It’s been a year since Max Hospitality officially took over the bar at Hartford’s Goodwin Hotel, but after a two-month renovation period in the fall, Bar Max now boasts a fresh look with a brand-new menu.
The Hartford-based restaurant group, with multiple eateries throughout Hartford County and western Massachusetts, expanded its territory in the capital city by partnering with the Goodwin Hotel in early 2024. Restaurateur Tyler Anderson, who had previously operated Terreno Restaurant and Bar Piña in the space, closed his concepts there as he moved on to new projects, including a culinary director role at Ore Hill & Swyft in Kent.
It was a natural fit, as the boutique hotel is right next door to its flagship Max Downtown, said Steven Abrams, Max Hospitality’s vice president, who is a partner in Max Downtown and the group’s other city restaurant, Max’s Trumbull Kitchen. But the owners decided not to launch another restaurant out of the Terreno space.
With the start of a new year, many want to incorporate healthy habits into their daily routines, like eating more fresh fruits and vegetables. One way to do so in an ultra-convenient method is by sipping on a cup of delicious fresh-press juice. Rather than go through the hassle of juicing fruits and vegetables yourself, many businesses across Connecticut offer juices that can be prepared and enjoyed in a matter of minutes! Many of these businesses also offer cleanses– multi-day dietary programs aimed at detoxing and reducing inflammation through juice products.
If you’re looking for a juice bar, natural food market, or cafe that offers fresh-pressed juice products, this is the guide for you. This guide is broken up by county so you can quickly locate a business near you that sells an array of juices.
The former ON20 Restaurant, known for its soaring views of the Connecticut River and other area landmarks, has been fully renovated and reimagined, with even more stunning panoramic vistas of the capital city. The industrial-chic interior has an expansive bar, an open kitchen with gleaming stainless-steel appliances, private dining spaces and jaw-dropping glimpses of the sky from nearly every vantage point.
ON20, a celebrated white tablecloth establishment for many years, closed during the uncertainty of the pandemic in 2020, but two years ago, Hartford Steam Boiler’s leadership began reaching out to key people to start conversations about reopening the restaurant.
Fire by Forge is a Pan-American inspired restaurant that opened in spring of 2023 and has been receiving accolades ever since. Flavors, ingredients, cooking techniques, and even the wines and spirits are drawn from across the Americas, with a strong lean toward what is local, sustainable, and fresh.
Forge City Works serves the community but also provides hands-on job training in customer service, hospitality, and culinary arts for people who have barriers to employment.
Well, well, well, if it isn’t 2024, the dreaded new year. From the Halloween candy and Thanksgiving pies, to the Christmas cookies and unlimited New Year’s bubbly, I think it’s safe to say we are ready to start anew (I will also be buying a new scale because mine is clearly broken). Now it’s time for us to follow through with those dreaded resolutions. Whether you want to eat better, drink less alcohol, consume more sustainable foods, or treat the mind and spirit, this should be your go-to list. I don’t know about you, but I am tired of committing to goals that are almost impossible to stick with. However, with this caliber of options listed below, there is no goal that cannot be accomplished, and that is coming from me, a true pessimist. Let’s march into February excited about how far we have come with our resolutions, because being healthy does not mean forfeiting fun and creativity. C’mon now, say it with me!
Here are 45 spots for HEALTHY EATING and wellness in Connecticut.
Parkville Market, a hub of international cuisine, has graced Hartford with four new vendors. Taiwan Night Market, the Taste of Portugal and KOJI2GO have opened, and we hear that Flor do Mar has launched since we visited with a completely gluten free menu, each adding new, exciting, flavorful dishes to an already highly tasty market.
Parkville opened during the height of the pandemic in May of 2020, starting with only five vendors, all take-out. Now, three years later, the market is vibrant.
“Now being at 21 vendors we’ve really rounded out the different, uniqueness to the food that we offer,” Matt Sousa, Vice President of Operations at Parkville said. “If we’re lacking something then we go out and try to find whatever it is.”
The Hartford Yard Goats baseball season begins Thursday, April 6, 2023, with the first pitch against the Bowie Baysox scheduled for 7:10 p.m., but all who partake in the experience at Dunkin’ Park – as the stadium has been recently renamed – know that watching the game is just one element of the overall experience.
For West Hartford residents and others from throughout the area who enjoy the Yard Goats, a night at the Dunk includes a chance to sample some unique and perhaps not-all-that-healthy food items. And while this year’s menu of offerings is a bit less “extreme” than it has been in other years, there are many delicious must-try items.
“It’s definitely one of the more exciting years for food here at Dunkin’ Park,”
said Yard Goats President Tim Restall, who has a food and beverage background and looks forward to the annual reveal of the menu created by chef Joe Bartlett and his team.
“We’ve kind of drawn away from the crazy, crazy foods,” Bartlett said a sneak peek showcase event for reporters Monday. “We wanted to draw back to the ‘classic ballpark.'”
To celebrate Black History Month 2023, we have updated our guide to black owned restaurants across the state of Connecticut. If you see a place that is missing, please let us know. Big ups and thanks to Molly Alexander for compiling an excellent start to this list with her Google Map posted to Eat in CT. Get out there and support these restaurants.
We did our best to compile a comprehensive list, but if you know of a spot we missed, please contact us here.
Chef Tyler Anderson and Hands On Hartford have launched a remarkable new restaurant concept just in time to dine out and give back this holiday season. Gather55 restaurant opened this Fall in Hartford with a monthly rotation of guest chefs who will serve up a “by-reservation-only” $42 prix fixe menu. Chef Tyler Anderson, who is handling the Chef programming kicked things off, followed by Chef Billy Grant of Restaurant Bricco in December, and then Emily Mingrone of Tavern on State in January. Each evening, approximately 20% of the tables are reserved for diners who can’t pay the full price. The goal is to create a place where everyone can celebrate and enjoy a delicious meal in a comfortable and caring environment.
Currently celebrating its 10th anniversary, Cora Cora Peruvian Restaurant and the Ludena family that own it, are finally getting the recognition they deserve. All of their hard work and dedication to serving traditional, authentic Peruvian food handed down through family recipes has helped not only them, but Connecticut also, gain recognition on the national food scene with not one, but two nominations by the James Beard Foundation. First for Outstanding Restaurant, and second for Best Chef: Northeast.
We are officially into winter and, in addition to the regular flus and colds, all that other “stuff” is still swirling around. Behold, a listing of establishments where you can grab healthy eats, products, and even some classes that will boost your immunity and overall health in an attempt to steel you against whatever might endeavor to chase you. From the humble elderberry and cup of tea to stores that stock all manner of healthy living goods and purveyors specializing in quality goods for your wellness, we want to help you stack the deck in your favor this season.
Here are 35+ Spots for Healthy Eats & Wellness: Markets, Apothecaries, Nutritionists, Spice Shops, Juice, Teas and More!
Sometimes where you live is just where you sleep. Maybe the area has a bit of feel, or maybe some real estate conglomerate slapped it together like processed-cheese-food, named it The Crossing At The Shops At The Superfund Site, and well, at least the commute is short and everyone can understand the urge to show I-95 your personal taillights.
In Connecticut’s old – let's be kind and call them historic – cities, there are still to be found that most nostalgic living situation: The Actual Neighborhood. New Haven’s East Rock is one of the latter, and lately, what’s old is new again.
East Rock Market opened this November in a space which rubs shoulders with East Rock Brewing Company, and close enough to the in-building gym to borrow a neighborly cup of protein powder. By Thanksgiving of 2021, the Market’s large, bright space housed five concepts: RAW Bowls & Juice, Panciale pasta and pizza, Nicoll Street Gelato, Rick’s Bar, and Rockfish sushi. Developer Rishi Narang has named the former WWI-era Marlin Arms factory East Rock Center, and market, brewery, and gym are all contained within the massive footprint in a sort of indulgence/repentance love triangle.
You might hear the name The Rockin Chicken (TRC) and think it’s yet another really good chicken-themed joint, like West Hartford’s Chicken Citizen & Donuts, Wethersfield’s El Pollo Guapo, Newington’s Rooster Co. or the Elm City’s Hot Haven Chicken. But you’ll see it’s actually so much more. Since TRC opened in June, 2016 on Franklin Avenue in Hartford, it has been my go-to for Peruvian food, long one of my favorite cuisines.
TRC is owned by Dr. Miguel A. Colán and his wife, Kate. The genial couple doesn’t just own the business but the building as well. For Miguel, a Hartford chiropractor, it was an almost-weekly family tradition growing up in Lima to visit pollerias a la brasa, popular local restaurants specializing in charcoal rotisserie chicken. TRC grew out of his desire to recreate that dining experience for Hartford-area restaurant-goers.
I might have simply walked in, but I had a bounce in my step as I left.
See, you never quite know what you are going to encounter at a self-proclaimed “healthy” eatery, as healthy can be interpreted pretty darned broadly and with some questionable interpretations, let’s be honest. It’s therefore wildly refreshing when you find a place that has their mission clearly defined and they take all the way to the finish line, with no stalls or excuses along the way. From their cheeky website to the very bubbly staff member, Tara, at the register (who, coincidentally, in her mask, bears a startling resemblance to Twyla from Schitt’s Creek-and yes, she’s just as friendly, sweet and sparkly), there is a palpable energy to Barvida.
Organic Krush, with locations across Long Island, the Hamptons and Virginia, has just opened in Westport at 374 Post Road E.Organic Krush is a fast casual restaurant featuring healthy, organic menu, but cooked, juiced, and baked with a lot more love than your might expect from the average grab-n-go spot. The entire menu features ingredients that are 100% certified organic and free of GMOs, hormones, pesticides and really…fake anything. Diners seeking gluten-free, vegan or paleo options will be happy to discover that most of Organic Krush’s extensive menu works for them, and they can accommodate most dietary needs or restrictions. Organic Krush’s motto is “Eat Happy, Spread Love,” and although this is the seventh location for Co-Founders Michelle Walrath & Fran Paniccia, when I walked in just a few days before they opened their doors, the love and attention to every detail was clearly visible. From employee training and safety protocols to the consistency of the dishes coming out of the kitchen, Organic Krush made a strong debut. Open for three meals a day, from breakfast through dinner pick up at 8PM, I have a strong hunch that this will be a go-to spot for many in the Westport area who aren’t feeling like cooking but are seeking a healthy and tasty meal for their family.
2020 has at least made carbs, especially of the bready sort, sexy again. So, for this, I am thankful. Many have proven that by turning their kitchens into mini-bakeries this year. My cousin in PA, a lawyer by day, has posted about 100 pics of golden crusted sourdough; my neighbor, a sound engineer for Broadway--sadly all too quiet-- has added to my...eh hem...curves, with his newfound bagel prowess. I keep thinking I should buy stock in King Arthur Flour, then I forget amidst my food coma. Anyway, yay us for taking such a horrible time and at least turning a piece of it into something productive and tasty.
BUT, none of us have anything on Chef Kim Huang Wood and the real masterpieces coming out of Le Banh Patisserie kitchen. Just one afternoon with her, watching as she orchestrates her kitchen and the magic that comes out of it, I understand the difference between our hobbies and those who emit greatness. But that greatness, those masterpieces, have come from devotion, and true hard work.
There is so much talk and discussion these days about immunity, staying healthy, and protecting yourself. When you ask fifty people about what they do to stay healthy you will probably get fifty different answers. Since every human is unique, something that works for one might not work for another! However, we all know that famous quote from Hippocrates about food being thy medicine, right? There are so many foods, plants, teas, and drinks that can potentially pack a real punch for strengthening our systems. There is a wide, intriguing world of healthy options out there, it’s just finding what works for you. May some of the ideas on this list help keep you healthy and safe in the months to come.
Our guide includes over 40 local CT markets, juice bars, apothecaries, and products to help boost your immune system for 2020.
From October 19-25, 2020, you can enjoy a “Week of BBQ” Inspired Dishes and Drinks at Participating Hartford Area Restaurants….all for a good cause!
The Hartford Rib Off, Hartford’s largest charity BBQ event of the year, is revamping to a new format for 2020, to raise funds for the community while also supporting the hard-hit hospitality industry. COVID-19 has put a hold on large-scale public gatherings in 2020, leaving many non-profit events, like the Hartford Rib Off, without a means to raise funds. To adhere to safety protocols, this year’s Hartford Rib Off will take on a new format, where for one week, BBQ enthusiasts can enjoy BBQ inspired dishes and drinks at their favorite Hartford area restaurants, for one full week.
