I could. And a lovely apple custard dessert, served in a martini glass.
Second visit was on a Saturday night. We had no reservations and the place was packed so we ate in the bar. We both started with butternut squash soup with lamb bacon. I had the lamb stew and he had the duck (delicious) with amazing lemon spaetzle. Brussel sprouts on the side. No one serves brussel sprouts! they were cooked perfectly. Drinks were good, great wine recommendations, nice jazz on the Muzak (classic, not smooth). Moved to the bar itself for scotch and had a great convo with the bartender, Chris, who told us about the live jazz on Wednesdays and live bluegrass on Sundays. Total bill inlcuding all of the above, two martinis and two glasses of wine, and tip, was $140.
Went back last Sunday for live bluegrass and burgers at the bar. Excellent service, great music, wine by the bottle half price. The bar was packed and the dining room was 3/4 full. On a Sunday. Burgers were cooked perfectly, lightly dressed greens were easily subbed for fries, and desserts (creme brulee) were excellent. Total bill including two martinis, 1 shared app, bottle of wine, two burgers, two desserts and tip was $110.
This is our new favorite place.
Also I should note that we are both former servers so we tip generously for good service, and we live within walking distance (you may have noticed we like our martinis and wine. And scotch).
Ramen in Hartford CT
I've never been to Japan. I haven't eaten instant ramen since I was a poor college student. But I know tasteless when I (don't) taste it, and my recent experience at Tanuki resulted in a $13 lunch that left me hungry. The presentation was very pretty, with the noodles bundled to one side of the dish and slices of vegetables arranged around the chicken and what I assume was a "fish cake" (looked and tasted like imitation crab), and I understand the exotic ingredients like lotus blossom, etc mean a higher price tag, but the broth tasted like water. And I don't mean it tasted like water compared to the sodium-fest that passes for broth in the instant ramen packages. I mean water. Cute place, tasteless food, rude staff, I will not be going back.
Tinker's Downtown Hartford
Update - They opened Thursday. I didn't find out until after I had already had dinner at Peppercorns down the street, but went in with a neighbor for a drink and to nose around. The staff was more than happy to give tours. The place was about half full at 9pm, many from the neighborhoods, and a fair number that were likely "friends of staff". About half the servers were from the West End Tinkers, probably since they know the menu (which is about 75% the same as West End) and definitely know the ropes. Smart move on the owners part. There is an upstairs bar and a few booths and bar tables, then downstairs there is another smaller bar as well as some more booths and lots of tables. The downstairs probably seats 70. Kind of an industrial look going on, with exposed brick, concrete floors, wire-cage lighting, an in-wall waterfall and saltwater fishtank (for display, not for eating), I didn't care for the lighting (ambiance, not fixtures, the fixtures were cool). The upstairs bar is the old one from the Muni ("The Municipal", which was next door to where this place is and was ripped out for a Dunkin Donuts). We sat at the bar but didn't eat, however, everything that was served to those around us smelled delicious and looked to be generous portions. Will go back for dinner sometime this week.
Lake Warramaug, CT?
Yes, it is still open. They were (favorably) reviewed in the Courant within the past 6 months, but of course the online archives don't go back that far... Reservations are a MUST.
Tinker's Downtown Hartford
I don't think they are moving, from their, um, charming, but de-lish West End spot. I think it's supposed to be a "branch office". But when, oh when? We be a-hankerin' for some fish-n-chips!
Are there Lobster rolls without Mayo?
Sally's Fish Camp in downtown Hartford has the traditional CT style with butter instead of mayo.
Hook & Ladder, Hartford
I live in the neighborhood and have been a couple of times. It is in the space formerly occupied by Keller's, and was the home (long ago) of the original Max On Main. They did a nice job with the space, put in a gas fireplace in the formerly dead space by the door and now it's a cozy place to sit. The food is basic burger & brew without the TGI-Friday/Ruby Tuesday anonymity. Chili is good (could be spicer and less sweet) and burgers are tasty and they have some great combinations, all named after fire companies. Prices are reasonable, and they even have a kids menu. Staff-wise they could use some training -- on my first visit we sat at the bar and had great service. On other visits service was just okay. One night was just plain deplorable: our waiter brought the completely wrong orders (then tried to tell me that mac & cheese was only available as a side until I showed it to him on the menu) then completely forgot we existed because he was so busy serving (and taking cig breaks) with his 20 friends who were seated at the tables around us. Three times I got up and asked the manager: could get another round, could we get dessert, could we get our check. No apologies were made for our AWOL waiter. We tipped accordingly, and have not seen him on subsequent visits.
I heard the owner telling another table that they were jam packed during their "get to know us" week, when they were offering all food at half-off and still getting their feet wet in the kitchen, and then biz died off subsequnt weeks. Could be cheapness (folks who went only because it was half off), or a lack of forgiveness for dealing with little kitchen glitches during the first week -- despite not paying full price!
There is free parking in the back (enter on John St. off of Buckingham) and they are open on Saturday and Sunday afternoons (not many places downtown are open then).
I hope this place succeeds. The South Downtown neighborhood needs a mix of dining, not just high-end dining and daytime-only delis.
Tinker's Downtown Hartford
So, there's been a banner up on Main St Hartford on a storefront across from the newly-remodeled library (gorgeous, go see if you haven't yet) that says "Tinker's Seafood, Coming Fall 2007". Anyone know what's up? Those of us that live in the 'hood are always looking for somewhere new to eat within walking distance...
Skappo in New Haven anyone?
My boyfriend and I went there last night, I had been wanting to try it ever since I read the review in the Courant about a year ago. We were shopping at Ikea and decided to "wing it" for dinner and see where we could get in with no reservations. We were driving down Crown, saw the sign and called for a rez while we hunted for a parking spot. The earliest we could get in was 8:30 (this was at 7-ish). So we went to Zinc for martinis and to wait it out. Skappo's is small (seats 32 tops) and when it is full it is very, very full. We were a bit put off at first by the communal seating (there is a 4-top and 2 deuces & the rest is communal) but everyone there was so congenial it was like being at a big family gathering. The food is small plates, Umbrian recipes, so don't go expecting chicken parm. We were disappointed that they were out of the rabbit, but they had an artichoke timbalio as one of the specials, as well as a delectable homemade linguini with squash. The meatballs with raisin sauce were excellent, as was the marscapone and arugula pesto crostini. Desserts are made by daughter Yvette, who waits table with brother Michael while brother Mark, and Mama Anna and Papa Tom are in the kitchen. We had one of Yvette's cakes for the day and the Salame di Cioccolato, which was divine. By coincidence it was Michael's birthday, as well as one other patron/friend, and Mama came out to mingle, say hi and cajole Marc into singing a song for his brother (his guitar hanging handily on the wall by the kitchen door). He has a lovely voice and sang two songs to much applause. Then one of the other patrons sang a made-up song about the meatballs and could they have the check please as they had to leave. It was an absolutely charming evening. As far as wine bar/small plate establishments go, Bin 228 in Hartford is more polished, but Skappo is more congenial. Would definitely go again. see menu at http://www.skappo.com/
Downtown Hartford for lunch on Sunday??
McKinnon's is always open on Sundays (corner of Trumbull & Asylum, right across from the CC). But you are right, very few restaurants are open on Sundays, even when there is a big event like the daytime UConn games, daytime hockey or even a parade (Vets Day Parade is always on a Sunday). There just aren't enough people downtown on a Sunday (yet).
Emperor at the Linden, Hartford - Anyone been?
When the building (circa 1890) was made into condos in the '80s, the restaurant space on the 1st floor was Spencers, quite the rockin' place, *everyone" went there. Then in the '90s Don King (not Mike Tyson) bought the space (not the whole building - there's something like 50 condos in it) and opened Corny T's with Corny. Corny T's lasted only about 6 months, then folded. The space sat vacant for 6 years or so til the current owners bought it for a song (maybe 2005?) and renovated the kitchen and prettied up the place. They also built a nightclub in the basement, complete with beds. It seems the nightclub is doing better than the restaurant, whenever I walk by there are a few people in the bar but not the dining room. I've heard they are on their third chef since opening a little over a year ago - not sure why. I ate there a couple times when it first opened and the food was very good (if a bit expensive) but the service was slow. Not sure what it's like now.
