A trip to Hartford, CT [Next slide...*CLICK*]

So I just got back from my latest trip to Hartford, CT. This was not my typical planned journey to see my family at the holidays. This visit was conceived around a job interview with one of my old employers, The Max Restaurant Group, who is opening a new hamburger/"gastro-pub" (the description is actually inadequate for those that know Max restaurants... they have their own feel) concept in West Hartford Center. While this trip was more fast paced than my usual tours to the area I grew up in I was more diligent about keeping my camera with me at all times so I came up with a pretty decent documentary of this trip and the culinary benefits of the Hartford area.

Saturday
Harry's Bishop's Corner

Harry's is a place I have discussed before at great length. It continues to impress me. It is almost always my first meal back and this was no exception. Josephine recently posted that she wasn't a fan of the uniformity of their crust. I, of course, have the utmost respect for her taste and informed reviews but, and this is purely a matter of preference, I love this about Harry's. The fact that their pie is uniformly thin, the ingredients are evenly distributed, and yet each slice still maintains its integrity (see below) is what separates the contenders from the pretenders in my book. The one change is that, per my father, we ordered caramelized onions rather than diced with the bacon pie. It was not overly sweet as I had feared and was very good but I'll stick with the regular.

Look no hands (well, one hand...)





Pure Pizza P0rn











Crust, Crust baby...



This would be overkill with most pies...







"Home has its advantages..."

One of the pleasures of being at my father's house is he has good taste in wine. While he doesn't live an extravagant life, sucking back Opus One or Château Lafite-Rothschild, nor do he and his bride drink Ripple and Thunderbird. My father likes big, bold, leggy reds (and who doesn't )

"Forget the big-screen... this is a Man Cave"







A proud parent













Carved hand hand painted bottled purchased at the vineyard the year it was released






Sunday
Pepe's Pizza

Even though I had excellent "New Haven" style pizza the night before, my former roommate had just taken a job with a company based in CT and was training back at their HQ. He happened to send me a text asking the eternal question, "Pepe's or Sally's?" while my plane was landing... life is timing isn't it? I have always been a fan of Pepe's for white (clam) and Sally's for red but, it being Sunday when we could meet in New Haven the choice was made for us... Sally's doesn't open until 5pm on Sunday and I had dinner plans... Turned out that it was a good call. Pepe's was firing on all cylinders and the red was better than usual.

Pepe's is, of course, known for its while clam pie. This is just crust, olive oil, oregano, grated cheese, chopped garlic, and fresh littleneck clams. Ordering mozzarella on it signifies you as a rookie. They are also adamant on using freshly shucked clams as opposed to canned clams; if fresh clams are not available then they will not serve the white clam pie. I have always had a deep respect for this philosophy. There are some things that are very hard to control when you sell pizza such as the temp in the kitchen or how long it takes to sell each batch of dough but, when your name and reputation are at stake, why take a chance on the things you can decide on... like the freshness of you main ingredients. When the waiter asks me if I need a menu at Pepe's, my typical answer is, "Clams in today?" Given that I wan introducing a Midwesterner not only to real New Haven pizza, but also clam pizza, it was good the answer was, "Yes!".... My reply: "2 Mediums... 1 Clam... 1 Red with Peperoni... One large bottle of Birch Beer...thankyouverymuch!" (Foxon Park soda is a southern CT specialty and a must have accompaniment with real New Haven pizza).

I should back up and say that we had pretty good timing between the first and second seating and only waited for 15 min. Those of us familiar with the Wooster Street pizza places had a good laugh at the couple who "drove all the way from Philly to wait in this crazy line" and expected the best pizza in the world "or else". It was pointed out that they were in a significantly shorter than usual line and were setting themselves up for disappointment if they expected to be eating shoulder to shoulder with seraphim. What could live up to those expectations?.... well... actually... I'm, guessing they didn't leave disappointed (though I can't confirm it as they were seated in a different section). The white was excellent as it always is when they have fresh clams and the red was way above Pepe's average. The reason to order peperoni on New Haven pizza is so the oil from the meat and cheese combine to form the "orange sauce" that coats everything in 100% pure delicious. The crust was thin, sturdy, and bubble free (which I like - the bubbles can create areas that are just plain 'ol burnt and bitter). A fine day to introduce someone to the joys of Wooster St.

The only Clam Pie in the world





This isn't Sally's?!?





Foxon Park




Ginza Sushi

After Pepe's at lunch I was, 1. Pizza'd out... 2. Needing something fairly light... 3. Pizza'd out!

Sushi was exactly what I was craving. My stepmother, Gene, has always said that Ginza Sushi in nearby Bloomfield, CT was her favorite local sushi. She has been in sales all of her adult life (her clients, employers, and staff might say even before that ... she is very good at what she does) has had plenty of sushi during business luncheons and knows her stuff. I have had good experiences at their sister (but more expensive) fusion restaurant in Hartford, Feng. Despite having eaten sushi all over the area, I had never been to Ginza for some reason so I was very eager to give it a go. We loaded up into the cold night for the short drive.

I was very pleased to see a number selections of unfiltered sake on the menu. I have really taken a liking to unfiltered sake even as my desire to drink alcohol in any form has decreased (on its own... I'm not sure why...). I started with a bottle (300ml) of Kuromatsu-Hakushika "Snow Beauty" Sake which I place about midway on the filter scale between clear and porridge. Good Stuff!



Our waiter tipped us off to some fresh o-toro sashimi offered as a special starter. They gave us a double portion for $2 less than listed price so it may have been offered due to some recognition of Gene by the waitstaff, I couldn't tell. There was some degree of smiling and winking involved... whatever.. it was goooood!

"O-Toro Sashimi"





My father, despite his love of nearly all form of rare red meat, is not a sushi fan so he ordered shrimp teriyaki. Normally this is a "eh" dish to me. No so here... Ginza really makes sure the hot kitchen pays as much attention as the sushi bar and teppan-yaki station.

Shrimp Teriyaki



Gene decided she wanted a hot dish as well on this cold night and went with a Chilean Sea Bass entree. I shrugged at first but reminded myself that this was a place she knew well and I didn't. The fish was certainly fresh and perfectly prepared. Even if it wasn't a temple of creativity it was a solid dish and executed on a much higher level than most sushi specialists.



I went with sushi. I was in the mood for the good 'ol boring spicy tuna. Good... not great. The rice was a bit over done but it is a spicy tuna, who am I to complain? My other roll was, however, very good. The "King Crab Crunch Roll" is described as "King crab, white tuna, and spicy tuna lightly panko fried served with a light Ponzu sauce". It was more reserved and composed than it sounds or looks. All the flavors worked well together and balanced nearly perfectly. The surprise highlight for me.





A lovely meal, solidly executed with a few fireworks and no real misses (spicy tuna was a bit below average on account of the rice but still pleasant to eat rather than just edible).

More to come...

Monday

My brother has has spent his adult life being an overachiever. This is not to say that people did not expect great things out of him but he has pretty much floored everyone by what he has accomplished. Of late, he has completed the transition from saving lives as a paramedic to saving lives as a newly minted Hartford Police Officer. It was fortunate and completely coincidental scheduling that he was moved from 3rd to 1st shift and had Monday and Tuesday off. So, as we dined on sushi on Sunday night, he slept off nearly two days of constant patrol (well he had 3 hours sleep on Saturday...) and we made plans to meet for lunch on Monday. My father suggested a new place in the Elmwood section of West Hartford called Elements Bistro. I had never heard of the place which isn't saying all that much given that I live 892 miles door to door. Styling is clean and simple if a little sterile.

Elements Bistro







With the caveat that I have only made this one visit, I like the intention of this place. They have their eye on the details. The menu is simple and fairly basic. On the other hand they take the time to make their potato chips seemingly to order along with the fries. I like to see this given that it would be so easy to phone it in and open a bag. Slaw is clearly hand cut and freshly dressed. It is the small touches that catch my eye. While the sandwiches here are not on par with say, The Brown Sack, they are sincerely trying.

I had grilled shrimp tacos and I think this was the best executed dish of the lunch (although my father put away his pulled pork before I could steal a bite... no matter, it isn't a barbecue place). The only seeming bad miss was my brother's corned beef sandwich (a Ruben minus the 1000 island dressing). He found the corned beef tough and just "edible". Not really what one wants in a sandwich.

Shrimp Tacos (homemade chips)





Pulled pork topped with fried onion & shredded cheese



Corned beef sandwich





All in all, decent bar food. Nothing exceptional but a solid value. We all noticed that Elements Bistro seemed popular with the retirement crowd, at least for lunch (my father pointed out that the interior decorator seemed to get his color palate from their clients hair... har har ). Hey you don't make it that far in life wasting money on bad food.

Next up for dinner... some of the best bar food in the area.

Sliders

I love good chicken wings. It is one of those things that I have a tangible yearning for when I can't get them. Try as I might, I haven't found anyplace in all of Chicago that makes wings that really knock me out. Like New Haven pizza and whole-belly fried clams, CT seems to make familiar foods with a unmistakable local twist. However, unlike the former items, not many people acknowledge that there is anything out of the ordinary about wings. I'm not even so sure what it is that is so different. I have cooked in a number of places in CT that make outstanding wings and I can't even put my finger on it. I suppose it may be a synergy of buying larger wings, twice or even triple frying, making sauces from scratch rather than a bottle, and even the oil. What ever it is, you can not mistake these wings after you try them.

Sliders makes the best in the area, bar none. I know some other places win polls and such but they are typically going on ancient momentum and not present day product. Sliders wins almost any head to head contest held these days. My order never changes... "A dozen 'hot & sweet', well done, side of hot". Perfect... every... single... time...

We met my brother's girlfriend and some of his police friends at the new Southington/Plantsville location. Ironically this new location is about 2 minuets from my old residence in CT. It is probably a good thing that it wasn't there yet as we nearly lived at the Plainville location and we couldn't simply stumble home.

"2 cops and a very pretty lady can't be wrong..."



OMFG that's good!



New Flavor: Chipotle & Honey... just meh...



Mikey! He LIKES IT!







Wednesday

Snow Storm










Max's Oyster Bar

Disclaimer: I worked for the Max Restaurant group in the Back of House two times. In 1999 at the flagship Max Downtown and in 2004 at Trumbull Kitchen. I was also in town to interview for a Front of House position for the upcoming Max Burger. Max's Oyster Bar (or simply "Oyster Bar") is one of the most successful and consistent outposts of the Max group. The Oyster Bar is obviously fish and shellfish based and is ideally suited to both it's location and clientele being comfortable as dressy fine dining or a good alternative for a after work drink if you don't want to stay in the city for those that live to the west. It has been a favorite of my family since the day it opened and any association we have with the management simply adds to the respect we have for the place rather than being the incentive for it.

Max's Oyster Bar Storefront



Following the whopper of a storm earlier in the day, we put the 4 wheel drive to good use and traveled the nearly empty roads to West Hartford Center. The staff was mostly different than when I was in to interview for the new location the day before which I was actually grateful for given that I was just in the mood for a quiet dinner. We were seated in on of the better tables in the house and brought the normal gratis marinated carrots.

Carrot snacks



Looking over the menu, my father and I both had the same idea and asked each other simultaneously if we wanted to split a order of fried whole-belly clams for a starter. The Oyster Bar always has a deft touch with fried seafood and these were no exception, following in the style of CT clam shacks rather than the Mass/Essex style which tends to have a heartier crust. The breading on these clams is extraordinarily light to the degree that you can barely comprehend that it can actually cling to the shellfish while maintaining a tangible crunch, but it does. Outstanding!

Fried whole-belly clams



My stepmother decided on the 3 course $24.95 Pre-Fix menu. This offers an outrageous value given that there is no discernible difference in the quality of the food versus the à la carte menu. It is simply a matter if the menu selections appeal. Gene started with the Costa Rican Cevichè followed by the Pan Roasted Cod with Vanilla-thyme essence.

Cevichè



I typically shy away from anything savory with the word "vanilla" in it but if anyone can get it right Scott Miller can. The saucing on the cod was excellent with the vanilla as the most cursory of background notes in the beurre blanc, as it should be. The temperature and seasoning on the fish was perfect.

Cod (Vanilla-thyme essence, whipped Yukon gold potatoes, brussel sprouts)



My father was in a shellfish mood and went with Mexican White jumbo shrimp in orange-tarragon butter, apple-potato hash, braised fennel & bacon.





I went with a special of slightly smoked and seared sturgeon with haricots verts, roasted tomato, whipped potatoes, and a brothy beurre blanc. This was expertly done. There was the slightest hint of smoke on the fish, noticeable but not cloying or overpowering. The seasoning and char were spot on. The kitchen hit the temp dead on with a sear outside and just a touch of warm, rare center inside. I was nearly miserable when I ate the last bite of this. This is the surgeon that goes fishing for other sturgeon!





Gene's Pre-Fix came with a dessert course and she selected all of our favorite Key Lime Tart with Blood orange sauce. 2 extra spoons were fortunately not considered a menu substitution!




Thursday

Abigails Grille


Abagail's Grill, née Pettibone’s Tavern, née Chart House, and née Pettibone’s Tavern (again) just reopened following a full remodel due to fire and water damage. On the way to another location (I never asked where we were heading) before the airport my father noticed that they appeared open for lunch and pulled a U-turn while mentioning that he had tried to get in for dinner twice but couldn't due to crowds. While walking us from the entrance the hostess asked if we wanted the bar or the dining room and I noticed the tables that were essentially in between, located in the expo area. I thought this was an excellent location to evaluate the newly opened (or at least newly managed and remodeled) kitchen.

Kitchen and bar






I drank a Shock Top Belgian style white ale that I didn't know at the time was Anheuser-Busch, Inc. product. In retrospect it makes sense as it lacked the depth of an actual Belgian ale.



The bread appeared to be baked in the Wood Stone oven. This is a commercial oven that uses a combined fuel. I didn't ask but it appeared that Abigail's uses a wood/gas combo. The bread was liberally doused in garlic-herb oil.





My father started with the traditional french-onion soup. The soup element was quite good but the cheese element was a few minuets from greatness... so close!



My father kept it light with an app order of crab cakes that were adequate but nothing special. The biggest problem was the lack of lump meat. I don't think a high-end restaurant should be selling peekytoe crab cake. I'd rather charge the difference in food cost and serve the better product, but that's just me.



I had good 'ol fish and chips. I had been thinking about this dish since Elements Bistro and I finally gave in. It was a good call. They did a very good version of the pub standard, much better than the crab cakes by comparison. The beer batter was light and crisp and not overly oily at all. Clearly homemade tartar sauce and above average fries (not fresh cut but the extra coating provided a satisfying crunch). It was a very good last dish before catching my plane back.






Overall, this was a great culinary trip. As always, it was great to see my family. They are ever accommodating with their time and patience what with hauling me back and forth to the airport, giving me a place to stay, and (most of all) putting up with the picture taking when they are just trying to eat! The level of food in the Hartford area is actually quite stunning when one considers that it is a small city and most of the cuisine in the area was no where near this level of execution 10 to 15 years ago. Keep in mind that all of this food was from just 7 meals in total and represents a small section of what is available in the area today. There are even a few meals that I did not document (such as bagels and very good red sauce Italian). Obviously I prefer the sheer diversity of the Chicago food scene but, given that signs point to my best chance to find work back in West Hartford, I can still sleep at night knowing I will still be able to eat very good indeed where ever I can find employment.

Wow, I wish we had had more time to try some of these places out. We were there (Newington) over Christmas but I got sick and spent Christmas and the next day in UCONN health center. Sort of ruined the whole trip.

I love white birch beer. I actually found a place near here that has birch beer, but it's colored like cola. Still tastes good, though.

Thanks for the pics and reviews. Maybe next time we're out there I'll manage to stay out of the hospital so we can enjoy some restaurants.

Stagger-

Thanks for the pix. It looks like the food at Abigail's is vastly improved from when it was Pettibone's. (Unless my memory is failing me there.)

You're very lucky to have a father who stocks his wine cellar so well!

aschie30 wrote:You're very lucky to have a father who stocks his wine cellar so well!

Indeed... However, of all the things I count myself as very lucky to have my father for... well... my father, his excellent wine cellar is pretty much near the bottom of the list!

Stagger, LTH-Hartford needs you!

Congratulations on your prospects. Max Restaurant Group is #1 as far as the denizens of Hartford are concerned. I learned about their foray into burgers at the recent "front of house" evening and panel discussion at RealArtways. Steve Abrams (Managing Partner at Max Restaurant Group) described the search for the perfect bun for their burgers in terms I could really relate to. I got the clear sense that this place is going to be great. And West Hartford needs a great gastro pub-burger place.

Regarding Harry's Bishop's Corner:

Stagger wrote:The fact that their pie is uniformly thin, the ingredients are evenly distributed, and yet each slice still maintains its integrity (see below) is what separates the contenders from the pretenders in my book.

Regarding Frank Pepe (New Haven)

Stagger wrote:The crust was thin, sturdy, and bubble free (which I like - the bubbles can create areas that are just plain 'ol burnt and bitter).

I appreciate your diplomatic response to my comments about Harry's crust. Let me clarify: I like Harry's Bishop's Corner quite a bit, but I am a bubble fan. Precisely where we part company on pizza crust is in the matter of bubbles. I love the burned and bitter spots I often find on a Pepe's pizza almost as much as I love the fresh clams. And I can vouch for your statement that they don't make clam pies when good fresh clams are not available. (I went by the Manchester location one evening to find a a sign on the door that read, "Sorry-No Clams Today.")

Stagger wrote:The level of food in the Hartford area is actually quite stunning when one considers that it is a small city and most of the cuisine in the area was no where near this level of execution 10 to 15 years ago. Keep in mind that all of this food was from just 7 meals in total and represents a small section of what is available in the area today. There are even a few meals that I did not document (such as bagels and very good red sauce Italian). Obviously I prefer the sheer diversity of the Chicago food scene but, given that signs point to my best chance to find work back in West Hartford, I can still sleep at night knowing I will still be able to eat very good indeed where ever I can find employment.

I agree that the Hartford area has a lot to offer food-wise. There is actually quite a diverse collection of cuisines available here. I've not had a chance to write them up, but over the past year, I've had Vietnamese pho, Portuguese bacalao, Korean bbq, Jamaican beef patties, Lebanese kebabs, Sicilian and Argentinian pastries, and a consistently great Reuben. I have plans to visit Peruvian, Colombian and Polish spots soon. I haven't found much in the way of Thai or Mexican cuisine, and I feel that coffee houses are a real weakness compared to Chicago or even Evanston. But otherwise, Hartford stacks up well. You will never go hungry here!