I have to thank Karin D. for pointing me in the direction of this place--it is a bit far for me to travel to all the time, but completely worth it if you're in the area.
Met Colleen for lunch at this little place and was so excited to give this place a go. The lovely man behind the counter was both charming and helpful and I trusted his judgement when building my combo sandwich, while Tom opted for the sopressata. We split the sandwiches, as is typical for us, and dived right in. The sopressata and a special italian cheese tasted absolutely amazing, nicely complimented by the light red pepper spread that they make in house; same with my combo, made with sopressata, ham and salami. Both grinders came out nicely warmed on a great bread and were quickly devoured. The sandwiches are a bit on the pricey side, but the top-shelf ingredients and special touches make it totally worth it. Colleen decided on sweets for her lunch, having two chocolate-dipped strawberries and a lobster tail. After Tom and I finished our sandwiches, we definitely couldn't fit dessert too, so we opted to get lobster tails and cannolis to go (the cannolis may not be in the case--that is because they make them FRESH while you are waiting! The lady behind the counter gave us a taste of the cannoli cream before we ordered ours--it is heavenly!) Even though I didn't have room for the lovely desserts, I had room for Italian Ice--strawberry for Colleen, lemon for me--at $1.50 for a small, the price is perfect for such a delicate treat.
I waited a few days to write this review so I could tell you about the cannolis and lobster tails that we brought home--ohhhh my goodness. I am glad I live far, else I would want to stop here way too often for these desserts. Trust me--they taste as amazing as they look!
This place is set back from the road and is easy to pass right by, so keep an eye out for it! There isn't a big sign that says the name, look for Strano's instead. Stop in next time you're in the area, you'll love it--the staff makes you feel right at home!
Thursday, May 17, 2012
Monday, May 7, 2012
5/5/12-First and Last Tavern, Middletown, CT
Prime location in downtown Middletown, make sure you bring some quarters for the meters! We decided to come here on this Saturday night to avoid the Cinco de Mayo crowd down the street and we had a nice dinner.
We were seated quickly and the host brought over their signature bread to start--I could just eat this and be happy, the spices on it are amazing. Our waitress wasn't friendly at all--it was early, so she wasn't super busy or anything like that. When she came over to the table, she didn't introduce herself, just mentioned that she'd bring some water and asked what we wanted to order--OK then, no specials or small talk, I guess. Right down to business, we ordered a pizza with meatball and bacon and the First and Last wings to share. The wings came out first--they are described as being tossed in garlic and Italian spices, but the wings have a dry rub on it and it is much much spicier than anticipated! We do enjoy hot and spicy, so we enjoyed the wings. The pizza came out shortly after that--I am glad we went with the meatball, it arrived piping hot and was so tasty (it made for great leftovers cold the next day!). Service was quick and we were out of there in no time. My big complaint is that they packaged the half leftover pizza in a paper bag--they can't spare a pizza box? Not the most convenient way to transport leftover pizza, but it made the trip home nonetheless. Great place to bring the family for standard Italian fare--the pizza is good too, just a bit pricey compared to your local pizza shop.
We were seated quickly and the host brought over their signature bread to start--I could just eat this and be happy, the spices on it are amazing. Our waitress wasn't friendly at all--it was early, so she wasn't super busy or anything like that. When she came over to the table, she didn't introduce herself, just mentioned that she'd bring some water and asked what we wanted to order--OK then, no specials or small talk, I guess. Right down to business, we ordered a pizza with meatball and bacon and the First and Last wings to share. The wings came out first--they are described as being tossed in garlic and Italian spices, but the wings have a dry rub on it and it is much much spicier than anticipated! We do enjoy hot and spicy, so we enjoyed the wings. The pizza came out shortly after that--I am glad we went with the meatball, it arrived piping hot and was so tasty (it made for great leftovers cold the next day!). Service was quick and we were out of there in no time. My big complaint is that they packaged the half leftover pizza in a paper bag--they can't spare a pizza box? Not the most convenient way to transport leftover pizza, but it made the trip home nonetheless. Great place to bring the family for standard Italian fare--the pizza is good too, just a bit pricey compared to your local pizza shop.
5/4/12-Crown and Hammer, Collinsville, CT
Out tonight for a little dinner celebration with Jill and Cory. They frequently come out this way and have been here before. This restaurant is located in a beautiful location, very close to the Farmington river trail, Nepaug state forest and reservoir, so it is a perfect place to stop in the area. A very historic section of Canton, this building is very deceiving from the outside--once you get inside, it is a nicely decorated space, successfully marrying old and new, giving it a comfortable feel. They offer call-ahead seating, which we took advantage of, and we were seated right away.
We went with an appetizer to start--Jill chose the JW's Nachos--holy mess on a plate! The chips were buried under a mountain of guacamole, cheese, chili and jalapenos--a very messy dish. Shortly thereafter, warm bread was brought out to share. Then came our entrees--Cory had a salad with grilled chicken, Jill had the fish and chips (nice large pieces of fish battered and fried--it looked good!), Tom had the Bison burger with lettuce and tomato (it is on the pub menu, which you have to ask for when dining in for dinner) and I had the Stuffed Chicken with spinach, VT cheddar cheese and apples with an apple cider reduction, served with mashed potatoes and house veggies. My dish was nicely presented and well-priced, with the cider reduction being the star of the meal.
A very nice meal--the service was pleasant and the food was timely and filling. Tom and I agree that if we were in the area, we'd stop by but we wouldn't go out of our way to get here. Overall, a lovely evening with friends!
We went with an appetizer to start--Jill chose the JW's Nachos--holy mess on a plate! The chips were buried under a mountain of guacamole, cheese, chili and jalapenos--a very messy dish. Shortly thereafter, warm bread was brought out to share. Then came our entrees--Cory had a salad with grilled chicken, Jill had the fish and chips (nice large pieces of fish battered and fried--it looked good!), Tom had the Bison burger with lettuce and tomato (it is on the pub menu, which you have to ask for when dining in for dinner) and I had the Stuffed Chicken with spinach, VT cheddar cheese and apples with an apple cider reduction, served with mashed potatoes and house veggies. My dish was nicely presented and well-priced, with the cider reduction being the star of the meal.
A very nice meal--the service was pleasant and the food was timely and filling. Tom and I agree that if we were in the area, we'd stop by but we wouldn't go out of our way to get here. Overall, a lovely evening with friends!
5/4/12-Arch Street Tavern, Hartford, CT
Came here for lunch with my clinical group to celebrate the last day of school EVER! I've never been here before but it was relatively easy to find with on and off street free parking (in Hartford? awesome!). Walking in, one of my classmates commented that it smelled like church--I wouldn't know, but it definitely has a worn and broken in feel to it--according to the website, the building was originally the Hartford Brick Carriage Factory, built in 1895, so yeah, it has some years on it. We sat at a big long wooden table in the middle of the restaurant and drinks all around were ordered--the Cabana for me--as we toasted to our final semester coming to an end.
The menu is a limited, no fuss, bar menu with the usual suspects--burgers, salads, sandwiches and wings. I went with the chicken caesar wrap--the waitress mentioned that it came with potato chips but for an additional $1.75, I could swap to french fries. For me, this was kinda off-putting, but I went with the fries so I could share with a classmate (they were nothing exciting, save your money and stick with the chips!). The wrap itself was good, especially because I asked to have mine with the cajun chicken to give it a little extra kick. Karolina had the buffalo chicken salad--at first glance, she was disappointed that the chicken just had a bit of buffalo sauce poured on it instead of the chicken being coated in it, but after a few bites, she said it was enjoyable. A cup of house chili, an apple gorgonzola salad and a burger were among some of the dishes ordered at the rest of our table, with no major complaints noted.
Overall, it was a nice lunch with the girls and a great way to end the semester, as this was one of the last times I'll see some of them--thanks for a great clinical experience! As a side note, considering the other choices that Hartford has to offer, and the fact that the food here just isn't that exciting, I'd go somewhere else first. This is more of a place to hang out at the bar after work and drink or to go hear some live music on the weekends, and there's nothing wrong with that.
The menu is a limited, no fuss, bar menu with the usual suspects--burgers, salads, sandwiches and wings. I went with the chicken caesar wrap--the waitress mentioned that it came with potato chips but for an additional $1.75, I could swap to french fries. For me, this was kinda off-putting, but I went with the fries so I could share with a classmate (they were nothing exciting, save your money and stick with the chips!). The wrap itself was good, especially because I asked to have mine with the cajun chicken to give it a little extra kick. Karolina had the buffalo chicken salad--at first glance, she was disappointed that the chicken just had a bit of buffalo sauce poured on it instead of the chicken being coated in it, but after a few bites, she said it was enjoyable. A cup of house chili, an apple gorgonzola salad and a burger were among some of the dishes ordered at the rest of our table, with no major complaints noted.
Overall, it was a nice lunch with the girls and a great way to end the semester, as this was one of the last times I'll see some of them--thanks for a great clinical experience! As a side note, considering the other choices that Hartford has to offer, and the fact that the food here just isn't that exciting, I'd go somewhere else first. This is more of a place to hang out at the bar after work and drink or to go hear some live music on the weekends, and there's nothing wrong with that.
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