Feng Asian Bistro

The stretch of Asylum Street between Main and Trumbull has seen much better days. Now it just is surface parking on one side and a hodge-podge of old buildings and an ugly parking garage on the other. As late as the 1980’s, however, the block was still anchored by the venerable men’s store, Stackpole Moore & Tryon at the Trumbull Street end and the Hartford-Aetna National Bank Building (Hartford’s first skyscraper) at the Main Street end.

Jammed in along that stretch is an ugly old five story building that had the bad luck of having its façade re-done at the worst possible time (somewhere between 1960-1980). For many years the building was the home of Song Hays, probably the worst Chinese restaurant in which it was ever my displeasure to eat. A few years ago, however, the Ginza Restaurant Group gutted the place and opened Feng Asian Bistro, which has been a very welcome addition to the Hartford culinary scene.

Feng is all about Asian fusion. You will find some traditional Japanese fare (like a delicious bowl of miso soup), but really the cuisine is a mix of Japanese and western elements, techniques, and styles. The combinations are interesting, and by and large delicious. We have been there several times before (mostly with friends) and we haven’t been disappointed.

After being seated in the booth at the right in the picture, Mrs. HFG and I decided to open the festivities by ordering two “flights” of sake, each consisting of three different types of cold sake. In the interest of full disclosure, I love hot sake, but I am not a big fan of cold sake. Still, it looked interesting on the menu.

My trio ($13) consisted of three different traditional cold sakes, ranging from very dry to somewhat sweet. Somewhat like a Japanese baby bear, I thought the dry sake was too dry, the sweet sake too sweet, and the middle sake was just about right. Honestly, I don’t know that I’d order the Sake flight again, but I’m not sorry I tried it. You only live once, right?

My wife’s trio ($14) consisted of three different flavors of sake, though almost immediately after setting it down our waiter returned with a fourth cup and apologized because the bartender hand mis-poured one of the favors. She liked all four, though I did not care for them.

My wife started with a delicious bowl of miso soup with mushrooms and scallions ($6). Miso soup is made with miso paste, which is a combination of fermented rice, barley, or soybeans (most often soybeans) with salt and a particular fungus. The miso paste is then mixed with dashi, which is the quintessential Japanese stock and can be made with a variety of ingredients, though traditionally with dried kelp and dried flakes of tuna, put in water and brought to a boil then strained. The thing about miso soup is that the flavor is supposed to be there, but it should be very mild. The consistency has to be thicker than broth, but not too much. Thus, Miso soup is actually an easy dish to make badly. My wife’s soup, however, was very well balanced in terms of flavor and consistency.

I started with the duck spring rolls ($7) with a hoisin dipping sauce served with some shoestring sweet potato fries. I thought the duck was well done (i.e. not too gamey) and that the shoestring fries were a nice compliment, not only in terms of flavor and texture, but also adding an essentially Western element to the dish.

For dinner Mrs. HFG had the Dynamite Roll ($18), which is a great example of Feng’s fusion cooking. It consists of tempura jumbo soft-shell crab, spicy salmon, jalapeño and romaine lettuce inside and was topped with spicy tuna, shredded crispy kani with momiji sauce, eel sauce, and honey wasabi. Yes, that’s a ton of flavors and textures, not all of which are part of Japanese cuisine, and it would have been quite easy for that dinner to have gone off the rails. It didn’t. Frankly, my wife’s meal was delicious and a real medley of flavors and textures that combined and re-combined with different bites.

I had the rack of lamb ($37), which is about as fusion as it gets, right? My lamb was prepared in a spiced cider reduction with local carrots, parsnips, turnips, and pearl onions. It was quite good and the lamb was tender and cooked perfectly to the chef’s recommendation (medium rare).

I am not usually a fan of fusion cooking because it’s often an excuse for someone who hasn’t mastered even one type of cooking to try to cover that up by mixing two different types of cuisine. Often, the results are unspectacular (and sometimes even disastrous) but the chef hides behind how clever he (or she) supposedly is being by playing mix and match and acting like you are a gourmand if you don’t “get” it. That said, Feng does fusion right, with a strong base in well-prepared Japanese cuisine mixed intelligently with Western elements.

About the only bad thing I can say about Feng was that the service was not tight. The food moved out of the kitchen quickly and our table was cleared very efficiently, but our waiter had a less than complete knowledge of the menu, a bottle of Pellegrino took so long to appear that my wife was sure they had sent to Italy for it, and, as noted, the bartender put the wrong sake in my wife's trio. Still, our waiter was friendly and hardworking, so I can't be overly critical, but it is small things like that which separate a good experience from a great one.

Even though Feng is one of several places in the area (and Massachusetts) owned and operated by the Ginza Restaurant Group you do not get the feel you are eating in a chain, albeit a high- class chain. No, it definitely has a unique feel and is perfectly adapted to its space (which is very New York, being much longer than it is wide) with a great mix of colors, accents, and textures that contributes effectively to the Asian fusion theme without being tacky.

On the whole, however, my wife and I had a good meal and a good time. While dinner was by no means cheap ($112 including tip), it was a very fair price to pay for a very solid meal. Feng is quite different than most restaurants in the area, and the food is quite good, which means Mrs. HFG and I will be going back when our palletes need a challenge and a change of pace.

Here's the link to Feng's page on the Ginza Group website - http://www.fengrestaurant.com/index2.html

Tamarind Grill & Bar

We are lucky to have more than one good Thai restaurant in the area from which we can choose. That said, and with no disrespect to the East West Grill on New Park Ave in Elmwood (which is really, really good), my wife and I are partial to Tamarind Grill on Pratt Street in Downtown. In fact, this review is long overdue because my wife and I go there a lot (and we also get delivery from there pretty regularly) and we have had many, many delicious meals.

We went again on Friday after work, and I resolved that this would be the trip I would blog about.

Let’s start with the disclaimer; Thai food is obviously very different than what most Americans eat most (if not all) of the time, especially in terms of what the phrase “hot and spicy” means. Indeed, much (if not most) Thai food is a real challenge to the western palate. That’s a good thing, however, because there is a lot more to life (and food) than eating nachos, fried chicken, and hamburgers.

I started with a bowl of the Tom Ka Gai soup. At $4, it is a ridiculous bargain. It consists of chicken in lime leaves, coconut milk, tofu, and red pepper. It has great flavor and is very spicy (the Tamarind menu gives it a 1 pepper spicy hot rating, though I think most people not familiar with Thai food would give it 2), though the coconut milk and tofu do a nice job of balancing out the heat of the dish. I also like the Tom Yum Goong soup ($5), which is a hot and sour soup with prawn (think shrimp) with lemon grass, tofu, and red pepper.

My wife and also split an order of pork dumplings ($7.50). Mrs. HFG thinks Tamarind makes the best dumplings around, and I can’t argue with that assessment. The dumpling itself has a great texture and is never, ever, rubbery, which you sometimes see. The filling is delicious, with steamed pork, sesame, cilantro, and some chili sauce, for kick. Outstanding. It is also served with a soy-based dipping sauce which adds some flavor and moisture.

For dinner, I had the beef hot pot ($15). It is not my all-time favorite Tamarind offering (the mango beef probably is, see below) but it is delicious. More importantly, you can’t get it delivered (nobody is going to carry piping hot stoneware 4 blocks just so the HFG can have a hot pot :<).

One note, both the beef and chicken hot pots are rated as 2 pepper symbols hot on the Tamarind menu, and I agree with that assessment. Still, it is an outstanding choice and you should let the 2 pepper rating scare you away.

My wife had the green curry ($12) (another 2 pepper hot dish, again with good reason) over brown rice. The green curry is a bit different than the sort of curry you’d get in an Indian restaurant as it is thinner, with much more liquid. Still, it is hot and delicious. Tamarind’s green curry is made with chicken, eggplant, peppers, onion, basis leaves, sugar snap peas and bamboo shoots, which are a great balance of textures and which all become infused with the flavor of the curry.

Mrs. HFG and I have had most (if not all) of the food on the menu at one time or another and your really can’t go wrong, regardless of what you end up ordering. One recommendation, however, especially for the more timid; try the mango beef.

The sweetness of the mango cuts the spices and the red, green, and yellow peppers used in the dish. This makes it bit different than a lot of the menu, but it would be a great choice for a beginner and you would still get a great taste of Thai cooking.

One of the best parts about the food at Tamarind is that it is not heavy. You can eat a large (and delicious) meal and not feel stuffed or overloaded. This is the result of them not using a lot of grease or fatty food in their cooking and it also allows the flavors to really pop. While fried foot can be great, there is something really special about flavor profiles that are simply and cleanly prepared.

The service at Tamarind is friendly and hardworking and they are able to deal pretty effectively with the flood of customers who show up every day at lunchtime (seriously, if you go there for lunch after 12 or before about 1:30, be prepared to wait to be seated). Tamarind is a popular spot with people who work in the office buildings Downtown, especially the 20-something crowd, who seem to favor it as a spot for a lunch date. In the evenings, the restaurant is much less crowded, though it is rarely ever even close to empty.

An added plus at Tamarind is the bar. It may not look like much, but it is pretty well-stocked and, more importantly, the people behind it can make a variety of excellent cocktails, ranging from a mai tai, which you would expect, to a margarita, which you would not, to a Manhattan, which I certainly didn't expect (I had two with dinner on Friday :> x 5).

Tamarind is a great place. The food is excellent, the people who work there are very capable and among the most welcoming and friendly in the area, and the prices are very fair. That’s a tough combination to beat.

In fact, about the only negative thing I can say about Tamarind is that, because it is on Pratt Street, there’s not a lot of parking in the immediate vicinity. That, of course, doesn’t matter if you work or live Downtown, but I could see where it would be a pain in the @ss if you don’t. That said, you shouldn’t let that stop you from making the trip, or at least stopping in the next time you go to the XL Center (only 1 block away), Hartford Stage or Theatre works (both 2 blocks away), or otherwise find yourself Downtown. You won’t be disappointed.

Here’s the link to Tamarind’s website - http://www.tamarindhartford.com/

The Polytechnic On20 Restaurant

Henry James wrote that Hartford was the richest little city in America. Indeed, as late as the 1970’s Hartford was not only the insurance capital of the world, it was also a regional banking center (when there were still regional banks) and home to Colt Firearms and Royal Typewriter.

Those days are long gone, of course. In fact, even the venerable Hartford Club is no longer the preserve of the WASP-elite (who are all pretty much gone too), but rather a business club for lawyers, middle-managers, and other haut-bourgeoisie types with just enough money, education, and status to pass for rich and powerful in a town that has seen much better days.

Still, however, there is one place that really harkens back to the days when tiny Hartford was a national city; the Polytechnic On20 Restaurant (“Polytechnic” being derived from the Polytechnic Club, which used to occupy the location). Located (you guessed it) on the 20th floor of the Hartford Steam Boiler building (One State Street for all you GPS geeks), On20 is about as fine as fine dining gets in this area.

On20 is open Monday thru Friday for lunch, and Friday nights for cocktails and dinner. It also hosts many high-level events and major political fundraisers. I have been there for lunch several times and it is impressive, above and beyond the food and service. We are talking power-lunch to about the 9th power.

Indeed, I have seen Congressman John Larson lunching there, listening carefully to serious looking white-haired men talk about who knows what and more or less every table is packed with similarly-stern gentlemen (and the occasional lady) who are no doubt moving and shaking, at least to the extent that anyone moves and shakes in Hartford anymore.

Let’s put it this way, if you go to Max Downtown for lunch, you will see many leading lawyers, stockbrokers, and upper-middle management types from the insurance companies. If you go to On20, you will see the folks that the people eating at Max Downtown work for.

My wife and I decided to go there to celebrate my birthday, but there was no room in the inn the last two weeks, so we couldn’t get a table until last night (don’t they know who the HFG is?!?!?). It was, however, well worth the wait.

My wife started with an absolutely magnificent croque madame, comprised of a quail egg with a slice of ham on perfectly toasted bread with lovely melted French cheese. She thought it was one of the best appetizers she’s had in a very long time and I don’t disagree. Working with quail eggs is no easy thing as they are small and delicate and easily overwhelmed by other flavors. My wife’s dish, however, was perfectly balanced and a well-constructed bite resulted in four different textures (soft cheese, crunchy bread, chewy ham, and slimy egg yolk) and four different flavors (the sharp cheese, the delicious bread, the tangy ham, and the delicate quail egg) coming together in your mouth like a symphony. It was just magnificent and strong testimony to what an excellent chef can do with the most basic of ingredients. It also came with some delicious homemade chips, which was a great compliment from both a textural and taste point of view.

If you follow this blog you won’t be surprised that I had the charcuterie for my appetizer. It consisted of three very attractive preparations; pate, in a thin crust that reminded me of a spring roll; fois gras (:> x 10) bounded by the thinnest of crusts on two sides, and a what looked like a very mild pepperoni or salami in a block (like you might serve fois gras or pate), but which was made from duck. It was absolutely outstanding.

For dinner, my wife had seared tuna over soba noodles, straw mushrooms, and peppers, in a savory sauce. We both thought her dinner was quite nice, with an excellent balance of flavors and textures. In fact, Chef Noel Jones is a master at mixing his textures and flavors to produce subtle and delicious combinations that really unfold as you eat. At first, my wife was only moderately impressed, but as she got deeper into the dish she begin to see (and taste) the medley that Chef Jones had created.

I had the medallions of venison au juis, with head cheese in a green sauce (the color of the wasabi paste served with sushi, though there was no wasabi in it) that tasted of either spring onions or leeks (probably spring onions, since they would have given the sauce its color). I have had venison before and even when it is properly prepared it tends to be a bit tough and gamey. Not last night. Cooked medium rare (to the chef’s recommendation) it was wonderfully tender and with the juis and the sauce quite flavorful.

I won’t lie, I was excited to try head cheese based on the recommendation of Anthony Bourdain. For the uninitiated, head cheese isn’t cheese at all, but rather a terrine or meat jelly made with flesh from the head (though usually not the brain, eyes, or ears) of a calf, a pig, a sheep, or even a cow, and often set in aspic, which is a gelatin made from consommé or meat-stock. Sadly, it didn’t live up to Bourdain’s hype. The texture was soft and not particularly chewy, which was a good contrast to the venison, but I didn’t pick up a whole lot of flavor.

Still, my dinner was excellent and I have no complaints.

With our dinner we ordered a bottle of Washington state cab, called Pitch. At about $40, it was a perfectly satisfactory selection. Actually, for the price it was very nice with a great nose (lots of cherry) and a wonderful hint of cinnamon.

For desert, my wife had the cheese plate, which came with a selection of French cheeses, crackers, and delicious, but not overly sweet, honey (which cut the sharpness of the cheese quite nicely). One of the cheeses was particularly pungent and while I wouldn’t eat it on a regular basis, with a little honey on a cracker, it was great way to challenge the pallet.

I had the so-called cookies and cream, which was a small (but incredibly delicious) chocolate torte with a white chocolate mouse and a small two-layered chocolate cookie. It was fantastic (:> x 25).

I also had a cup of perfectly made cappuccino. That sounds like a small thing, but a lot of non-Italian restaurants (and, sadly, even a few Italian restaurants) can’t seem to do better than liquid drek when making cappuccino. On20, however, got it exactly right, which was a perfect way to end an excellent meal.

The service at On20 is impressive, though I have to say it seems just a bit tighter at lunch than it did at dinner last night. Still, the staff last night was prompt, efficient, polite, well-versed in the menu and the wine list, and well put-together. In fact, probably the worst thing I can say about it was that the hostess handed my coat to me before she handed Mrs. HFG’s coat to her. If that’s the low point, you are doing pretty well.

You only get a partial sense of it from the picture, but the view from On20 is spectacular, as it wraps around the south and west sides of the Steam Boiler Building, giving diners a view of downtown, the Travelers Tower, the Science Center and the Connecticut River. That alone makes it worth the trip. The décor in On20 is formal but relatively simple, which is good because it doesn’t detract from the food, the service, or the often very serious purpose for eating there.

My only real complaint about last evening was the other diners. When I posted about Max Downtown I went on a mini-diatribe about people who go to fine dining establishments “wearing jeans, sweaters, and sneakers, with their similarly attired bratty eight-year-olds in tow.” Last PM wasn’t quite that bad, but it wasn’t good either.

First, there were the young ladies wearing cocktail dresses that would have been too short for them when they were 12, let alone 22. Dear God.

They, however, were easily eclipsed by their gentleman (and I use that term loosely) friend, who wore his dress sneakers to compliment his blue blazer and dress slacks. He, in turn, was eclipsed by the doctor (or nurse) at the next table that came to dinner in his scrub shirt and a pair of khakis. By comparison, the half-dozen men scattered throughout the dining room wearing coats but not ties, or light colored suits (it’s only March!) seemed properly-attired.

Gentlemen, On20 is a first class place and it merits first class attire. Go rent Dr. No, Goldfinger, or any other classic Bond movie. You will see 007 wearing a dinner jacket, a bespoke (i.e. hand made) suit, a bathing suit, or nothing at all. We can’t all be Sean Connery, or even Roger Moore for that matter, but we can at least be better than Larry the Cable Guy.

In any event, On20 is serious dining. The food is complicated, the atmosphere quite formal, and the prices are high (dinner last night came to just north of $210, including taxes and a fixed 20% gratuity). That said, for a fine-dining experience you won’t do better in this area, especially at lunchtime and if you fancy yourself a foodie, or a mover and shaker, then you must go there.

Here's the link to On20 -http://www.ontwenty.com/pages/menu.html

Little Mark's Big BBQ

The HFG is not really a big fan of country music. In fact, I don't like it all, except for Johnny Cash, whom my maternal grandmother loved and always seemed to have playing on her record player when I was very little. So, in order to get me to sit somewhere for an hour and listen to cr*ppy country music (which these days is actually just bad top 40/soft rock made in Nashville, but that's another story) there has to be a really good reason.

Little Mark's Big BBQ in Vernon is a really good reason. Mrs. HFG and I have been going there off and on for a couple of years and if it isn't the best bbq place around, it can't be too far off.

We got there yesterday at about 5 PM and it was almost full (a good sign). We started with an order of gator tails ($6.95) which are, you guessed it, small chunks of alligator tail dipped in a flour-based batter and fried. If you've never had alligator, you really should try it. It is chewy (somewhere between say chicken and octopus) with a nice but not overly-strong flavor. Fried up, they are scrumptious little morsels, WHOOOO-WEE!! I had alligator many years ago when I visited a college girlfriend who was from Louisiana ("You're a purty nice fella" said her uncle in a thick accent I could barely understand, "for a Yankee") and this compares pretty well.

Mrs. HFG had the Beef Lovers Sampler ($17.95), which came with 2 beef ribs, shredded brisket, and burnt ends. You aslo get a side with the entrees and my wife had mac and cheese (which cost and extra $1). We both thought the mac and cheese was OK, but we both liked her dinner plate, though it was a just a touch dry (nothing that some bbq sauce couldn't cure) and the ribs seemed a bit over seasoned with a very spicy rub. Still, it was very good, especially the brisket, which we both loved.

I had the Pork Lovers Sampler ($17.95), which comes with a generous portion of pulled pork, 1/4 Rack and 2 Spare Ribs. I had the mashed potatoes, which are probably the best side out there (and provide a nice contrast in both flavor and texture to all the bbq). As with Mrs. HFG's dinner, we both thought the pork sampler was just a little dry (again, nothing that can't be cured with bbq sauce), though the pulled pork was very good.

Once of the best parts of Little Mark's is the selection of bbq sauces. My wife and I both prefer the hot sauce, which has a nice flavor and good heat and I think the Carolina vinegar sauce is also pretty good. We both find the sweet sauce way too sweet, however.

Also of note, Little Mark's has an extra hot sauce, which you can request on the side. That is really, really HOT! and not for the faint of heart (or stomach). It is fun to try, but I think it's a bit too much for regular consumption (and I like hot and spicy food).

The atmosphere at Little Mark's is very blue-collar and down to earth and the staff is friendly and hardworking - about what you'd expect at a bbq place. The menu is pretty extensive (at least in terms of bbq!), with many combinations of chicken, beef, pork, brisket, burnt ends, and even some catfish and shrimp.

Little Mark's isn't the best bbq place in the world, but for these parts, it's a pretty good taste of southern fare and it's a lot of fun, even if you have to listen to country music while you eat. Here's the link to Little Mark's website - http://www.littlemarksbbq.com/

Francesco's Ristorante

Franklin Avenue is not really a true "Little Italy" anymore. There are very few Italian-Americans who live on and just off the avenue these days and the number of Italian-American businesses continues to dwindle. It seems like every time I go there another restaurant has closed and/or another small shop has changed ownership and is no longer an Italian-American establishment.

That said, there are still a number of great Italian bakeries and restaurants on Franklin Avenue and Francesco's Ristorante is chief among them. Now, I know that Carbone's is widely regarded the king (or Don) of Franklin Avenue, but for me and for my Italian-American wife, Francesco's is the place to go. Indeed, Francesco's is one of the few Italian restaurants to which my wife will go ("why should I pay money to eat something that's not as good as what I make you for dinner?").

The HFG turns 43 this coming week and to celebrate we decided to go to Francesco's. Being a Saturday night we made a reservation, which is an absolute must. In fact, the one time we showed up without a reservation we were lucky to get seated in the bar area and then only because we go there quite a bit and are known to the owner and the staff.

While I know that we get well-treated because we go there quite a bit, the service at Francesco’s is always very good and we were made to feel special beginning with the very first time we set foot in the place. The staff at Francesco’s is friendly, attentive, and hardworking; but never overbearing or obnoxious.

We started with two appetizers. The first was a special; roasted eggplant with mozzarella, tomatoes, and pesto over a bed of greens. It was outstanding. The eggplant was perfectly cooked and well-complimented (but not overwhelmed) by the mozzarella, tomatoes, and pesto. Similarly, the mozzarella, tomatoes, and pesto were all fresh.

Our second appetizer was what I think is Francesco’s signature appetizer; the hot seafood antipasti for two ($16). This is an extremely generous portion of fried calamari, clams casino, stuffed mushroom caps, and a couple of very large shrimp wrapped in prosciutto. It also comes with a very, very, very hot red pepper which is not, under any circumstances whatsoever, for the uninitiated or the faint of heart (or stomach). The calamari are always perfectly fried and the cocktail sauce is tasty (and not some bland, watered down tomato paste) and the shrimp really are quite delicious.

Because we had two rather large appetizers we decided to skip the salad course, but when tomatoes are in season, you have to try to the Sicilian salad ($11), which is fresh tomatoes, kalamata, vidali onions, and fresh green peppers tossed in a homemade virgin olive oil dressing with basil (:> x 5).

For dinner, my wife had the clams and calamari fra diavlo ($29); i.e. clams and squid over linguini and in a spicy marinara sauce. It is sometimes hard to get excited about marinara sauce because it really has become a common element in American cuisine, but Francesco’s marinara sauce is fresh and has a wonderful taste but which is not so powerful as to overwhelm the clams and calamari. I know $29 is not cheap for an entrée, but given the quality and given the extremely generous portion, it is a very fair price.

I had one of the specials for dinner; chicken served in large chunks and with a slight demi glaze, together with sausage, peppers, onions, garlic, mushrooms, and capers in a red vinaigrette. It reminded me of a dish my wife likes to make once and while (pork chops with vinegar-soaked peppers) and while I am partial to Mrs. HFG’s cooking, this was simply amazing as the blend of flavors was great and the vinaigrette gave it a wonderful kick.

The only (minor) criticism I had is that it is served with a side of penne a la vodka but would have been better-matched had it been served over a bed of penne (or linguini or spaghetti) so that the pasta could have soaked in the vinaigrette mixed with the demi-glaze. Happily, however, when I told the waiter my thought, he said they serve this dish as a lunch special from time to time and it is served at lunch over pasta (memo to file, take a lunch at Francesco’s in the next 30 days).

In fact, one of the great things about Francesco’s is its specials, which rotate regularly and which are definitely a strength. My philosophy at Francesco’s is I assume that I am going to have a special and it is only if I am not drawn to one do I look at the regular menu.

Francesco’s is very much an old school Italian-American restaurant (even though it hasn’t been around that long) and if going to Carbone’s is like being in the Godfather (which it can be), going to Francesco’s is like being in Good Fellas – 20 years more modern but every bit as authentically Italian-American. In fact, there are numerous veal, beef, chicken, and pasta offerings and all the traditional favorites, from lobster ravioli (:> x 10) to veal picatta. And, like a lot of such places (such as Casa Bella down in New Jersey, which I reviewed last year) it occupies quite well a stratum between fine dining and neighborhood cooking.

Sometimes for desert we walk across the street to Mozzicato's and have gelato, but Francesco's has a number of sumptuous cakes and other very nice deserts. Last night, however, we skipped desert and went home and had some of the magnificent carrot cake my wife made for my birthday (:> x 10,000) – just about the best birthday present the HFG could get!

Anyway, here's the link to Francesco's website - http://ristorantefrancescos.com/

Brazil Grill

Last Friday a friend took me to lunch at the Brazil Grill on Park Street in Hartford (between Heath and Dorothy Streets on the north side of Park). It was not the first time I had been there (and it won’t be the last) and I had been looking forward to it all week, and not just because my friend was buying.

If you even causally follow this blog you know how much I love Portuguese food. I also love Brazilian food, but the two don't have all that much in common, notwithstanding the relationship between the two countries.

Indeed, the relationship between them is a lot like the relationship between English cuisine (if you can call it that) and American food. There are some common elements, but the latter has been impacted by so many other influences that it is something wholly distinct from the former.

In fact, there's an old saying that the British and the Americans are two people separated by a common language. The same could be said of the Portuguese and the Brazilians and there are a lot of similarities between the two relationships: an historic seafaring European power and its former colony; a colony which developed into a country still related in a lot of ways to the mother country but which has its own history; a new people who speak the same language as that spoken in the mother country, but with unique phrases, words, pronunciations, and idioms; and a new country whose people have their own ethnic identity which is fusion of different influences far beyond its colonial inheritance.

Anyway, my friend is naturalized U.S. citizen who came from Brazil when she was a little girl (ema pequeno menina) so she was the perfect lunch companion (and not just because her Portuguese is about 1,000 times better than mine), which was exactly why I suggested the Brazil Grill as our destination.

The Brazil Grill is like several other churrascarias at which I have eaten. It has a large dining area, with several TV’s where my friend told me that every Brazilian in Hartford – her included – watched all of Brazil’s matches in the World Cup (Copo D Mundo). It is, however, a self-service affair, and you wait in a long (and crowded) line that winds its way past several serving stations. The initial ones have many traditional Brazilian dishes, such as black beans and rice and stewed ochre (both of which ended up on my plate and which were delicious) and (about once a week) feijoada.

For the uninitiated, feijoada may well be the national dish of Brazil. It derives from the stews that the African slaves and indigenous people made from whatever they could gather and the parts of various animals the Portuguese colonists didn’t want – an early and improvised form of nose-to-tail cooking, if you will. Feijoada has a special significance to many Brazilians (at least as explained to me) because it is both a reminder of who they were and perhaps representative of who they are, a blend of European and indigenous influences (a particularly delicious blend in the case of say Adriana Lima or Gisele Bundchen, but that’s another story). Not only is feijoada an important part of the Brazilian cultural identity, it is also amazing and if you’ve never had it, you really are missing out.

Anyway, back to the churrascaria. After you make your way through the preliminaries, you end up at the cutting board, where a friendly fellow who speaks precious little English (which isn’t a problem since most of the customers are Brazilians) is happy to take various spits off the open flame and slice as much meat as you want (:> x 20). The offerings change regularly (most likely based on availability and the mood of the cooks) but thanks to my friend’s fluent Portuguese and her knowledge of churrascaria we were served generous portions of pork loin and picanha (which is the rump cut of a steak). We also got several plump pork sausages right off another spit.

The picanha was amazing. A lot of people say that the rump cut is the most tender and they may be right as our picanha was extremely tender, moist, and had that wonderful flavor you can get only by exposing beef to an open flame (:> x 10).

I also loved the pork loin. It was perfectly marinated and cooked just enough, but not so much as to dry it out. The juice was dripping out of it even before I took a bite (:> x 10).

The sausages were also great. They had a wonderful flavor, were quite juicy, and had just a little bit of char on the outer casing (:> x10).

I have no idea how much out lunch cost as my companion picked up the tab (one neat feature is you pay by the pound), but it can’t be too expensive. Brazil Grill caters to a blue-collar (and incredibly hardworking) crowd of Brazilian immigrants and first generation Americans who are looking for a no-frills taste of home, not a fancy fine dining experience. I am glad they can find it at the Brazil Grill because that means I get my own little taste of Brazil as well (:> x 25).

Like a lot of classic ethnic restaurants Brazil Grill also has all sorts of interesting authentic drinks (I had passion fruit juice) and candies (yes, I had some on the drive back to work :>), but it doesn’t have a website. Here are some links, however, to a Yahoo! map and some reviews –

http://local.yahoo.com/info-37610413-brazil-grill-n-pizza-hartford
http://www.insiderpages.com/b/3711982136/churrascaria-brazil-grill-hartford

J Restaurant/Bar

About ten years I asked a pretty young lady to go to lunch with me. I was somewhat surprised that she said yes and when she asked where I wanted to go, I blurted out “Pizza Plus on Washington Street.” She said nothing, which I took as a sign of great skepticism and likely regret for having agreed to lunch, but I assured her that she would not be disappointed.

When I met her outside Pizza Plus I could tell that her skepticism and regret was starting to turn to anger because Pizza Plus was an ordinary looking urban pizza place in a so-so area. I asked her to keep an open mind and to trust me, which reluctantly she agreed to do.

As she started to look at the menu I could see her whole demeanor change. Pizza Plus, you see, was no ordinary urban pizza joint. Its owner, Jordan Dikegros, who I understand had inherited the business from his parents, had a passion for cooking and had tacked onto the traditional pizza place menu a number of very nice entrees, including lobster ravioli, which I suggested she try. After she took her first bite her eyes lit up, she put her fork down, and she said with a smile “you were right.” :>

In fact, everyone I knew that went to Pizza Plus - myself included - had the same reaction when they had their first taste of Jordan Dikegros’ cooking. It was as if Dikegros had figured out how to turn the time/space/food continuum on its head and transform an ordinary pizza joint into a very good restaurant.

I went to Pizza Plus many, many times before I met my wife and after we started dating it quickly became a regular on our restaurant rotation. A few years ago, however, Dikegros gutted Pizza Plus, turning it into J Restaurant/Bar. In fact, all that remains of Pizza Plus is a small, light wood-paneled back room which had served as a small function room.

Gutting Pizza Plus was a huge risk, because Dikegros had a great thing going, but from what I am told, he had long dreamed of being a restaurantuer and had finally decided to go all in to realize his dream. I think he made an excellent decision.

Our meal started with some complimentary focaccia and olive oil. The focaccia was very nice, with just a touch of salt. While the olive oil wasn’t up to the standard of Mennula (see below), it was very good.

Last night was miserable, almost freezing, and very rainy, so I decided to start with the cream of mushroom soup, which was one of the soups of the day ($7). It was delicious; nice and creamy with a good flavor that had a slight kick at the back end. It was well-complimented by a small piece of crispy bread which added some texture and some melted cheese, which added some flavor a bit more texture. I thought it was very, very good and Mrs. HFG gave it top marks.

My wife started with the J Signature Salad ($6). It consisted of mixed greens with pear, candied pecans, dried cranberries, and gorgonzola, dressed in a sweet balsamic. The salad was very good and perfectly dressed (a Mrs. HFG pet peeve), though the pear could had not yet reached its perfect stage of ripeness. Overall, my wife gave it a good grade and I also thought it was a very nice salad. I won’t lie, however, I was very pleased when Mrs. HFG said she liked her salad but wished she’d had the cream of mushroom soup. :>

For dinner I had the chicken, tomatoes, and goat cheese over fusilli ($18). The generous portion of chicken meshed well with the tomatoes and goat cheese. The fusilli was nice and fresh and soaked up the fresh olive oil in which the dish was cooked. Overall, it was delicious. :> x 5.

My wife had the Adriattic Brodetto ($28), which consisted of sea bass in a saffron broth and olive oil croutons, with mussels, clams, and shrimp. My wife’s only complaint was that there was a bit of grit on some of the shellfish. Otherwise, she thought it was excellent and I agreed. The balance of textures and flavors was well done and the portions of bass, shellfish, and shrimp were all very respectable.

My wife also had two glasses of a Bontera cab/sav ($8 each, $29 per bottle). I am not a big cab/sav drinker, but she thought it was very good.

With a generous tip for excellent service, our dinner came to $111.64. Not cheap (and certainly not as cheap as Pizza Plus!) but a perfectly fair price to pay for a very nice dinner.

The atmosphere at J is very nice; classy without being pretentious, with appropriate lighting and a very modern, Mediterranean décor with exposed brick. The background music was classic R&B (“Gladys Knight had a great voice” remarked Mrs. HFG), which is one of the few types of music my wife and I both like. As you can see from the picture, there is a small outdoor patio and J also has a very nice bar area.

While the location might turn some people off (Washington Street, between Allen Place and Lincoln Street) it is right across from Hartford Hospital and perfectly safe with a good-sized enclosed parking lot next door.

I won’t lie, I really miss Pizza Plus and I don’t think I am alone. It was an almost magical place of urban legend. It was one of the hidden treasures of Hartford. That said, I am glad Jordan Dikegros was able to realize his dream and I am also glad that my wife and I went there last PM. We had a great meal at a very fair price and we will be going back again.

Anyway, here is the link to J’s website - http://jrestaurantbar.com/