Very fancy restaurants tend to make me feel uncomfortable and provoke bad behavior in me, like imitating that scene from the Blues Brothers. Dish did not bring this out of me. When I showed up wearing jeans and a decidedly not fancy shirt, the restaurant staff were just as welcoming as if I arrived in an evening gown.
Months ago I read some review that said the decor was reminiscent of bondage.That was not really my impression, though it definitely felt industrial inside. There are chains hanging from the ceiling. There’s a water feature. Near the time we were getting ready to leave it sounded like karaoke had started on the other side of the restaurant. I don’t see karaoke listed on their website, so it may have just been a cover band.
To drink, I had sangria. You can not tell from the photo, but it was essentially a keg-sized glass. Continue reading 'Dish'»
Culturally, I am cupcake malnourished. I have yet to visit Magnolia, the famous cupcakery in NYC. Last year, when the Cupcake Truck came to Bushnell Park, I missed it entirely. But that does not mean that I try. My kitchen has several cupcake trays and I own one cupcake-specific cookbook. When it comes to baking, I have not learned the patience necessary to properly frost and decorate baked goods. By default, I’ve been on the mission to find the perfect cupcake. Much like my mission to find the perfect sangria and mojito, the process is more important than the actual outcome. Continue reading 'Cupcakes'»
With Valentine’s Day approaching, and with a close friend going on a top secret date which led to discussion about what makes for a great or horrible date, and with an acquaintance asking me last night what I like about Hartford, I write this report on what I think makes for a (nearly) perfect night out.
Before riding my bicycle to the Wadsworth Atheneum, I began by having an impromptu conversation with my neighbor and was then joined by another resident on the block. There was a fire in a nearby house early Thursday morning, so we were all updating each other and feeling grateful that nobody was injured.
Upon arriving at the museum, I had my choice of parking spots: an entirely empty bike rack that meant my walk from parking spot-to-front door was under thirty seconds. After stashing my helmet and jacket inside one of the museum’s lockers, I grazed from the snack table and listened to the dj. When he was there a few months ago, I did not care much for his musical choices, but he had selections from an entirely different genre this time. Friends and friends-of-friends trickled in; among them included Jude, who writes about the MATRIX exhibit far better than I could. When I first began visiting the museum in the 1990s, the MATRIX was among my favorite sections of the Wadsworth. Continue reading 'On Any Thursday'»
Breaking a long drought of not dining out, I decided to satisfy my curiosity about Tamarind Grill during Taste of Hartford Restaurant Week, an event I would find more enjoyable if there were more vegetarian options and/or if the $20.10 price felt worthwhile for the existing veggie options. Since meat-free meals are generally less expensive, restaurant week usually means getting less of a bargain. It’s not that these restaurants have nothing vegetarian on their menus — they do. But if the goal is to get new customers via the restaurant week, they should have no problem catering to what is a sizable portion of the population. If a self-described steakhouse does not want to do this, there’s no love lost, but most restaurants do not fall into this category. A small salad, pasta, and dessert cost far less than $20 to prepare. If most of the participating restaurants added a glass or wine or a hearty appetizer to the vegetarian option, I would call it fair. Continue reading 'Tamarind Grill vs. Restaurant Week'»
I think I’m going to have to sit this one out because of the timing.
Places I’ve been to on the list: Agave, bin 228, Carbone’s, City Steam, Feng, The Half Door, La Fonda, O’Porto, Tisane, USS Chowder Pot, and Wood-n-Tap. Of those, I think the one that offers the best bargain for restaurant week (as far as vegetarian fare is concerned) is Carbone’s.
Of the participating restaurants that I have not been to, the ones I’d most like to try: J Restaurant Bar and Vivo.
I have consistently heard that people need cars in Hartford. The lack of grocery stores in downtown is one reason cited for this claim. The lack of public transportation is also evidenced. Recently, in discussions about the Plan of Conservation and Development, this car “need” as been brought up as reason for why young urban professionals are hesitant to move downtown or come into the city for entertainment.
I live in one of Hartford’s neighborhoods. By someone’s definition, I am a young professional, though I despise that term. I do not have children. I am able-bodied, though have never been the type of person to “exercise.”
Since early October, I have been without a car. I have not starved to death, nor have I taken to wandering the streets naked (you’re welcome!).
Here is an explanation for how I have been able to meet my various needs and wants while living in Hartford without a car. Continue reading 'Car-Free in Hartford'»
November 6-8th will feature the All Saints Orthodox Church’s (on Scarborough Street) 36th Annual Russian Tea Room and Bazaar. The Yale Russian Chorus will kick off the weekend’s events with their performance on Friday evening. There will also be crafts, jewelery, and traditional Russian food.
Listen to the Yale Russian Choir perform”Dobriyvechir”
After a few days away, I returned to find obnoxious (but fairly routine) comments littering the Topix forum that one is routed to from the online Hartford Courant.
On my trip, I was thinking about civic pride and the need for community and cooperation between neighboring towns. I am not talking about these qualities on a political level, but on a personal level. There is community here, within the city, but it’s not something that gets much press. Crime and corruption are made public. Poverty and illiteracy are treated as mascots for my city.
What does not make the news are the minutiae.
One Friday night I gathered with a half dozen women to eat local pizza in the host’s dining room. We wolfed down three pizzas and laughed. Nobody got shot or stabbed.
Last week, I ventured with a friend and two of her children to Colt Park. We were hoping to catch a women’s rugby game. Though it seemed to be canceled, we picked up some delicious goodies from Modern Pastry, watched runners cross the finish line at the Hartford Marathon in Bushnell Park, and then headed to La Paloma Sabanera for an actual lunch. At the coffee house, we ran into more friends. Again, nobody got shot or stabbed.
Continue reading 'Words vs. Pictures'»
Asylum Hill, Barry Square, Behind the Rocks, Clay Arsenal, Frog Hollow, Hartford, Parkville, Regionalism, South End, West End, community, downtown, food, fun, myth busting, north end, not Hartford, parks, perception bias, photos, quality of life, south green, transportation
The West End Farmers’ Market will be offering a cup of free hot cider with every market purchase until the end of the season on October 30th. The cider is from local Rose’s Berry Farm.
The West End Farmers’ Market is open on Tuesdays and Fridays from 3:30-6:30 at the corner of South Whitney and Farmington.
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