Fired up over Rizzuto's Wood-Fired Kitchen and Bar

I made a return trip to the latest addition to West Hartford's dining scene, Rizzuto's Wood-Fired Kitchen and Bar, located in the trendy brand-spankin' new Blue Back Square area. RRR and I had a delightful lunch there on our pre-move scout trip so I figured what better place to kick back on a Friday night?

Settling in at the salumi prep station I found myself eye to eye with a large round of mortadella fresh off the slicer. This meal was certainly starting off right!

"HELLLLLOOOOOOO LOOOOVVVVAAAAAHHHHHH!"

The restaurant was jam packed and there were groups of people seated around the Otto-style communal tables and lobbying for space at the marble topped bar. The noise level was a bit high, most likely due to the modern decor and high ceilings. More attention was paid to making this look like many New York wine bars/trattorias than to dining room acoustics.

I started my meal with the carpaccio of beef tenderloin with baby arugula. The dish was finished with a sprinkling of sesame seeds and a drizzle of olive oil. The beef was so thin it melted in my mouth with only the peppery bite of the arugula as a reminder.

For a main course, I just had to revisit the meatballs that RRR and I were so impressed with on our lunchtime visit, so I chose the meatballs with the house made fusilli. Now, I am not so convinced the fusilli was house made (as advertised) but it was perfectly cooked and the marinara sauce that accompanied it was so fresh, chunky and light. Quite pleasing to the palate!

As you know, I am a harsh critic of meatballs, and while the three large meatballs that came with my pasta weren't quite as good as the ones RRR and I had on our previous visit, they were still much better than I've had in most restaurants. They were finely ground with only the slightest hit of garlic.

And while I was busy people watching (as one often does when dining solo) I noticed the woman seated next to me had the "market fish" with large spears of grilled asparagus. I was tempted to ask her for a taste (all in the name of research of course) but I refrained. I also refrained from trying one of the many delightful looking desserts I saw coming out of the prep area. Next visit, I'll plan out my meal a little better to leave some room for dessert.

Overall, this was a quite impressive experience, especially when noting that this restaurant has been open for only about two and a half months. Service seemed to be fairly smooth and the dishes that I saw leave the kitchen were quite impressive. Atmosphere, quality food, good service and gentle prices? Sign me up!

NOTE: I took two meatballs home and had a hearty meal of a toasted meatball sandwich with a side of mesculn greens, beets and goat cheese. Nothing like having a great meal twice!

Max's Oyster Bar: First Stop on the West Hartford Culinary Tour

Mitch and I hit West Hartford hot spot Max's Oyster Bar last Friday night for dinner and cocktails. I must admit this is my second trip to Max's, the first being with RRR, Lynnie and Dan-O on a pre-move scout. I was too overwhelmed with a day of apartment and car shopping to blog, but I was determined to document what will be one of many visits to the premiere restaurant of my new hometown.

First of all, the cocktails are outstanding. Crisp, clean and smooth are words to describe the ones I've tasted and the upside of these potential D.U.I. makers is that I will eventually be living within walking distance of the restaurant. The white cosmopolitan (Absolut Citron, Cointreau, White Cranberry and Lime Juice) and the Maxarita (Sauza Hornitos, Chambord, Grand Manier, Lemon-Lime Juice) were delicious and I am eager to try Max's Bloody Oyster (complete with freshly shucked oyster)!

This outpost of Max's restaurant group centers around their raw bar. On my initial visit I enjoyed the Jonah crab cocktail but on this trip, while Mitch happily satisfied her oyster jones, I headed for the appetizers and enjoyed the Maryland crab cake with jicama slaw. The crab cake was fresh and flavorful and although the kitchen was a bit heavy handed on the remoulade the crab to breading ratio was spot on. The jicama provided a nice bit of crunch to the smooth sweetness of the crabmeat.

For my main I went decided to choose one of the fish selections of the day with my choice of sauce. The Alaskan halibut with shallot herb butter was the winner, mainly due to the plethora of salmon and tuna choices on the menu this particular evening.

With a choice of a side, I went with the "rustic pasta" aka mac n'cheese with goat cheese. It was as decadent and creamy as you are imagining. Not the best mac n'cheese I've ever had but that didn't stop me from cleaning my plate. The halibut had a great char on it and I actually left a bit due to my overindulgence in the mac n'cheese side. Plus I HAD to leave some room for dessert.

Upon our server's suggestion (and since I couldn't convince Mitch to go for the key lime pie), Mitch and I shared the Valrhona "Baked" Hot Chocolate. It was an almost custard-like souffle dish of warm chocolate with a side of vanilla bean ice cream which was almost as impressive as the chocolate. I was not impressed with the house made marshmallow accompanying the dessert, but then again I am eternally spoiled by City Bakery's homemade marshmallows... nothing will ever come close!

RRR and I also ate at Trumbull Kitchen during our pre-move scout, another restaurant in the Max group located in Hartford and I can tell you that I will be paying more visits to that location as well. And as an incredible parting gift from two of my beloved former co-workers, I received a gift certificate for a chef's tasting at Max Downtown also located in downtown Hartford. If I keep this up, I think "Max" should put me on the payroll!