Eating Out

If you like Spanish and Portuguese cuisine, then make plans to dine at O'Porto Restaurant at 2074 Park Street. This Hartford restaurant has the best to offer in fine dining. For lunch, try one of their omelets, like the omelete de camarao (shrimp omelet). Or, the peito de galinha a chefe. Dinner has such entrees as paelha which is similar to the Spanish dish paella. There are several variations O'Porto including a vegetarian one. A three-course fixed meal is another option here. This is the place to go after work with friends to enjoy their happy hour menu.

Hartford restaurants are plentiful, but for great thai food, check out the King & I Restaurant at 1901 Park Street. I love pad thai with shrimp, and they have the best in the city. The noodles are chewy, and there is plenty of shrimp. Another good choice is their fried rice. If you are a vegetarian, they have several menu choices. The portions are good and the service is excellent. This place is very low key and relaxed. Be ye forewarned: Friday nights are very crowded, but still a great restaurant to go with friends or by yourself.

For an upscale dining experience, try Firebox Restaurant at 539 Broad Street. This Hartford restaurant uses local produce and ingredients to make elegant and tasteful dishes. For lunch, choose the smoked grilled cheese which is made from locally smoked cheddar or the four mile river farm burger made with CT grass-fed beef. Dinner's first course should be a bowl of the New England clam chowder with quahogs, smoked bacon, and potatoes. Entrees include maple & ginger roasted chicken or seared sea scallops. Be sure to save room for dessert like chocolate panna cotta or housemade cookies & a milkshake.

If you are looking for an upscale eatery with down to earth prices, check out J Restaurant and Bar at 297 Washington Street. This Hartford restaurant serves everything from grinders, pasta, salads, pizzas, sandwiches, and almost offers an extensive wine list. Customers can enjoy such entrees as eggplant grinder, shrimp tuscany artisan pizza, black angus cheeseburger, salmon blt, chicken pesto sandwich, turkey panino, ahi tuna wrap, jumbo crabcake, coconut shrimp, stuffed mushrooms, shrimp a la vodka pasta, lobster ravioli, pan seared sea scallops, or a J salad with pears, candied pecans, gorgonzola cheese, dried cranberries, and a balsamic vinaigrette.

There are many Hartford restaurants. But for good Italian food at a great price, make sure to stop by Carbone's Ristorante at 588 Franklin Avenue. Voted this year as "Best Italian Restaurant" by three magazines, it is definitely a place to take family and friends. Lunch and dinner are served cafe style or buffet. Carbone's also offers a seven-course meal, a family style four-course meal, and a three-course lunch meal. Feast on such delicacies as chicken marsala, penne ricotta, sausage & broccoli rabe, shrimp scampi grilled pizza, and shrimp risotto. They have an extensive bar and wine selection as well.

If you are in the mood for some Caribbean food, then the Hartford restaurant to visit is Golden Krust Caribbean Bakery at 1170 Albany Avenue. There is another at 657 Blue Hills Avenue. When you go, order the jerk chicken. It is spicy and you get plenty of food, especially in the combo meal. Other popular entrees are curried goat, stewed chicken, braised oxtails, and the king fish. Get your meal with red beans & rice, fried plantains, or steamed vegetables. If you have room for desert, buy the rum cake, carrot cake, or the coconut roll.

There are many Italian Hartford restaurants. But for great flavor and authentic Italian cuisine, be sure to visit Casa Mia Restaurant at 381 Franklin Avenue. They offer meal service for lunch and dinner. There is even a carry-out menu. For lunch, customers can feast on such entrees as calamari fra diavolo (calamari in spicy tomato sauce over linguine), risotto di mare (rice with shrimp, crab, scallops, and lobster meat), gamberi alla busara (grilled shrimp with mozzarella & prosciutto), and scaloppine galanti (veal with shrimp, spinach, lemon, and wine). Reservations are accepted and can be made online on their website, www.tomad.net.

If you are traveling with your children, then a great Hartford restaurant to dine at is Hooks & Ladder on Main Street. Located next door to the South Green Fire Station, this eatery honors past and present firefighters. You and your family will enjoy eating wings, calamari, sliders, nachos, onion rings, grilled cheese, apple walnut salad, fried chicken, mac n' cheese, meatloaf, fish and chips, steak, prime rib, chicken pot pie, linguini with chicken, shrimp & pasta, and penne with vegetables. Before you leave, be sure to visit the gift shop to pick up souvenirs like t-shirts, caps, and mugs.