Carmen Anthony Fish House: A Classic Seafood Franchise in Wethersfield

Although Carmen Anthony has to compete for attention on the bustling Berlin Turnpike filled with a myriad of eateries, it holds its own thanks to a distinct local franchise flair. Headed by the corporate Carmen Anthony Restaurant Group, the eatery is a classic seafood and chophouse that cooks up delicious signature dishes using shrimps, oysters, prime beef, and more with other fiery ingredients to create unusual combinations. There are mildly flavored entrées for less intrepid eaters like the Chilean bass or the chunky yellowfin tuna. The stylish ambiance is further accentuated by contemporary décor, a mahogany bar, distinct wine lockers, and for guests preferring a more discreet dining experience, private dining rooms. And of important note: Carmen Anthony’s crab cakes and chowder are touted as the best in the city. Apart from Wetherfield, there is another branch in Woodbury that serves huge fresh Maine lobsters. A third one on Route 44 in Avon is a super stop for after work drinks on a balmy summer evening.

Carmen Anthony Fish House
1770 Berlin Turnpike
Wethersfield, CT 06109
(860) 529-7557
www.carmenanthony.com

Al Fresco’s Restaurant: You’re One of the Family

You may not know it, but your Italian grandma lives on Burnside Avenue. Al Fresco’s serves up rustic, robust Italian dishes in a bright, family-friendly dining room. The menu is pretty much like other budget Italian joints—pizza, grinders, calzones, and pasta dishes abound. But flavors are rich, nuanced, and surprising. You can taste the love in every bite, and portions are big enough to take home and keep you full for days. Al Fresco is open from 10 a.m. – 10 p.m. every day, and the full menu is available for takeout at C&E Pizza, which is attached to the restaurant. Delivery is to East Hartford and Manchester only. Online ordering is available.

Al Fresco’s Restaurant
1111 Burnside Avenue
East Hartford, CT 06108
(860) 528-4433
www.alfrescosrestaurant.com

DISH: Country Food, City Chic

This chic downtown eatery is a knockout reinvention of the former Sage-Allen department store building. The antique sidewalk clock still stands in the same spot, but inside, where moneyed matrons once bought white gloves, a hip crowd drinks rainbow margaritas, nibbles tuna tartare, and watches UConn basketball on a plasma screen above the bar.  The food is worthy of the soaring space-age decor; New Yorkers will say that you can’t find first-rate dining north of Greenwich, but DISH proves them wrong. Ingredients are fresh, simple, and locally-sourced, and coolly inventive combinations like surf-and-turf dumplings—tender, piping hot, perfectly crisp-edged little packages full of lobster and shredded beef tenderloin—will bowl you over. Flash like this is matched with consummate skill. Salmon Wellington is delicately browned across the buttery crust, leaving the salmon inside juicy and flavorful.  DISH is an excellent choice for every night out, offering a raw bar, chophouse fare, dessert bar, and an astounding drinks list. Open for lunch and dinner.

DISH
900 Main Street
Hartford, CT 06103
(860) 249-3474 ‎
www.dishbarandgrill.com

Carbone’s Ristorante: Old School Italian

There’s nothing like the real thing. Carbone’s offers the classic Italian dining experience imitated by chains like Maggiano’s or Bertucci’s—dark wood, plush curved banquettes, huge portions, and bustling family atmosphere. The Carbone family has been serving up specialties from their cookbook since 1961, and the food is definitely timeless; but that doesn’t mean it’s boring! Old favorites like Ravioli Pomodoro or Fettucini Carbonara are peerless, but dishes like the Mediterranean Spice Rubbed Tuna Fillet with roasted eggplant companata are playful, tasty, and in touch with the times. The wine list is extensive but perhaps a bit pricy for what’s on offer.  Carbone’s offers gift cards, catering, and event hosting. Reservations are recommended, especially on weekends.

Carbone’s Ristorante
588 Franklin Avenue
Hartford, CT 06114
(860) 296-9646
www.carbonesct.com

Vivo Seasonal Trattoria: A Taste of Napa in the East

Voted “Best New Restaurant” and “Best Hotel Dining” in its first year of business, Chef William Reardon’s Vivo, located in the Hartford Marriott Downtown, offers simple, fresh, and delicious Mediterranean cuisine, presented with signature Napa Valley verve. Vivo might be the closest you’ll get to a Northern California winery restaurant; huge windows, high ceilings, and sleek-yet-comfortable decor instantly transport you west, while day boat seafood, artisan cheeses, and scrumptious, unfussy dishes like braised osso bucco with chanterelles, classic risotto Milanese and burgundy demi reduction are perfectly balanced by a lovingly-curated wine list. You don’t need to get a babysitter, either; Vivo’s large, reasonably priced kids’ menu includes Nickelodeon-themed cups and dishes. This Zagat-rated stunner is open weekdays for breakfast, lunch, and dinner; on weekends, breakfast and dinner only.

Vivo Seasonal Trattoria
200 Columbus Boulevard
Hartford, CT 06103
(860) 760-2333
www.vivohartford.com

Vito’s By the Park: Relax Downtown With Traditional Italian

Complete with a spectacular view of Bushnell Park, Vito’s offers traditional upscale Italian dining. This is your oasis on the downtown scene—during the day, huge windows bathe you in sunlight, while after dark you have a front-row seat for Hartford’s buzzing nightlife.  (If you miss that park view during dinner, just turn your head; one wall of the restaurant is a scenic green mural.) Start relaxing with a succulent lettuce-and-berry salad with delicately balanced raspberry dressing, followed by juicy prosciutto-wrapped shrimp, cooked to perfection. Pizzas stand tall among the stiff local competition; the gigantic Chicago-style meat pizza (meatball, pepperoni, sausage, and bacon) might out-muscle the Windy City itself! Vito’s boasts an excellent raw bar, a detailed-yet-manageable wine list, and a generous happy hour from 4 – 8 p.m., Monday through Friday.

Vito’s By the Park
26 Trumbull Street
Hartford, CT 06103
(860) 244-2200
www.vitosct.com/park

Black-Eyed Sally's: Southern Fried in Hartford

If you’ve got a hankering for the old-fashioned comfort food of the American South, Black-Eyed Sally’s will scratch that itch. Opened in 1995, Black-Eyed Sally’s has two missions: great blues and great barbecue. Thankfully, they deliver on both. Regulars rave about the Memphis-style ribs, smoked dry and sauced just before serving. The fried chicken is also excellent, and the sides, including a sweet cornbread and cheesy grits, pull raves. For a special treat, order the spectacular burnt ends—the extra bits from a smoked brisket—chopped and sauced. They’re some of the best around, tender and toothsome with the crunch you’d expect as well. On the blues side of the bargain, Sally’s has been named one of the best blues clubs in America, regularly bringing in touring acts and showcasing local talent as well. If you’re thirsty, the bar offers a remarkably big beer selection. Altogether, this is one of the best tastes of the South you’re going to get North of the Mason-Dixon.

Black-Eyed Sally’s
350 Asylum Street
Hartford, CT 06103
(860) 278-7427
www.blackeyedsallys.com

Margaritas Mexican Restaurant: Simple Tex-Mex Fun

Margaritas’ cheese-heavy Tex-Mex fare is hardly an authentic experience; it can often resemble American comfort food with a spicy twist. But trust us, we’re not complaining. Cheap and yummy good times await you here. The colorful dining area buzzes with lunch hour workers, and the large bar draws a diverse Happy Hour crowd from 4 – 6 p.m. “Quick” lunches like the delicately-fried beef chimichanga are priced around $8, and the fresh, heaping tacos are excellent. Best of all, though, are the tangy, strong, enormous margaritas. Sip slowly, because at Happy Hour they’re only four bucks! Margaritas is open daily at 11:30 a.m., with dining until 10 p.m. on weekdays, and 11 p.m. Fridays and Saturdays, but the bar is open late—until 1 a.m. on weekdays, and 2 a.m. on Fridays and Saturdays.  Call ahead seating is available.

Margaritas Mexican Restaurant
350 Roberts Street
East Hartford, CT 06108
(860) 289-7212
www.margs.com

Bin 228 Winebar: Wine and Dine in Style

Wine bars are back in fashion, as more and more regions are producing excellent vintages and it’s easier and easier to get your hands on interesting bottles from around the world. With a relaxed but still upscale atmosphere, Hartford’s Bin 228 is an excellent location for wine drinkers to congregate.The décor is sleek and urban, with exposed brick walls and visible wine racks lending a stylish industrial charm to the bar. The wine is, naturally, the big attraction here, with a sizable list of bottles focusing on Italian wineries. The staff is intelligent about the offerings, and can help you pair your chosen wine with the small yet sophisticated menu of small plates (salads, bruschettas, and more) and paninis. Don’t eat here if you’re looking for a full stomach, as it’s mostly for accompaniment to the wine; but do make sure to come on Mondays, when all bottles on the wine list are half price. All in all, Bin 228 is a great spot for an intimate, romantic first date.

Bin 228 Winebar
228 Pearl Street
Hartford, CT 06103
(860) 244-9463
www.bin228winebar.com

Firebox Restaurant: Fine and Fresh Contemporary American Cuisine

“Farm to table” cooking is one of the hottest buzzwords going right now in the culinary world. Basically, it means keeping your menu consistent with what’s seasonally available in the area where you live—no shipping in ingredients from all over the world to fill out your menu. This has some negative connotations as wintertime menus can be a little constrained, but it also produces dishes that are bursting with freshness and flavor. Hartford’s Firebox Restaurant is one of the newest entries on the scene, but it’s carrying out its mission admirably. Executive Chef Sean Farrel is a master of contemporary American cuisine, dishing up great steaks, fresh seafood, awesome sides, and more. The décor is rustic and charming, and the restaurant hosts regular musical performances and special events in the back room. Some complain that waits for a table can be long, but that’s just more reason to make a reservation.

Firebox Restaurant
539 Broad Street
Hartford, CT 06106
(860) 246-1222
www.fireboxrestaurant.com

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