Hartford Restaurant Round Up

So while I have been mainly cooking at home, I have been able to get out and about to sample some of the area restaurants. Here's a quick recap:

Barcelona: a tapas-style restaurant located in the heart of West Hartford center. How do I put this nicely? THIS RESTAURANT IS A JOKE. Subpar food, lots of attitude and NYC prices to boot. Late night (by late night I mean 10 o'clock!) the restaurant has a I-wanna-be-a-club-like atmosphere complete with beefy bouncers who are just hoping a fight will break out to save them from utter boredom. On my last visit on a Friday night, this neckless joke of a human being said to my friend who was finishing up a beer "drink up man...I'm about to take that bottle from you the minute you take that bottle away from your mouth". Puh-lease!

Max's Oyster Bar: also located in West Hartford Center, this restaurant offers fresh quality seafood. (Ed note: Read more of my review at this link) On the weekends the bar area becomes a haven for single divorcees from the surrounding burbs. A meat market atmosphere in a fish restaurant is a bit of irony, huh? Okay, perhaps in the Alanis Morrissette type of way. Oh yeah and the drinks are pretty darn good here.

Bricco: an Italian restaurant from Billy Grant, local culinary hero and owner of Grant's (see below). The outside dining area and bar area have a modern touch while the interior dining room feels a bit dated. While the decor might be dated, the food is fresh, modern and a delightful twist on standard Italian fare. Not cheap by any means but a solid dining option. I've only been here once and have heard mixed reviews from those who have been there more frequently, so the jury's still out on this one...

Grant's: pretty decent fare with a bustling al fresco dining area. You can get a bit of the suburban 'tude (see Barcelona review above) if you venture in late night (again, 'late-night' means around 9pm) but consistent food and highly touted desserts keep the crowds satisfied. Not sure if I think the desserts are THAT exceptional but I'll keep coming back to try them out.

The King & I: a funky little BYOB Thai restaurant located down Park Road. A good place for inexpensive high quality Thai with a lot of spice (the pad kee mow was on par with what I used to get in NYC). Basically it's a house transformed to a restaurant and a gem in the area. If you go, make sure to check out the bathroom. As my buddy BB says, "I think they are performing human sacrifices in there after hours"... I just think it looks like a bag tag sale threw up in there.

Plan B: pub grub in a casual setting. A la Counter, you can get a pretty decent burger here at a bit more reasonable price. The service is friendly and there is a small bar area. When dining there with RRR we were both very satisfied with our burgers; I especially enjoyed her Cubano burger: ground pork with bacon, cheddar cheese, mustard and pickles.

Trumbull Kitchen: great drinks and a well rounded menu located in Hartford. TK is part of the same restaurant group as Max's and I really enjoyed this place. I definitely am overdue for a return trip here. (more detailed review here).

Rizzuto's: a bit of an upscale Paparazzi meets your neighborhood NYC salumeria this modern noisy Italian is a great place to bring the family for dinner or to hang out with the girls. Not all of my gang up here like Rizzuto's as much as I do but for a new restaurant, it's definitely headed in the right direction. (more detailed review here).

Flatbread's: along the same lines as Rizzuto's although a bit more family oriented and casual. Great option for a nice lunch when in the Farmington area. (more detailed review here).