I will be in Hartford, CT next week for a few days and am curious as to any dining suggestions...no matter price or quality just a good place for lunch, dinner for a few days.

Any thoughts about hotels too???

Thanks in advance.

These range from trendy to upscale :-: so take your pick.
Hot Tomato's at Union Station (Amtrack/Bus Terminal)
Coach's Sports Bar & Grill, Allyn Street near Union Station (that's Coach Calhoun of UConn Husky fame) ^
City Steam Brewery (they only serve their beers and ales) ^
Vito's by the Park (Bushnell Park)
No Fish Today on Pratt Street
Pierpont at the Goodwin Hotel (upscale)
Max Downtown on Asylum Street (very upscale)
Morton's of Chicago (incredible steaks) - top of the upscale list ^ ^

You can get a map of Hartford and telephone numbers/addresses if you go to mapquest.com.

The Hilton Hotel just opened up after a total renovation. They have a combination Jewish Deli/Asian Restaurant (I think it's called Mort and Ming's) that is "interesting."

Hope this helps.

There is also MAX Downtown

Thanks for the suggestions.

As far as hotels, would you suggest the Hilton is the most upscale hotel available? I was hoping to stay at the new Marriott but they cancelled my reservation as the hotel is still undergoing construction.

Thanks again for your thoughts....

Any thoughts about staying at the Godwin Hotel???

Definitely Max's. I had amazing seafood there when a client took me there in March.

Techgirl,

Where did you stay while in Hartford? Your help is greatly appreciated. I booked Max's today!

I stayed at the Homewood Suites next to the UConn Med School since that was where I was speaking. No clue where it actually is though - client picked me up and drove me everywhere!

I was "sentenced" for about 6 weeks in Hartford, CT last fall. It ranks in the top 5 worst places I have been sent for work. Max's was just down the street from our office and I was underwhelmed. If this was the best I would hate to see the worst. There was an Au Bon Pain just about a block further. I would go buy soup in the afternoon and reheat at the hotel rather than rack up calories on so-so food. It was the best nice restaurant in town but I was less than impressed.

I second the vote for Hot Tomatoes -be sure to order the garlic bread, it's killer! If you like true NY Deli and have a car, visit Rein's Deli in Vernon, Ct. - about 20 minutes outside Hartford. Pierpont's was ok - I was not impressed. Haven't been to Max's, but have heard good things about it. If you like blues / jazz, I hear Black Eyed Sally's (near the Goodwin and Hot Tomatoes) is good too.

Since the Goodwin is my corporate hotel, I have stayed there many times. It is a historic property (i.e. - it has "character", but the walls are thin, it can take a long time to get hot water, and the furniture is worn). The rooms range from large to small - so you may want to ask at the front desk for a larger room. Since it is downtown, none of the rooms have great views.

The bar is mediocre - service ranges from decent to awful.

If you need a cab, call down to the bell desk about 10 minutes prior. Last time we were there, it took as long as 20 minutes to get a cab in the mornings.

Hope this review of the Goodwin helps.

You were actually in Farmington which is about 10 miles to the west/southwest.

Prncess, I'm sorry to hear about your negative experience in Hartford. Maybe you went on an off night. The Max group is very well established in the Hartford area with locations in Hartford, Avon, W. Hartford and at the Basketball Hall of Fame in Springfield, MA.

I was born and raised in central Connecticut and been living in Houston almost nine years and there are still things that Hartford has that Houston doesn't.....like shellfish (clams, lobster) and italian food.

One our regular stops when home is either the USS Chowder Pot IV alongside 91 south of downtown at the Airport Rd. exit or the Maine Fish Market Restaurant near BDL in E. Windsor (Warehouse Pt. exit).

A great place for pizza is First & Last Tavern at 939 Maple Ave. in the south end. It's brick oven...be warned, they won't take orders from 3-4 in the afternoon so they can clean the oven. Try not to fill up on the bread basket while waiting on your 'za.

I've heard Peppercorn's is very good but I'm more familiar with its sister restaurant in Farmington....Piccolo Arancio which was always excellent.

Let me know if you have any more questions.

I had a wonderful meal at Max's (Oyster Bar) a few years ago when I was last in Hartford. Had many wonderful meals in the vicinity, from Mystic, CT all the way to Freeport, Maine and Newport, Rhode Island......