Winter 2010 Taste Of Hartford Winners Receive Our Editorial Awards
Thu, 11 Mar 2010 15:57:13 +0000
by Frank Cohen

After an illuminating Winter 2010 Taste of Hartford that showcased some terrific restaurants, I made the rounds to distribute our editorial awards to winners. Presenting the awards was Sharon Sudusky of RestaurantsCT.com, allowing me to remain behind the camera where I belong. Garnering the most first-place awards with ten was J Restaurant/Bar, a relative newcomer that [...]

Westport Restaurant Week 7—Rizzuto’s Wood-Fired Kitchen & Bar
Wed, 10 Mar 2010 03:48:41 +0000
by Frank Cohen

The seventh Westport eatery I visited was Rizzuto’s Wood-Fired Kitchen & Bar, where my companion and I took an early lunch. The weather had become so nice that our thoughts turned toward the patio space. The main entrance foyer was attractive, but we wanted to check out the take-out entrance and the products that were available. We proceeded to the [...]

Westport Restaurant Week 6—Da Pietro’s
Mon, 08 Mar 2010 05:32:10 +0000
by Frank Cohen

The sixth Westport eatery I visited was the almost legendary Da Pietro’s. Namesake Pietro Scotti was very much in evidence. His good humor and scrupulous attention to detail manifest themselves in the comportment of his staff. Shown here are manager Mohamed Jder with his arm around server Claudio. My dining companion, Amy Torbert, and I were seated near [...]

Westport Restaurant Week 5—Tarantino Restaurant
Sun, 07 Mar 2010 23:40:17 +0000
by Frank Cohen

The fifth Westport eatery I visited was Tarantino Restaurant, a favorite of mine for years. I still have fond memories of my last visit, when I attended a truffle dinner that even included truffle ice cream. For those who don’t know, Tarantino is a sibling of Applausi Osteria in Old Greenwich and Columbus Park Trattoria in [...]

Westport Restaurant Week 4—Acqua Ristorante Mediterraneo
Sun, 07 Mar 2010 03:56:31 +0000
by Frank Cohen

The fourth Westport restaurant I visited was Acqua Ristorante Mediterraneo, which wore its Restaurant Week heart on its sleeve. Most restaurants I visited were good about posting Restaurant Week signs and making sure that the special menus were included among the materials left with diners when they were seated. My wife and I proceeded past the downstairs bar [...]

Westport Restaurant Week 3—Matsu Sushi
Fri, 05 Mar 2010 05:49:12 +0000
by Frank Cohen

My third Westport Restaurant Week visit found me taking lunch at Matsu Sushi. A beautiful sunny day, lately the exception rather than the rule, highlighted this view of the Saugatuck River being flooded by a rising tide. At Matsu Sushi, a warm welcome is guaranteed whoever is manning the phone or hostess station. Arriving on the early end, [...]

Carbone’s, Hartford–Classic, Timeless… And The “Roman Dinner” Is Back!
Wed, 03 Mar 2010 17:25:01 +0000
by Bob DeZinno, Publisher

I received an e-mail blast from Carbone’s on Friday announcing the return of their once-famous “Seven Course Roman Dinner.” It was a mainstay at Carbone’s for years, when the Carl Carbone/Gaetano Carbone generation was at the helm… and now Vincent Carbone has decided to bring it back. I had promised Chef Noel Jones of Hartford’s Polytechnic [...]

Westport Restaurant Week 2—Tavern On Main
Wed, 03 Mar 2010 05:30:44 +0000
by Frank Cohen

The second Westport restaurant we visited was handsome and historic Tavern on Main. I have always found its bar area warm and welcoming. But I usually wind up in the attractive dining room that faces onto the street, with its fireplace, its mantle, and its photograph of the building from the 1950s. My dining companion was my friend Martha, who forgave my [...]

Westport Restaurant Week 1—Bombay Bar & Grill
Tue, 02 Mar 2010 04:17:20 +0000
by Frank Cohen

We decided to cover the first edition of Westport Restaurant Week, because of the quality and diversity of participating restaurants. In the 2009/10 edition of the Zagat Survey, Westport boasts sixteen restaurants that scored 20 out of 30 or higher for food, topping off with Da Pietro’s 26. These numbers are impressive for a town [...]

Geronimo Hosts Veuve Clicquot Champagne Dinner
Fri, 26 Feb 2010 20:18:56 +0000
by Frank Cohen

In late January, I was fortunate enough to attend a Veuve Clicquot Champagne Dinner at Geronimo Tequila Bar & Southwest Grill in New Haven. My companion and I passed up the front steps and across the patio to the hostess station, from which we were directed to the rear dining area. There we found the bubbly free [...]