East Hartford-Windsor Locks, CT [Memorial Day Post]

It’s hard to resist using anthropomorphisms to sum up a city. As every Chicagoan knows, ours is the “City of the Big Shoulders.” Paris is always a beautiful woman, and that seems to fit her, too. I was somewhat surprised, however, that East Hartford, Connecticut, struck me instantly as the urban embodiment of a WWII vet.

For one thing, East Hartford is home to a number of factories that radiate post-war brawn. Pratt and Whitney is one of these. The Coca-Cola bottling plant is another.



Near the gate of the Pratt & Whitney plant is the sign for the now defunct Yankee Café.



I’m not sure what that says about the fan base of the New York team, but the Willow Inn, a tavern located down near the Coca-Cola plant, seems to be where the action is these days.



Apparently the Red Sox are the choice of the guys who drink at the Willow Inn. (Note the red cap at the peak of the roof line.) I didn’t check out the menu. Male or female, one can't be too careful. Among the first things a person learns upon moving to Connecticut is that one had better make the right choice of major league teams - the workplace could get mighty uncomfortable if one is on the "wrong" side when it comes to baseball. The rivalry is reflected in every local store's point-of-sale displays during baseball season. Here is one from the Whole Foods (!) in Glastonbury. (True to its PC nature, Whole Foods also includes the Mets. Apologies to Mets fans on the board, but there appears to be very little enthusiasm for your team in this state.)





Something besides drinking and baseball appears to be going on at Kahoots, where the parking lot was packed one recent Saturday afternoon, while the rest of the industrial corridor was closed up. I thought the building had a cool deco-era look, but I couldn’t help noticing the discomfort of the guys standing in front of the building when I pulled out my camera. It didn’t dawn on me until a couple of weeks later, when I saw the Rockville branch of the business, that Kahoots must be a strip club. I guess I’m just as glad I applied my rule of thumb regarding solo investigations and didn’t decide to look into the menu, or even into the front door.




Augie and Ray’s (since 1946) was founded by two WWII veterans-turned police officers, Augie Bria and Ray Hutt. This family-run business seems to be to East Hartford what Manny’s is to Chicago. All the local pols eat there. In fact, their breakfast sandwich, a combination ham, egg, peppers, and cheese is named for John Larson, East Hartford’s congressman.







Augie and Ray’s hot dog has been voted Best Hot Dog in Hartford. The “Auggie Doggie” is a split, steamed Grote and Weigel topped with coney island sauce. The sauce was not as savory as many I’ve tried, but tasted freshly made. To my palate, the best dog in Hartford is a bit bland, without the snap or garlic of a Vienna dog. Onions seem to be the only topping for most people who get the coney dog. Apparently I missed the house-made onion rings which are considered a special-no-compromise matter of honor. I'd like to go back to try a couple of their lunch specials.





The crowd at Augie and Ray’s could not be beat. I spent the better part of an afternoon talking with Frank DiGregorio, a gentleman of a certain age (81 to be exact) who is a Navy veteran, a former Budweiser beer truck driver, and a former member of the East Hartford Crusaders, a semi-pro football team. At one time a P.E. teacher with a knack for innovation, Mr. Di Gregorio was the first commissioner of the Special Olympics in Connecticut, and an advisor to the President’s Council on Physical Fitness. Remember all those laps and sit-ups you did once a year in grade school? I didn’t mention my resentment to Mr. DiGregorio, but I did note that he appeared to be a regular at Augie and Ray’s - he chatted with nearly everyone who came and went. Apparently his principles did not deter him from a lifetime of enjoying hot dogs, so I can be forgiving. Besides, everything Mr. Di Gregorio told me about his life convinced me that he personified East Hartford as well as any Navy Veteran. He grew up poor but well-fed during the Great Depression and learned what it meant to be part of a community that worked together. He served his country in World War II, and returned to a young family and hard work in a union town, where he devoted his evenings to getting recreational leagues through the park district. Later, in the 60’s and 70’s, he did the networking that raised money and awareness for the cause he believed in. By the time he left, I was in danger of turning in my LTH membership card; for, as Mr. Di Gregorio explained to me, “This food thing is all right, but the really big things going on are in the area of physical fitness.” (Come to think of it, I guess the huge crowd at Kahoots lends support to this conclusion.)



Mickey's Oceanic Grill (since 1953) is a clam shack in an unlikely location, near the confluence of the two major highways that intersect in Hartford. But that should not deter anyone from visiting. I thought I had made a real find late one night when, guided by my rather idiosynchratic Garmin GPS, I was deposited in front of Mickey D’s rather than onto 84 East, my route home. “Perhaps my GPS has an LTH setting that I have not yet discovered,” I thought to myself.





I returned to Mickey D’s a week later to have a basket of bay scallops breaded and fried to order with fresh watermelon on the side. My only disappointment was in learning that the place had already made it onto the Sterns’ short list. No matter, where else can one find a clam shack so far from the coast? Mickey's clam bellies are quite good, hand battered and crunchy, with loads of funky clammy luxury. I asked the woman at the counter whether anyone ever orders fried clams for breakfast. "You would be surprised," came the reply.

I lunched at Mickey's Oceanic Grill recently with LTH royalty. "HIs Eminence" dicksond and Mrs. dicksond were visiting to attend the graduation of their daughter. We shared some clams and had a great time of it. By their report, the crab bisque is better than the clam chowder.





Not far from East Hartford, just north of Bradley airport along the Connecticut River, is another factory town, Windsor Locks. The town was decked out in flags in early May. I wondered whether this might be connected to Memorial Day observances. One of the town’s most prominent buildings is the VFW Hall, which is the Grand Army of the Republic (Union Veterans of the Civil War) Memorial Building. This is also the site of memorials to those who lost their lives in each of our nation’s conflicts. The names of Steven Czyzniak and Walter Gorka on the WWII Memorial are a reminder of the Polish roots of many citizens in the Connecticut valley.





A short drive south of the Ahlstrom Paper factory, at the center of town, is Stella’s Charles-Ten Restaurant (since 1942). The menu offers Polish-American food. It’s hard to imagine a restaurant being founded in that year of the Second World War. I am certain there is a story to be uncovered there.





When I visited one day, there was a stone statue of a G.I. next to the front door. On my second visit to Charles-Ten. the G.I. statue was gone. I hope that is not a sign of things to come. Could Charles-Ten be one of those great old places that are now disappearing, as the original patrons become elderly and the families of the original owners decide to get out of the tavern and restaurant business? In considering this, I was cheered to look across the street to find what must have been a feature of the landscape when Windsor Locks' Union Veterans returned from the Civil War. The adjacent photos are of what I think is old lock system from Broad Brook, a nearby town. I found some young men fishing there. They told me they were from the local volunteer EMT corps.





East Hartford and the Connecticut River industrial corridor is still thriving, thanks to the lifelong hard work and public service of men and women like Frank DiGregorio, Augie Bria, and Ray Hutt and the personal sacrifice of men like Walter Gurka and Steven Czyzniak. It's good to remember this, and to honor them. And it is good to know that, like the young EMT fishing near the old lock, there are some who continue the tradition of service to all.

Augie and Ray’s
Since 1946
314 Main St.
East Hartford, CT
(860) 568-3770

Willow Inn Bar & Grill
421 Main St
East Hartford, CT 06118
(860) 568-9530

Mickey’s Oceanic Grill
Since 1953
119 Ptikin Street
East Hartford, CT
(860) 528-6644
Now Open Saturdays 11AM-5PM!

Stella’s Charles-Ten Restaurant
Since 1942
Polish-American Food
47 S Main St
Windsor Locks, CT
Dinner only
Mon-Thurs. 4PM-1 AM
Fridays 4PM - 2 AM
Closed Saturdays
Sunday 4PM-11:15 PM
(860) 623-7449‎

Josephine-

I'm enjoying your posts from Connecticut. I lived in New Britain for a couple of years but as a poor graduate student, I was not in a position to do much exploring. You're finding some fantastic stuff!

-Mary

Mary-

Thanks! I'm glad you are enjoying these posts. I'm having lots of fun doing them.

I have yet to visit New Britain, but apparently it is the home of the most recent wave of Polish Immigration. There is a Polish pizzeria there that I want to visit. I am also hoping to get to The New Britain Industrial Museum. Their two current exhibitions are Coffee Makers and Egg Beaters. Who knew?

http://www.nbim.org/index2.html

I finally made it back to Charles-Ten American-Polish Restaurant in Windsor Locks. It proved to be just as charming as my early reconnaissance suggested it might be. This is one of those old places that has been lovingly cared for by the same family over many years. Just now, I can't remember the details of the family story, but there was a good deal of memorabilia from the WWII service of the original owner.

Even on a weeknight, there was a steady stream of friendly locals stopping in for just one beer or a burger. In short, it was the sort of tavern where a lady can be comfortable and enjoy her dinner.



I spotted a jar of pickled eggs on the bar. Coupled with a stuffed pepper and a few saltines, this was the perfect starter.



The bartender said the most popular item on the menu is stuffed cabbage, which I ordered. It was a straight-up version with beef, and lots of garlic and black pepper. Next time, I might try the pierogies, though, as the tomato sauce was a bit too sweet for my taste.



This is one of the few worthwhile spots that is a short drive from Bradley Airport. I wouldn't try to find it without a GPS, though. The kitchen was very slow, which wasn't a problem for me, as I was there to soak up the atmosphere. I wonder what the wait would be like on a Friday evening when they are packed. I'd be willing to find out.

Josephine wrote:The bartender said the most popular item on the menu is stuffed cabbage, which I ordered. It was a straight-up version with beef, and lots of garlic and black pepper. Next time, I might try the pierogies, though, as the tomato sauce was a bit too sweet for my taste.

That's one beautiful stuffed cabbage. Growing up, my mom always made a very good stuffed cabbage (and still makes it occasionally these days). I'm sure it was a recipe handed down by one of my Jewish grandmothers of Eastern European descent. Her sauce was always somewhat on the sweet side too due to the use of brown sugar and raisins, and it was usually referred to as sweet and sour stuffed cabbage. Given the fact that you were at a Polish restaurant, I guess I'm not surprised that it sounds and looks similar to what I've seen at my family's holiday tables. While I typically do not like sweet tomato based sauces (especially when it comes to Italian food), I always enjoyed it with the stuffed cabbage. I wonder if I'd think differently if I hadn't grown up eating the stuffed cabbage that way.

Josephine wrote:Even on a weeknight, there was a steady stream of friendly locals stopping in for just one beer or a burger. In short, it was the sort of tavern where a lady can be comfortable and enjoy her dinner.

There is something so very inviting about Charles-Ten, if it was within 50-miles I stop for a burger and brew tonight.

Love the simplicity of the egg, saltines and stuffed pepper. When I was cutting my drinking teeth in Wisconsin there always seemed to be eggs, both hard boiled and pickled, along with a neighborhood butcher landjager behind the bar.

Enjoy,
Gary

Loved the pictures in your post and wanted you to know the soldier statue that used to be in front of Stella's Charles-Ten Restaurant has been inside all winter.

Josephine wrote:

Shack season has begun, and while I unfortunately did not have my co-pilot, this thread's author, with me on opening day, I remembered her mention of Mickey's right here.

Blue crab roll comes stuffed with crab meat piping hot outta the claw, dressed with a lime-kissed mayo dressing, a nice choice for the sandwich.



We are off to a good start.

-Nab

Nab,

You have my proxy to order as the spirit moves for the duration of clam shack season, However, I expect a full report.

Josephine

Whole belly clams at Mickey's last week were excellent, even if the bellies were smaller than last season. Unfortunately, they no longer serve watermelon, only mixed fruit cups at a much higher pricepoint.

Fir those traveling through Bradley Airport (BDL), there are limited food options in the terminal. The lunch spot of choice for locals appears to be Second Poquonock Giant Grinder Shop. I went with an Italian grinder and it was respectable, if not stunning. If I had had a bit more time, I might have tried their daily special, or their fried chicken. The pan-style pizza looked a bit tired. Chocolate chop cookies were just coming out of the oven, though.

In keeping with East Hartford's patriotic spirit, the Giant Grinder Shop's owners display the owners' certificates for a Bronze Star and a Purple Heart.

Giant Grinder Shop
75 Old Country Road
Windsor Locks, CT
860-623-9435
"located behind Bradley Bowl"
9AM-9PM

Bump.

I'm remembering this old post with its Memorial Day dedication, and I thought some others might enjoy it. I can add a bit of trivia re: Stella's Charles Ten Restaurant. It was apparently a favorite of Carl Yastrzemski; his picture and endorsement are featured there over the bar.

Also, Memorial Day weekend is the beginning of clam shack/lobster roll season and another occasion to be envious of tatterdemalion's superior dedication to discerning the best in class. Go get 'em, Nab!

Josephine wrote:Also, Memorial Day weekend is the beginning of clam shack/lobster roll season and another occasion to be envious of tatterdemalion's superior dedication to discerning the best in class. Go get 'em, Nab!

PIGMON might rightfully disagree, as I certainly missed the mark on an order of bellies at Kelly's in Revere, which were miraculously devoid of any flavour. But that was before Memorial Day weekend so we get a pass.



I'm hoping to sample many more North Shore-style roast beef sandwiches this season too. There's a million of em out there !


roast beef @ Kelly's

Kelly's Roast Beef
410 Revere Beach Blvd
Revere, MA

tatterdemalion wrote:

Josephine wrote:Also, Memorial Day weekend is the beginning of clam shack/lobster roll season and another occasion to be envious of tatterdemalion's superior dedication to discerning the best in class. Go get 'em, Nab!

PIGMON might rightfully disagree, as I certainly missed the mark on an order of bellies at Kelly's in Revere, which were miraculously devoid of any flavour. But that was before Memorial Day weekend so we get a pass.

Dedication is not measured in wins, it is measured in games played, my friend!

tatterdemalion wrote:I'm hoping to sample many more North Shore-style roast beef sandwiches this season too. There's a million of em out there !


roast beef @ Kelly's

Kelly's Roast Beef
410 Revere Beach Blvd
Revere, MA

Now this looks interesting! I had no idea about the North Shore-style beef sandwich and I demand a full report!