West Hartford Week: Goldberg's

One might get the impression we aren't fans of West Hartford. One wouldn't be entirely mistaken. With it's lily white population, businesses carefully tailored to liberal upper-middle (and upper) class sensibilities hocking overpriced items no one needs, and outside shopping area that feels as genuine as The Bachelor contestants, West Hartford provides more than enough fodder for even the most amateur of jesters to poke fun at.

An "Irish pub" with gleaming wood an electronic clock counting down to the six month mark of St. Patty's Day? A plate of pork tacos for $22? Hell, at least the inside of The Cheesecake Factory looks like a Temple of Doom Epcot ride. It's all very, very authentic.

Hartford's Best Sandwich (& Salad)?

Last week we mentioned Le Petit Chef as one of our favorite spots to grab lunch in Hartford. We've made a handful of visits to Le Petit over the last few months and we can say that it currently holds the title for serving the Best Sandwich In Hartford. Operated by a French gentleman who claims to have "never had McDonald's," Le Petit features an extensive sandwich menu and from our experience you can't go wrong with any. Two of our favorites have been a roast beef with brie and bacon (?!??!?!?) and roast chicken with avocado.

A Look Back: Tastease

(Ed. Note: Last April we took our best intern to a journey to Tastease on the advice of our readers. We had some idea what we were in store for but kept where we were going for lunch secret from the intern. SInce the intern was used to dictating almost all terms of dining, etc., the secretive lunch was met with a healthy dose of skepticism to say the least. Tastease, being Tastease, overcame all doubts that we were capable of picking a decent lunch spot on our own and won the day as we enjoyed a couple Cuban sandwiches at the very tables that now have become a point of controversy leading to Tastease announcing they are closing at the end of June. 


Today we take a look back at that April 19, 2011 post and a listen back at Hakaan and Craig discussing Tastease on 106.9 WCCC back on April 20, 2011. Hakaan can be heard chatting about Hartford with Craig every Wednesday at about 9:20 PM on 106.9 WCCC.)

Getting Gorged At Woody's

From left to right: The Reuben & The Southern Slaw Dog

Woody's is pretty awesome. Located at 915 Main, we first reviewed Woody's in our Guide To Lunch In Hartford and have been slowly (and we mean slowly) eating our way through the menu ever since. It's been a slow trip through the menu because let's face it, it's 2012 and we all are all aware that hot dogs slathered in toppings aren't the healthiest things in the world and furthermore, we aren't exactly 18 anymore and our waistline (and heart) can't take that type of abuse. That said, when you want to take a break from the turkey sandwiches, blueberries, and celery, Woody's should be right at the top of your list.

Another El Mercado Gem

Last week when we wrote about our travels to Philly and the awesomeness of the Reading Terminal Market, we opined that every city should be so lucky to have such an incredible market. While it has been well documented that Sad City is a huge fan of El Mercado on Park Street, we aren't going to get all Hartford cheerleader silly and claim that El Mercado is anywhere on par with the Reading Terminal Market, but it's adding more great restaurants and is really a great place to get Latino food.

While most of our dining at El Mercado has been at the Mexican restaurant with the occasional stop at the Dominican restaurant, we had noticed that El Mercado has added a Peruvian and Columbian restaurant. This weekend we tried out the fairly new Peruvian restaurant Autentico Sabor Peruano (Authentic Peruvian Flavor). It's an impressive and varied menu but one item in particular made our decision a no-brainer; ceviche.

Book Review: Finding Fernanda

Erin Siegal went to high school with Hakaan in the sleepy Connecticut suburbs just outside Hartford. While Hakaan went onto be fascinated by the modern American urban experience and write a silly, albeit somewhat successful blog about Hartford, Erin has gone onto become a proper journalist and author a book on child trafficking in Guatemala. These days she is working in Tijuana and probably seeing things that would make even the most hardened Hartfordite's eyes pop out.

We received Finding Fernanda about a month ago. It's kind of surreal to see the name of someone you grew up with on the cover of a real and proper book, but there it was. Very cool. We continued to get more impressed as we turned the pages.

The Coliseum Club

There is no place in Hartford that evokes as many memories for Sad City as the Hartford Civic XL Center. The long time home to the Hartford Whalers, Hartford Wolfpack, and now the CT Whale, there is no place in Hartford that we have visited as many times over as many years. For over a quarter century, just a few years before we started this blog, we have been enjoying ice hockey at the arena. Not a lot has changed inside the arena since Ron Francis, Mike Liut, and Kevin Dineen patrolled the ice for the Whalers. Sure patrons can't suck down cigarettes in the concourse between periods, but even the Whalers old banners and retired numbers still hang from the rafters.

Inside The Pan De Oro Factory

Visiting the Pan De Oro chip factory on Main Street was something that had been on the Sad City agenda for quite a while but for whatever reason took a a while to get around to. When we finally visited last week, it was a what took so long moment. We made our way to the factory thinking we'd grab a bag of tortillas, chomp some down and write about the chips.

The factory is located in an industrial area of North Main Street. We weren't even sure if we were walking in the right door. When we first saw Rick Stevens he asked if he could help us. "We are looking for some chips."

We were pleasantly surprised to find out that not only were we in the right place, but when buying chips out of the factory they cost only $1 a bag. Can't beat that deal. Rick then asked how we found out about Pan De Oro. When we replied Twitter, he asked "great, did I follow you back, i always try to do that?"

 "Ummm, not sure, the account is Sad City Hartford."

"Oh ok! Would you like a tour of the factory?"

A tour of the factory? Yes, I think we would enjoy that very much.

Hartford's Best Bread

For over a decade Sad City has searched the Hartford area high and low for "Hartford's Best Sandwich." Though we have identified many contenders, we have never been able to crown an official winner. One of the disappointments we find with otherwise great sandwiches is a lack of attention to the bread used. For some reason many places seem to overlook this critical element of the sandwich. Although we still don't have an official "Best Sandwich," we are confident that the have found Hartford's Best Bread.

Lucky Taco Truck

On Monday we had to return a library book and stop by City Hall so we figured we'd grab lunch at our friends pulled pork food truck in Bushnell Park. When he wasn't there we had to consider our other options. Most consider the thai truck the top dog of food trucks in Hartford. We'd have to agree. We'd write about that except that we have two friends who have ate at literally every thai and pho place in the area and have promised us a lengthy review at some point.

The Hartford Food Guy: Scott's Jamaican Bakery

The Hartford Food Guy returns to review Scott's Jamaican Bakery. A Sad City favorite, Scott's was named as one of our favorite places to have lunch in  (Ed. Note A reader pointed out Scott's wasn't on the guide. They are correct. It was actually Golden Krust, another great place for patties we mentioned) Sad City's Guide to Lunch in Hartford. While the HFG visited the location on North Main Street, we usually frequent the Albany Ave location.

This past Saturday Mrs. HFG and I took a drive up North Main Street to Scott’s Jamaican Bakery, which is a pillar of both the North End as well as Hartford’s small business community. So much so that Scott’s operates three locations (North Main Street, Albany Avenue and Blue Hills Avenue), as well as a wholesale and production operation on Windsor Street. Scott’s has been around for over 30 years and pretty much anyone you talk to with strong roots in the West Indian community, or in the North End, Windsor, or Bloomfield will tell you that the Scott family is highly respected and its support and opinion is regularly sought on a wide range of political, business, and community issues.

Hartford Business: The Half Door

Long time Sad City readers might get the impression that we aren't fans of The Half Door.  We've anointed one of their bathrooms The Most Awkward Bathroom In Hartford.  We've complained that our aging has rendered us unable to tolerate visiting their on Wednesday night when there is not only live music, but $2 drafts on Harp and Guinness.  That impression would be wrong.  The Half Door is without a doubt one of the best bars in Hartford.  In fact, the list of bars in Hartford that we have been to more than the Half Door is a short one.

Dutch Point: A Hartford Novel

This blog has given us the opportunity to do a handful of things that we might not have otherwise done.  When Kareem R. Muhammad contacted us about reading his book Dutch Point a couple months ago, book reviewer got added to that list.  Having been vociferous readers for most of our lives we felt qualified to give it an attempt.

Dutch Point is a self-published, fictional novel based in Hartford and focuses primarily on Andrew Edwards, a Hartford social worker.   Mr. Muhammed himself has spent over a decade as a Hartford social worker investigating cases of abuse and neglect, which lends credibility to the characters and situations we encounter throughout the book.   Having had social workers as family members and close friends we know from first-hand accounts that social workers encounter some of the most horrific situations imaginable and deal with some of the most unsavory people imaginable. Dutch Point gives us a glimpse into that world.

Hartford Business: Tastease

At this point we kind of assume we more or less know just about everything in Hartford. So imagine our surprise when Sad City readers Justin Pickman and Sarah Zucker started posting on the Sad City Facebook wall about Tastease on New Park and raving about "the best Cuban sandwich ever" and mini doughnuts. After reading some rave reviews online we were kind of dumbfounded; we had never heard of this place despite driving by it literally hundreds of times and despite that they are in fact selling mini-donuts and good Cuban sandwiches.  Plans were made to visit immediatley.

Hartford Business: La Fonda Restaurant

While cruising the South End and looking for an adventurous lunch spot a few we came upon and decided on La Fonda, a Colombian restaurant located at 269 Franklin Ave. Our criteria for picking La Fonda were simple; we hadn't been there and there was an open parking spot right outside. As soon as we walked inside we were pleasantly surprised at how nice the place was and how it was busy even though it was about 2PM on a Sunday afternoon.