New to the Italian scene and came for a work dinner (large party). From the first moment, I felt a…read moresense of déjà vu. The appetizers were amazing and the wine selection was robust. Tons of options from California too. The service was amazing too- particularly for such a large party. I requested the server select my meal - because it's a good way to try new things. Rigatoni bolognese is what I received and it was great! Eggplant parm, chicken parm , carbonara and salmon all looked great too.

As always a beautiful property!!! Great happy hour!! I used to go to the Carbones in Hartford for…read morethe longest and loved it . I understand that they are opening up many restaurants it reminds me of the Max corporation ,but with one big difference. Max put unlimited effort in policing how the food comes out!! It's always the same and always delicious no matter which you choose! The same doesn't happen at the new or should I say recent Carbones.For example I had polenta there,one of thier staples(buy the way the original location had the best everytime I went)it came out thick as could be cold !!! The sauce I got on my pork chop was thick and soggy from to much starch being added. I could go on , but I think you get what I'm saying!!

First time coming to blossom cafe which was Recommended to me by a friend , and to try the famous…read moreJapanese soufflé pancakes ! I'm always up to try new cafes , but to drive 40 min for a cafe when we have so many around us I was a little hesitant. But once we got there the restaurant was very nice , modern style with little greenery and bright / white anterior design . The staff was lovely they greeted us and sat us immediately. The menu had lots of options and something for everyone . I ordered the iced tiramisu latte and the ricotta hotcakes with Nutella and bananas . Which was amazing , very light and delicious ( I normally don't eat all my food because of large portions .. but I was given 3 ricotta hotcakes and I ate everything!! It was sooo good , very light and filling , highly recommend ! My sister ordered the VEGAN kimichi bowl which was really good as well . My mom ordered the mango soufflé pancakes which i tried and def worth the drive to try . Very light and fluffy cooked perfectly and tasted amazing. !! And presentation was beautiful My husband ordered the Korean fried chicken and waffles ! The waffles came in rose shape which was beautiful 10/10 for the presentation and taste . Again the fired chicken was still light ( and not to heavy ) Overall 10/10 great staff , great atmosphere and even better the food was delicious ( with lots of options and variety for everyone). Definitely worth the 40 min drive and I will definitely be back again !!!

I loved dropping in at Blossom Cafe for breakfast! I went with my daughter and we chose wherever we…read morewanted to sit on a Friday morning. The ambiance is really chic and cute. Their summer menu feels so creative and unique. It made me want to return regularly to check out what else they have come up with. I ordered the rose latte and the scallion pancake breakfast sandwich. I have never had anything like it before! Whoever thought of it is brilliant. It's a scallion pancake and it is stuffed with sausage and eggs. It is so delicious and satisfying. It comes with a side of sweet potato fries, and of course my daughter loved that. Also I wanted to shout out the waiters, who are really nice and attentive! The only reason I'm not giving five stars is that they don't have pastries! I wonder why. It would really hit the spot in a cafe like this, especially with their coffee.

The Charles…read more Delicious food and a great atmosphere in beautiful Old Wethersfield We love the vibe here!

Food: 3.8/5 Service: 3.4/5…read moreAmbiance: 3.7/5 Value: 3.6/5 The Charles is a nice upscale restaurant on Main Street in Wethersfield which opened in 2020 and quickly made Connecticut magazine's list of best restaurants. It is inside an old house of some sort, so it has a charming ambiance. They have a small parking lot so the spaces are a bit tight. Then, although we were on time for our 8:15pm reservation, we found out that they didn't have a table for us on the main floor, which is bad because my parents have mobility issues and cannot climb stairs. They asked us if we would be ok waiting five or ten minutes. Sure, that was fine we said. The host was very reassuring and he let us know that the corner table near the fireplace was finishing up and he'd get it bussed promptly. So that was good. But after we sat down we experienced service issues. Many items were unavailable. No orrechiete. No crab cakes. No sirloin special. It was weird. We hadn't arrived that late, on a Saturday night, how could so many dishes be sold out/unavailable? We ended up going with the scotch egg $11 and butternut squash arancini balls $12 for appetizers, which were both great. The scotch egg was a decent size and came with a mini salad. The arancini balls were small, but the truffle gorgonzola fontina cheese filling was really nice. Entrees were not bad. My Berkshire pork chop cooked medium was tender enough and had decent flavor. My Dad's veal ribs over mac and cheese were really good. My Mom's wagyu burger was tasty and my sister's salad was satisfactory. However the cost of the additional protein to the salad seems high (Grilled Chicken +14 / Seared Salmon +16/ Grilled Shrimp +21 / Churrasco Steak +24). The drinks were well made, but took a while to get to us. The "Charles... In Charge!" with old forester bourbon, montenegro, spiced cherry bitters, luxardo $15 was a hit. My Dad enjoyed his $17 Manhattan made with Angel's Envy bourbon. My $11 FreeBird mocktail was refreshing. Yet, throughout the night we found it difficult to get our server's attention. All four dishes did not arrive simultaneously. We had to flag someone down for more silverware after the appetizers were cleared. Right at the end when we were ready to pay, she got tied up listening to a couple at a neighboring table tell her a story or something. This must have been quite a yarn because she was totally enrapt and oblivious to our needs. We started wondering whether our table was actually her responsibility or not. Finally she came by and we let her know we were done, no dessert or after dinner drinks, just the check and a few boxes for takeout please. This was a new restaurant that we hadn't tried before, and maybe I took a risk by booking it for my Dad's 89th birthday, which was supposed to be special. Our experience was okay, and maybe we'd go again in the future, but there were too many more ups and downs this evening than I would have liked for a special occasion. I am rounding up to four stars overall, even though on this particular evening I didn't think each individual component met that mark exactly.

I've always liked back east brews on tap at local CT restaurants so when my friends wanted to meet…read moreup at the actual brewery I was so excited! Upon entering there are various types of seating from patio to indoor to private areas for parties. I really liked the QR code method to buy food made in house. I can say I was very impressed with my steak tacos! Such a perk at a brewery! When ordering a brew I was a bit disappointed I couldn't get a flight but they did offer smaller glasses to taste multiple brews. Icecream man is always a fan favorite and a classic so I opted for that. But my friend got their icecream man topped with a berry beer and she loved it! I'd love to come back and try their seltzers and other fun drinks!

I was in the area for business. My only regret is we waited until the last night we were in town to…read morecheck this place out. We didn't try the food but based on their beer quality, the food would be equally epic. Generally when you stop into a brewery you'll try a few beers and find one or two you like. This place, I enjoyed all of the beers we sampled! Big open seating area, plenty of inside and outside seating. Nintendo, foosball, and board games to play inside. Looked like they have some live music at times as well. The staff was great! Very knowledgeable about the beers and willing to help you decide on a choice.

This place is an absolute gem. My girlfriend and I were looking to celebrate our 5th year…read moreanniversary and the blueback square was unparkable, so i thought we should try this place, as I had been meaning to for a while. I am SO glad i did because this was hands down one of the best meals ive eaten in years. My girlfriend is pescatarian so we opted to have all vegan/vegetarian options and this omnivore did not miss meat at all. My favorite dish by far was the watermelon crudo which, to me, defied all space and time. The watermelon looked, felt, and tasted like a beautiful tuna. The flavours had a Vietnamese flair to them, including a chili crisp and fresh mint, and i was using the delicious and crispy fries to sop up the rest of the sauce. Everything we ate was incredible, flavourful, and beautiful to look at. The atmosphere was romantic and dreamy, a huge change from the pug filled cozy pub that it used to be as the corner pug. Service was lovely and they surprised us by bringing us champagne and a sweet note at the end. It was absolutely amazing and we felt so taken care of. I will be thinking of this place for a long time and cant wait to go back!

Attended a Filipino pop-up dinner and it was phenomenal. We were served 4 courses, 19 dishes and 3…read morecocktails. I never had Filipino food before so I enjoyed the experience. The Laurel is a spacious and beautiful restaurant. The staff are very professional and courteous. Decor is modern and chic. Food was executed well, coming out at good temperatures. As this was a pop-up dinner, I do want to return to try the restaurant's normal menu because I've only heard great things.

When my husband and son went to Le Mazet for lunch and brought me their leftovers, I knew that we…read morehad to go back that very same week for a family meal. We returned for Father's Day and we were seated immediately without a reservation, though I think we just got lucky so I don't recommend this. We all shared the warm olives, the croquet poulet sandwich, the fries, the quiche lorraine, the chateubriand, the roasted beets, and the strawberry ice cream. It was all a hit, and when a 3.5-year-old and a 22-month-old are enjoying your food without any coaxing or help, you know it's fabulous! My husband got some cocktail and I got the phony Negroni mocktail. Service was great and the atmosphere is chic without being uptight or snobby at all. We all left really happy. I still dream about that sandwich. I'd love to go back and try other things on the menu. I'm sure they knock everything out of the park. I am hoping Le Mazet will be our special occasion restaurant.

Easily a 5 star establishment. Do not sleep on Le Mazet! We've walked by so many times and I regret…read morenot trying this place sooner! Definitely need a reservation to get in on the weekend fyi! When we arrived we were seated at a beautiful booth. The interior is gorgeous here. Our server was fantastic I wish I remembered his name! He suggested some great items. We started with their steak frites and I cannot rave more about it! First this plate is definitely shareable. Among myself, my husband and young toddler we destroyed this. My daughter was eating so much of this steak and so were we! It was sooo tender and we loved the gravy on top. The fries were amazing and when they were drenched in that gravy it was chefs kiss! What really brought it all the together was the salad paired with it- it was light and refreshing and the dressing was so good! For dessert our server suggested the chocolate custard so we got that and a berry handpie. We ate both and kept saying "oh my god" with each bite. My daughter especially loved the chocolate custard but my husband and I loved both equally! We immediately said after our meal how we have to come back. We cannot wait to try other menu items and their cocktails next time. We are huge fans and will definitely be back!!

Came for the Mayhem event put on by New England Obscura! It was definitely an event you didn't want…read moreto miss filled with oddities! The beer selection was great, I stick to sour and I liked their Berried Bones and Upside Down They didn't have all of their food options due to the event, but the food was still good.

I went for a friends gathering. Never been to Dudleytown but I really liked it. They had a band…read moreplaying on a Friday night . Plenty of tables outdoors , some tables in the front by the fire and tables inside. The bar and food are indoor. The menu was pretty good. I ordered a salad either grilled chicken since it was gluten free but they had chicken tenders and gluten free pizza that were gluten free options. The hotdog picture I posted , my friend ordered it and she enjoyed it. We were enjoying the presentation more though! They really liked the fries they said . Service was awesome. No complaints! They were great! I thought it was a nice brewery! Definitely an awe's place to go and get together and chill. They do have a list of bands and events online for the summer lined up. Great place!

I'm back! Welcome to Carmine's! The restaurant is located on 389 Main St. in East Hartford. It's…read morecold in here! The temperature has got to be 55 degrees (the way Carmine likes it). I live the nice music in here. It's very livel! It's Happy Hour from 3-7 on weekdays (food) and all day for drinks on Monday! The kitchen here makes everything built fresh, from scratch, and all homemade. The appetizers, pasta, entrees and desserts combine old-world traditional Italian flavor with a modern flair for presentation, and the freshest ingredients around. Menu staples like calamari, chicken milanese, fettucine carbonara and ravioli are paired with unique recipes like pappardelle with sausage and tenderloin steaks. They have staffed their kitchen with a dream team of local chefs that ensure our quality does not waiver and our kitchen is always OPEN! Not every place can say that! For my first drink, I'm having the Manhattan's Creek made with Knob Creek bourbon, sweet vermouth, dry vermouth and Angostura bitters. Wait a minute! These are the same ingredients as a Perfect Manhattan! This is chilled, well balanced and nicely garnished. I like it! For my first food item, I'm having a House Salad (small, off-menu version). This is made with a spring mix including basil, tomatoes, julienned carrots, cucumbers and a red wine vinaigrette dressing. This is nice and fresh! I love the dressing! I like the nice cloth napkin as well as a disposable one. The bartender is the nicest one I've ever met. For my next item, I'm having the Rigatoni Marinara. The is made with rigatoni and house marinara sauce. It's low cholesterol and guilt-free (for me). This is steaming hot and delicious! Nice portion size too! For my next item, I'm having a cup of soup. This is broccoli cheddar with potato. Oh yeah! I love those oyster crackers! This is yummy! For my next drink, I'm having the Pratt n Whiskey made with Woodford Reserve bourbon, sweet vermouth, red wine and sour mix. I love it! It's shaken well and tastes great! For my next food item, I'm having the Carmine's Secret Tenderloins. These are actually pan seared caramelized CHICKEN tenderloins made with wine, olive oil, cracked black pepper, kosher salt, shredded Parmesan and a VERY special secret sauce. I can eat this with little regret. This should be interesting! This is quite good! I do like that creamy sauce! For my dessert, I'm having the Toasted Almond. This is soaked in Amaretto layered with light custard and topped with crushed almond. Oh yeah! Look at the presentation! This is fantastic! What a great meal here!

Random selection in my travels off Rt 84. Food was delicious and I happily stumbled on live music…read more Mixed crowd Cappuccino gelato truffle, JD tips over pasta and 1/2 Caesar salad