The Inside Diner Tips - Downtown
Arch Street Tavern - Just after Cleveland first built the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, I got a call from an old friend, now a superstar pastor with a big following on national TV, who proposed a discreet meeting with a rock star with a gospel background, a good friend who might be among the next inducted. Unless, as music historians and clergy members had often complained, the vote was fixed. I had been music critic for The Plain Dealer. She suggested an out of the way tavern in a renovated steel factory. It was exactly like the Arch Street Tavern in Hartford, CT, where we had all started our careers. The whole place was perfectly fitted with high gloss oak furnishings and polished brass fixtures. Somebody said that part of the smelter had been converted to a pizza oven. I ordered for all of us. A local draught for me, sweet iced tea with lemon for my companions. The soup special, crab bisque to share, Chinese Chicken and Apple Gorgonzola salads for the ladies, the Heartbeat Burger with honey BBQ sauce and my favorite fried filet sandwich with potato chips for me. Smiling service. God bless rock and roll and the Arch Street Tavern.
85 Arch St., behind City Hall, Hartford
860-246-7610
Bin 228 - This is like a quick trip to a Vinoteca Toscana, a Northern Italian wine bar. Pork and broccoli rabe is a nice traditional pairing. Whet your appetite a little with the carpaccio. Or try the fig jam and prosciutto bruschetta. All small plates. Add lots of bread. Any of their reds by the glass are outstanding, or drink a bottle of Le Volte Super Tuscan. Don’t miss the latest compelling performance at Theaterworks across the street. You’ll agree with me on everything.
228 Pearl St, Hartford
860-244-9463
The Polytechnic ON20 - During my short career in international finance, when largesse often meant something the others couldn’t afford to eat, Marie Antoinette’s “Let them eat cake” elicited a knowing chuckle from those of us who regularly dined at one of the many temples of haute cuisine in the cities that counted, like New York’s Four Seasons and Lutèce, or Taillevent in Paris. Hartford has only one such place, The Polytechnic ON20. As they claim, the food is sensuous and passionately prepared. At a recent lunch: two amuse bouche, one preceding lunch, one before dessert; wild striped bass with a touch of seafood foam atop a layer of semi-seared skin, surrounded by roasted yellow heirloom cherry tomatoes; a seafood consommé with littlenecks, truffle brioche and enoki mushrooms. Absolutely pure ingredients, with an artful presentation of colors and tastes. I do feel a fin de siècle flutter as I enter the dining room. All good things must come to an end. The only remedy is to get there soon if you haven’t been, and often, as I do. Usually, lunch Tuesday or Thursday dinner every second or third Friday.
400 Columbus Blvd., Hartford
860-722-5161
Feng Asian Bistro and Bar - Lots of energy and glitz here, so I stop for showtime at the sushi bar where I can concentrate on the Nigiri Sushi, Sashimi and Maki. Top notch, perfect and fast, and they know that good sushi is as much about the rice as the fish. Ask for the Ankimo, monkfish liver, considered a chinmi (delicacy) in Japan. What do you think? Maybe the economy has forced many sushi bars to cut back on portions. Not here.
93 Asylum St., Hartford
860-549-3364
Max Downtown - Grab a big martini, you made the deal. Or maybe a Pappy Van Winkle on the rocks while you think about how you screwed up again and didn’t make the deal, but you’re glad you still have the liquidity. It’s happened to me once or twice but, to be honest, the liquid has always kept me in good spirits. You can always make a deal. Relax. Get a steak — the rib eye or NY strip with foie gras butter.
185 Asylum St., opposite XL Center, Hartford
860-522-2530
Salute - Growing up home-schooled in Greek classics, like Orpheus and Eurydice, and fundamentalist Christianity in Iowa, gave me a nose for lusty Italian cuisine. The crowd at Salute is usually young and hot. The food is hot, too, as in “not so hot” versus “tasty,” “luscious” or “x-rated.” The only issue I have with the place is when the weather gets hot, the hot crowd moves outside. I’m left alone with my Meatball Salad with homemade meatballs, cherry tomatoes and fresh mozzarella; my robust Shrimp fra Diablo over Linguine; or a lovely sweet potato. Spellbound Petite Sirah is ok with all. The owners created Hot Tomatoes back in the day, and have brought the same warm, welcoming spirit here.
100 Trumbull St., Hartford
860-899-1350
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The Inside Diner Tips - Bargains
Cosmos International - Go to the back and buy the Chicken Shish Kebab for $1.59 or the two-curry lunch for $4.99. While you wait, take in the sweet aroma of the many spices for sale or peruse the Hindi movie section.
770 Farmington Ave., West Hartford
860-232-6600
Churrascaria Brazil Grill - Hey Grouchos, they serve grilled meat by the pound here! For $7-$10lb, you’ll get a lot for your money. Mix up pork sausage, sirloin and skewered chicken hearts, inhale the rush of aromas, grab a frosty light beer and you’ll be happy as a Gaucho.
1996 Park St. at the city line, Hartford
860-523-5477
USS Chowder Pot IV - Hey people – a dozen fresh cherrystones, oysters or fried squid with hot peppers for $5-$7 at Happy Hour. Wash it down with a Sam Summer or a Bloody Mary with a jumbo shrimp in it.
165 Brainard Rd., Hartford
860-244-3311
The Nutshell Tavern - A Portuguese/ Irish Pub? Darts, Guinness, Vinho Verde, Bacalhau a Bras (codfish, shredded onions and potatoes and eggs) or try the pork and clams or a killer roast pork loin sandwich with onions on a fresh Portuguese roll. This food has a bold, full flavored taste that brings me back for celebrations or gray winter days. Had a great bottle of a new Vinho Verde with a Chorizo appetizer last Tuesday. Now featured on the Taste of Hartford route. They must be following me.
229 White St., Hartford
860-956-2836
Pho Boston Restaurant - Have the Shrimp Salad (Vietnamese cole slaw) for your appetizer. It’s enough for two. Load it up with the fish sauce dressing. Follow it with a steaming bowl of chicken pho, a whole quart with noodles, shoots and shredded chicken. ($6.95) Adventurous? Drink a Durian fruit shake. The smell is incredibly strong but regulars love it.
144 Shield St. Plaza, West Hartford
860-953-8678
Kien Oriental Market - Buy several bánh mi (Vietnamese grinders). Choose from pork or beef with cucumber, cilantro, pickled carrots, chili sauce and Thai Bird chilies. I like the beef warm and extra spicy. Eat one as soon as you get in your car. Try one of the drinks next to the counter that promise increased stamina down below. Let me know how they work.
1801 Park St., Hartford city line
860-236-7952
Vietnam Restaurant - I’ve been eating the #5 for 20 years. Shrimp, crab and roast pork soup with yellow noodles. No shortcuts here, chicken broth from real chickens. A meal in itself.
1131 New Britain Ave., Elmwood Center, West Hartford
860-236-7893
Primavera - This is a pretty much down home, good spirited Portuguese tavern where I go to sit at the bar to watch a soccer game with the guys or a baseball game by myself. Last time, when I looked lost, an Irish guy ordered all my food for me. A delicious roast pork sandwich on a fresh Portuguese roll is $3.00. A hefty portion of shrimp, clams and pork cubes is $13.95. Draughts around $3.00. Legendary chef Tony Vicente presides in the kitchen. Remember him from Primo’s Café?
271 Newington Ave., Hartford
860-953-7411
Coyote Flaco - Absolutely excellent Mexican fare at criminally low prices. Empanadas with beef, rice and beans and the spinach tortillas are a few things I regularly steal away in take-out wrappings and often eat on a bench at Beachland Park in Elmwood or in my car when it’s cold out. Too good to wait to take home.
635 New Britain Ave., Hartford
860-953-1299
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The Inside Diner Tips - Asian
Murasaki - Without a doubt, the best sushi bar in West Hartford. I slide in to the sushi bar and order the specials with a strong martini, no fluff to spoil the taste of the fine sliced fresh fish and rice. Four orders usually does it. Maybe some hot tea, too.
23 LaSalle Rd., West Hartford Center
860-236-7622
Hot Basil - The foodies don’t mind waiting in line to get in, so go early in the week before they make their plans. I’ve sampled everything from the traditional to the exotic in Thai foods here, and honestly can’t say what I like best. Order whatever moves you at the moment. Confirm your inspiration with a waitress. BYOB. Gruner Veltliner is especially good with veggie dishes.
565 New Park Ave., West Hartford
860-523-9554
East - West Grille - This spot has a few pan-Asian kitsch-deco pieces here and there, an extensive Asian fusion menu, cheers from Zagat and a beautiful owner born in Laos, brought up in Colorado and doing her art on New Park Ave., but as The Inside Diner I realize that I’m inside a diner. Best dishes here are the simplest. So I stick with the Pad Thai or Pad-Keemao (Drunken Noodles, maybe some sweet and sour soup before, and of all things a papaya smoothie or a vanilla milkshake).
526 New Park Ave., West Hartford
860-236-3287
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The Inside Diner Tips - Classics
Carbone's - Sometimes I sit in the stylish barroom and make a meal of the small plates, all around $5. I like penne con ricotta, ravioli pomodoro and eggplant rollatini. Then I splurge on a bottle of one of their great wines. Sometimes, if I’m really hungry, I’ll sit in a black leather booth and take my time with the seven-course Roman dinner, followed by cappuccino.
588 Franklin Ave., Hartford
860-296-9646
First & Last Tavern - Sit in the old section. Order the broccoli rabe and sausage appetizer, lots of focaccia and a glass of Chianti. Ask for the “Marty” (bartender special pizza), a Peroni on tap and you’re good to go. P.S. Take the glass home. It’s great glass.
939 Maple Ave., Hartford
860-956-6000
Costa Del Sol - Move into the corner of the tapas bar for the best view. Where can you get fresh grilled sardines from Portugal, raiser clams and jamon Iberico? Nowhere but here. Order a bottle of Alberino! Try chorizo, tortillas, buñuelos, croquetas and any other tapas on special. Say hello to the owner, Pepe, and have him select a bottle of Rijoa.
901 Wethersfield Ave., Hartford South End
860-296-1714
The Fernwood - How do you like the original-retro decor? Slide into a dimly-lit dark booth at the back of the dark dining room and order the super-cold Stella or house red ($4.95). Enjoy it for a few minutes, then order the fisherman’s special with fries or the liver and onions. Pea soup and clam chowder were both outstanding the other night. The apple pie, slightly tart, with thin-sliced apples and a perfect crust was the best I can remember. Always go in the back door. Remember when you leave, go out the same way you came in, but in the opposite direction.
1113 New Britain Ave., Elmwood Center, West Hartford
860-233-6662
Shish Kebab House of Afghanistan - Years ago in Kabul, on Chicken Street I believe, during a rapid spike in the American market, and with Hookah smoke wafting over the rug market, lovely young Najia, who seemed to know many of the dealers, with a coy smile, radiant as she lifted the face veil from her burqa, led me toward a display of their wares, and possibly her own, in a hidden back corner. I fell in love with her selection. But she disappeared. Who would have thought that I would find that same rug – I had grudgingly sold it during the 2008 plunge - at the Shish Kabob House of Afghanistan in West Hartford. They sell rugs, spices and have a Hookah room, all of which bring back visions of Najia, usually after one of their special infused vodka drinks like The Persian Princess or Blue Monk. Last week I followed them (yes, both) with pea soup and sautéed catfish with fragrant spicing, pumpkin puree and spinach rice. And, even though the nostalgia for Najia nags, causing my heart to sink, at SHA my taste buds swim and my global spirit flies. Simply put, I love the drinks, food, people and, occasionally a little Hookah.
36 LaSalle Rd., West Hartford Center
860-231-8400
Effie's Place - For breakfast, don’t look at the menu – have the Hungry John. It has everything you could possibly want and you don’t have to worry about food the rest of the day. My dinner favorite is a meatloaf - small, with a side of liver and onions —hold the mashed. It’s comfort food heaven.
91 Park Rd., West Hartford,
860-233-9653
Harry's Bishop Corner - Go on a Tuesday night around 7:30 when there’s no line. Order a bottle of $10 Cabernet or maybe a local white. Have a glass before you order that pizza. Don’t look at the whole menu; just order one of the 3 specials. Sip the wine and eat slowly until it sinks in completely. Don’t ever forget the complementary lemon ice. Give owner Kevin Plaut a round of applause. He’s right there in front of you in the kitchen.
732 North Main St., West Hartford
(Bishops Corner next to Big Y)
860-236-0400
O'Porto - Why, you may ask, am I here? Another bottle of Vinho Verde or an earthy red, many small plates of littlenecks, squid, or pulpo with a fresh Portuguese roll to soak up the garlic sauce with while I soak up the European scene or a soccer game. I am, after all, nothing if not a citizen of the world. What about you?
2074 Park St., Hartford,
860-233-3184
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The Inside Diner Tips - Contemporary
Arugula - A glass of the owner-selected house French artisanal white (Les Deux Tours) to start, a quartino of red with the Fattouh salad or Arugula flatbread with sweet onion marmalade, mozzarella and asiago is a quiet pleasure for me that brings back memories of that Provence café where my first love taught me some French. The owner there too, made sure the delicately prepared Mediterranean dishes were made right.
953 Farmington Ave., West Hartford Center,
860-561-4888
Bricco - I hear a lot of people saying, “I don’t have room for dessert. Love to have some but don’t have room.” Only one solution here: Start with dessert. Pastry chef Fran Marino is tops. I usually have a Hot Fudge Sundae (no kidding) or the Dessert Sampler, with a dry Sapphire in-and-out martini, then a small plate of pasta and a cappuccino, with the bartender’s recommendation of Grappa which I gingerly stir into the cappuccino. Try it. You’ll sleep well.
78 LaSalle Rd., West Hartford Center
860-233-0220
Besito - Lots of love coming out of this Mexican kitchen. I seldom get excited about the way food looks. But this is an exception. The rare combination of earthy colors and flavors like smoky citrus gets downright sensual. I’d steer you toward Salmon Manchamanteles, Enchiladas Suizas, Pescado Veracruzana or Tamales de Elote. Give them a few besitos for me on the way out. And something you’d probably love to know: the big, shaved-headed bartender, among several other mixaletic talents, can hold 12 wine glasses at once. Ask him to show you!
46 South Main St., Blue Back Square, West Hartford,
860-233-2500
Max's Oyster Bar - For once, don’t get the oysters. Get everything else. Often forgotten at an oyster bar are cherrystones and big, fat shrimp. A nice glass of crisp house-recommended white goes along well. I usually stand at the wall shelf, opposite the bar clingers, so I can watch the beautiful seafood plates and people delivered to the tables. It’s a usually boisterous, hip, high-roller scene where I head when I get my tax return. Oh, heck, somebody called me yesterday to say Max has “Buck a Shuck” oysters at Happy Hour. So take everything I said above with a grain of sand.
964 Farmington Ave., West Hartford Center
860-236-6299
Treva - When I went there last week, even though my pocket was half empty, I left more than half full. Here’s why. It was happy hour. My Hangar steak bruschetta ($2.00), Antipasti (Caciocavalalo, Parmigiano Reggiano, Prosciutto de Parma, Soppressata $4.00) and Treva Burger ($2.00), and full glass of decent house white made the tab $12 without tax and tip. The warm-spirited bartender, apparently sensitive to my financial state (did I really look destitute?) offered me a few tastes of bracing Grappa when I showed unusual interest in the shape of the bottles.
980 Farmington Ave., West Hartford Center
860-232-0407
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About The Inside Diner - The Inside Diner has traveled the world in his career, highly conscious of cuisines, ambience, and also their derivations — culinary, historical, contextual and so on and so forth. So if you hear rumors about who The Inside Diner really is, you may be right or you may be wrong. He doesn’t waste time commenting on poor restaurants, because he believes you can find them for yourself easily enough. He always eats alone and never makes reservations.
Rankings - The rankings are in random order. So the first is not necessarily number 1 and so on. Selections are based on what’s good, not on any trendy criteria.
Contact - You can contact The Inside Diner with questions, ideas or opinions by email: insidediner@webbooksct.com. He is always open to what you think and he will get back to you within 24 hours, or as soon as he can.
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