Hartford Business: Di Fiore Pasta Company

While many lament the downfall of the South End over the last generation, some gems, throwbacks to the bygone era when the neighborhood was known as "Little Italy" remain today. The Di Fiore Pasta Company may just be the best of them all. Located at 556 Franklin, Di Fiore Pasta is a family owned shop specializing in homemade pastas and raviolis that are nothing short of sublime. 

Carbone's & The South End: 20 Years Ago

Carbone's is one of the most famous restaurants in Hartford. Located in the South End on Franklin Ave, Carbone's is one of those places you hear about once being "the place to be in Hartford." As the stories go, in the halycon days, Carbone's was a place that top area power brokers and politicians could be found at. 

These days Carbone's remains, but the South End has undergone a profound change in the last quarter-century. The theories on the reasons for these changes are innummerable, and run a wide gamut, including the opening of the casinos in Connecticut. Whatever those reasons may be, we recently came across a 1992 Hartford Courant article in which many of the same questions that remain today existed 20 years ago. The text of the article from October 29, 1992.

We Like To Shop At The Dollar Store Shop

Hartford has lots of dollar stores. Lots and lots and lots of dollar stores. More often than not, when a new business comes to town, it seems to be a dollar store. These announcements are usually followed with the usual hand-wringing and kavetching wondering why Hartford can't get a Trader Joe's or Whole Foods.

At Sad City, when life hands us a Hartford, we try to make lemonade because in the immortal words of Rick Pitino "Trader Joe's ain't walking through that door." We bet if we stopped worrying why West Hartford gets Whole Foods and we get dollar stores (is that really a difficult question to answer?) we can find some great bargains at dollar store.

Hartford Pic Of The Week: If Only....

Some call it graffiti, some call it art. We call it wishful thinking.

An Endorsement On XL Center Management

With the announcement that the NHL will in fact have a season this year, followed by the curiously vague New York Post story asserting that Governor Malloy is looking into bring the NHL back to Connecticut, hockey is suddenly back in the news.

While we have no idea how dedicated the Governor is to bringing the NHL back to Connecticut, we do know that the Hartford Whalers Booster Club is very dedicated to the idea. Over 15 years after the NHL departed Hartford for tobacco and NASCAR country, the HWBC soldiers on with the dream that the NHL will one day return to Hartford.

Hartford Pic Of The Week

Protect your valuables!

What's The Story With 36 Lewis?

Everytime we mention Lewis St to the 40 and over crowd, the first thing that gets mentioned is 36 Lewis and its wild reputation.

 "That 36 Lewis was quite the place."

 "36 Lewis, you could get anything there!"

 "There's a lot of ghosts of good times over at 36 Lewis."

 "You could always tell a person was a good time if they hung out at 36 Lewis."

We are too young to remember when this was a happening spot, but it sure sounds like there are some good stories an we'd love to here them. Do you have any tales to tell of this great spot? We'd love to put together a collection of stories from the heyday. Feel free to leave them here in comments or send them in email.