5 new restaurants to try in Greater Hartford

Across Connecticut and in Greater Hartford there are constant changes in the restaurant landscape as new eateries open and old favorites decide it’s time to try something new. To give readers a change of pace and sum up some of those changes, here are five new restaurants that have opened recently in the Hartford area.

Frankie B’s Tavern, Vernon

Eric Stavropoulos and his general manager, Heidi Adams, are going for the cozy, family-friendly feel in the Frankie B’s Tavern they opened in mid-April at 346 Kelly Rd.

Both dog lovers, Stavropoulos and Adams also both have a passion for food, atmosphere and making people happy.

The rustic look and feel of the restaurant fairs well with the cuisine – food with a “southern flair,” including lots of smoked meats and barbecue. They also feature seafood and “higher end steaks” brought in from a ranch in Kansas City.

The tavern also serve burgers, foot-long hot dogs, soups, salads and wings.

The menu also offers a variety of whiskeys and bourbons, and a smoker for the bourbons to bring out the flavor.

Birch Hill Tavern, Glastonbury

Birch Hill Tavern, 1320 Manchester Road, has been under new ownership since late January.

They still have a “scratch kitchen” and the popular items remain, such as hamburgers made with ground beef purchased from an area farm.

But owners Jessica Cote and longtime boyfriend Bob Nicholson, have added interesting new dishes and specials as well, such as blackened red snapper with with a spinach artichoke couscous in a preserved lemon vinaigrette, garnished with lobster and shrimp. Then there’s the lobster mac and cheese and braised pork with garlic broccoli rabe, sharp provolone and Italian hot peppers on a hoagie roll.

Cote said of dining at the tavern, “It can be as casual or upscale as you want.”

The bar at this cozy eatery is tended by award-winning mixologist, Geoff Smith, who hand saws ice cubes for specialty drinks into fresh, clear, 3-inch by 3-inch chunks so they keep the drink cold without watering it down.
Smith also puts love in the cocktails, Cote said.

1001 Mexican Restaurant & Bar, West Hartford

At this new eatery, 134 Park Road, general manager, Gregory Morales and chef Carlos Carranza Cardona consider themselves “artists.”

Morales’ specialty is craft cocktails made with fresh fruits like blueberries and raspberries, as well as herbs such as mint, sage, basil, thyme.

Cardona, a native of Honduras who became an expert in Mexican cuisine while working in California, has a gift for putting new twists on Mexican favorites.

His kitchen is all from scratch and even the guacamole is made to order.

They have all the usual Mexican favorites and a vegan menu as well that includes tacos filled with cauliflower, mushrooms, zucchini.

Americana Restaurant, West Hartford
At Americana Restaurant, Chef Enrique Rodriguez and his wife, Julie, serve American food, but that leaves the door wide open for dishes from around the world because, “You can put any influence on because

America is the melting pot,” Julie says.

Americana, 179 Park Road, is their first full-service restaurant, but couple also own six takeout places – with a heavy Mexican influence – including four in the Parkville Market and two in New Britain.

Enrique says he learned a lot watching his mother cook every day in his native Mexico, her specialties enchiladas and mole.

“I’m passionate about food,” Enrique says.

Julie is a graduate of Culinary Institute of America, but is focused more on “front of house” operations than cooking.

Hibachi Grill Buffet, Manchester
The popular Hibachi Grill Buffet offers an all-you-can-eat buffet of Chinese, Japanese and American cuisine including a hibachi grill for custom orders and a sushi station.

The 10,000 -square-foot restaurant in the former site of Hometown Buffet at 165 Slater St.

The owners of the restaurant formerly ran the popular Hibachi Grill Supreme Buffet in West Hartford, which closed when the lease was up.