I have lived in Manchester for a very long time, yet this is my first time visiting The Firestone…read more I don't know what took me so long to try this place. It's a painting, an arts and craft, a bakery, and a coffee shop. Great place for friends to get together and spend quality time, with great refreshment. They make their own bread, Cheddar scallion scones, chocolate chip cookies, sandwiches, and many other items. My favorites are the different coffees and teas. The staff is very pleasant and helpful, both with the food service and the arts. What a gem to have on Main Street.

Surprisingly good food in a pottery painting place…read more Been meaning to review this place for a while. Each time I'd go in, see no one around, then left. This last attempt, there was a bunch of staff around so I got the full experience. The staff were very friendly and informative. They explained the pottery painting side of things to anyone painting a piece. They had a wealth of knowledge in that regard, explaining how to get the best results for each medium. I wasn't here for the pottery, I was here for the food. So they sat at a 4 top and let me go up to the cafe to order. The menu is basic, egg sandwiches, avocado toast, French toast, coffees and lattes. Some fresh baked pastries available but mostly simple dishes. I opted for their French toast latte and an egg sandwiches with bacon. Also got a cinnamon roll that was baked that morning. Food came out after a few minutes. Not speedy but not slow. Took some pics and dug in. There's a fundamental rule that I follow when reviewing. "The flavors on the description need to match the flavors of the dish." There's sandwich did this exemplary. The garlic aoli had a strong but slightly acidic bite to it, which helped the arugula's bitterness. The egg was fluffy, the tomato grilled and salted, and the bacon perfectly crispy. The soft home made bread was almost too soft, compressing down to nothing after each bite. If anything, the bread could've been grilled to give it a bit more structure. But besides that gripe, it's one of the best breakfast sandwiches I've had. The latte, that's what took the star off. The coffee is giv beans, so a good quality product. The problem was it was extremely, overbearingly bitter. With a French toast latte, you'd expect the sweet to counteract the bitter. But nope, the sweet came from the cold foam and the concentrated coffee at the base led to straight sips of cringingly bitter coffee. After mixing the cold foam into the coffee, it became more bearable. But the damage was done by that point, and my pallet was shot. Had to dump most of the coffee. Overall, it's a neat place to go to. It's rare to have activities along with good food, and the staff there make the experience great. Not too much a fan of the specialty coffee, but the food is well worth the price. A solid food choice for Main Street.

This place was nice! We went for a group outing of seven people. When I called earlier in the week,…read morethe guy said we didn't need a reservation and could just walk in for Saturday. We all planned to meet there at 5 PM, but when we arrived, they told us we actually needed a reservation and had to come back at 6:45. Thankfully, West Hartford has plenty to do, so we walked around, grabbed some food, and returned for our reservation. One thing to know is that you pick the pottery you want to paint it's not a place where you make the pottery yourself. That has pros and cons, depending on your preferences. I'm honestly not that artistic when it comes to freehand painting, so I picked a simple snowflake design (probably the cheapest option at around $14). My friends picked reindeer, cookie trays, and other fun items. Painting was fun, but you have to leave your piece for 2-3 weeks to be glazed, so don't expect to take it home the same day. The space is small, but I liked the intimate setting. The staff was also very nice, and overall, I had a good experience. I would definitely go back.

I have not had a hand in pottery since high school so this was a nice activity to do and spend…read morequality time with friends and family. Claypen is located on Farmington Avenue in West Hartford Center between Walden and Dale streets. Lookout for the sessions posted outside if looking for something specific. I was attracted to the Studio Ghibli theme they were having and immediately made a reservation. I honestly didn't know what to expect until I arrived there. Upon check in, we were shown where we'd be seated and were told that we select any ceramic on the shelf and will be provided the paints and can even replenish it ourselves from the shelf. As well as take as much time as we needed to complete our design. My daughter did her own thing and drew Sanrio on different sides while I wanted to paint Haku and my friend, Totoro. I think it all came out really well!! I looked up an image tried to copy it onto the jar. Originally using a pencil and lightly tracing it onto the surface to not affect the image, although I was told that the pencil burns off during the baking process. We were also instructed to paint more than 1 coat so that the paint will show. The whole process was easy enough. When finished, everything can be brought to the counter for payment. Essentially the painting is free, it's the ceramic that needs to be paid for. I would think that the piece is averagely priced. If wanting to be sure, definitely ask before picking a piece. I'd certainly do this again.

It's so cute in here! I stopped in with my friends to see about doing some pottery or glazing and…read morethey are just absolutely nice and helpful in answering questions. It's light and airy and adorable in here. I can't wait to come back and glaze some things, I have my eye on the fairy houses and mermaid box for sure!

Great place to come and paint pottery. I've also learned how to use the throwing wheel to throw…read morepottery here!

We held our daughter's 8th birthday party here. The pottery painting was a big hit. The two party…read morehostesses were very helpful and patient with the girls. Very easy to schedule, very reasonably priced. We stopped in a week later to pick up the finished pieces and decided to paint a few more. Despite the fact there was another party going on, they were able to accommodate my party of 4 as well as several other drop in crafters. Great place to go, especially on a rainy day. Hope to try the beading next time or host a painting party.

We held our daughters birthday get together here. We reserved a table instead of doing the party…read moreroom in the back. It was mostly adults that attended instead of kids. I don't know if it was because we only had 4 kids that absolutely no one that worked here checked on us once to see how we were doing. The owner seemed miserable. One of the little girls in our group broke the leg of one of her pieces as she was painting so we asked the owner if she could help us... or glue it back together. She had an attitude right away and said "I mean I can try gluing it but I'm not promising you anything" and it was in front of everyone and it was very awkward. She didn't even seem at all concerned or like she wanted to help us. I personally won't go back here and I won't recommend the place to anyone due to the attitude and lack of service. Thankfully the girls had fun since they're all four and five they didn't notice. But it was awkward like I said for the adults.

One pea held a surprised birthday get together for the other pea. The atmosphere was okay, the…read morepieces were reasonably priced. We were given 1 hr 30 mins but were told our time was up before the 30 mins. Turns out it was booked incorrectly by an employee on the phone, they allowed us our 30 mins. Only thing to keep in mind is to make sure you pick a piece you can finish in the time frame given for your party . No refreshments provided in house, no fridge space for cake. Was told their fridge is too small( but they still held it for me). Just be prepared with all your party necessities and not slack like this pea did. Other than that they just give you instructions and let you enjoy yourself. Had a great time.

I came across Pottery Piazza by chance and was so happy I did. There is a large selection of…read moreprojects. The staff is friendly and helpful. Each project also comes with a suggested paint, but painters are free to use their own creativity too. The store is BYOB, so we had snacks and wine too! The only issue was wr went in a weekend, and there was a wait because it was busy! I am unsure if there is a reservation option. Walk-Ins welcome, but we did have to wait like an hour. We loved our final projects and will definitely be back for more creations!

I held a fundraiser at Brush it Off for a local nonprofit. It was such a fun night! The location…read morehad everything set up for us. Instruction was provided as needed but otherwise it was relaxing and enjoyable. What a great way to spend time with friends and help raise money.

This place was awesome. David was an excellent teacher and after this experience i now want to try…read moremore classes, it was so fun.

What a fun time we had. This was great family fun time. Essentially, we called ahead of time to…read moremake a reservation so we could all be seared. We were a party of 9. Immediately, we were seated and they gave us our instructions. We selected a piece of pottery we wanted to paint. My wife and I chose bowls, then we were given a selection of paint colors to paint our bowls. After a few coats of paints, our job was done. We then proceeded to pay and in about a week we will pick up our works. It was a real fun time. The staff were very helpful. Everything was well organized and fun. Everyone had a blast. Apparently they also had candle making along with some glass design/decorating.

Such a cute space and lots of clay items to choose from! They went over the directions well and our…read moreitems come out so cute!

It was my first time doing pottery and I had an amazing experience. We signed up to make bowls…read morebecause why not make something functional for your everyday life. The instructor was very patient and had a lot of knowledge. They made sure that you were happy with your art piece. Along with make an art piece, you also learn tip and trick on the pottery wheel. Can't wait to see the finish product in a couple of weeks.

I've been to this studio to either take a class or paint pottery a few times so far and every time…read moreI've been it has been an amazing experience! Both the sculpting and wheel-throwing workshops have talented and patient instructors who will help you to make the pottery masterpiece of your dreams. This place isn't just for kids - I've been with groups of all adults and had a great time (also keep in mind it's BYOB). I definitely recommend stopping by!

Amazing night here! My friends bought us the glassworking class as a birthday surprise for me and…read moreit was so much fun. The instructor was incredibly nice and patient, and we learned a lot in a short amount of time. I wish the plates we made didn't have to spend so much time in the kiln, and I can't wait til we can pick them up! I would highly recommend going and doing a class there. It's a nice night away from phones or Netflix and just allows you to tap into your creative side. Definitely will be coming back for more classes in the future.

I love this place. Every time Adam asks me if we can go up to Westerly, the only condition is if I…read morecan go to Get Fired Up at least once. The prices are super reasonable, the items are high quality, and the paint selection is fantastic. The staff are incredibly friendly, which is a big selling point for me. I am the antithesis of artistic, and it helps that the staff lend themselves to customers to give suggestions that are easy and impressive.

My daughter and I enjoyed ourselves today working with clay. What a beautiful place and Heather is…read moreso friendly and helpful. This is a great place for kids or teen birthday parties and of course girls night out.

This place has a campy feel. I've enjoyed it in the past, but it always seems they are not there…read moreduring their posted "open" hours. (Thankfully there's another pottery painting studio that I could take my group to after waiting in the parking lot for them to open.) The unreliable hours have kept my group from painting and from picking up. Several times the pottery was not ready when promised. I've tried calling but no one picks up the phone.