A Change of Eatery

Well, February has come and gone and I’ve barely scratched the surface of the myriad breakfast eateries, coffee shops and bakeries I set out to discover. Lucky for me, this mission will continue for a long time.

Much of my weekend was spent gallivanting around Hartford, just the way I like it. Haitian Happy hour at La Paloma Sabanera, coffee at Jojo’s, some quick bites at Hook & Ladder, and a fantastic breakfast at Mo’s Midtown.

I’ll touch upon Jojo’s Coffee & Tea for a paragraph or two. What a great find. I ventured out with my roommate Beth on Saturday in hopes of finding a good cup of coffee and a place to get some reading done. Jojo’s exceeded my expectations. Not only did I drink some amazing coffee (they roast their own), but Beth had a cup of tea worth highlighting– a soothing honey lemon concoction with fresh ginger grated in. SO tasty. On the menu, Jojo’s provides a great tea selection (even bubble tea!), grilled paninis, espresso drinks, smoothies, baked goods and so on.

I’ll leave you with my two favorite excerpts from the website:

“We roast our own coffee at Jojo’s Coffee and Tea because we want to give our customers the freshest coffee possible… So how fresh are our beans?  They are so fresh, we have to slap them.”

“Just like dark roast, there is no flavored coffee at Jojo’s.  This is because we have no desire to play with flavor compounds and in our not so humble opinion a coffee shop should smell like, well, coffee, and not some farcical Southern Amaretto Banana Cinnamon Hazelnut Snickerdoodle amalgamation.”

Been here before? Chime in with your two cents :)

22 Pratt Street

Hartford, CT 06103

http://cafejojo.com/

I’ve been a bad narrator lately. So many wonderful meals, so few updates. I’ll catch up one of these days.

This is more important and it’s happening tomorrow.

La Petite France, at 967 Farmington Ave., West Hartford will celebrate “Les Crepes de la Chandeleur” (Crepe Day) on Sunday, 2/28 from 1 to 4 p.m.

“Every year in February, the French celebrate La Chandeleur, a day when everyone cooks crepes,” explained owner Alexandra Litor, who also owns La Petite France Bakery in Stafford Springs. To mark the occasion at her West Hartford cafe and bakery, she will offer a variety of crepes with toppings for $4.50 to $6. Call 860-231-9255.

ALSO, One baguette or one plain croissant bought is $1 for Haiti

Take a look at some of the cafe’s other offerings  http://www.lpfbakery.com/products.php

I think tomorrow just might be one of those days where I eat breakfast for every meal.

My friend Allison alerted me to an upcoming event at La Paloma Sabanera, an award winning coffeehouse on Capitol Avenue in Hartford. The CT Meetup to Enhance Humanitarian Knowledge & Action is hosting a Haitian Happy Hour from 4:30 to 8:00 this Friday, February 26^th. This fundraiser’s proceeds will go to two organizations to benefit earthquake relief efforts: the Christian Haitian Outreach ( http://christianhaitianoutreach.org) and GHESKIO (http://www.haitianchristian.org). I’ve never been to this cafe before so I’m looking forward it!

The event includes:

•Live performances by local musicians, poets, inspirational speakers

•A silent auction of art work, gift certificates, gift baskets, handmade quilts, etc

•A chance to buy products and services offered by other participants (jewelry, cards, artwork)

•Complimentary wine and cheese/hors d’oeurves reception

Well. Needless to say, I’ll be there. I’m a sucker for wine, crafts & charity. And, of course, coffee. Come join me in supporting this great cause!

$10 suggested donation.
February 26th from 4:30-8pm
La Paloma Sabanera Coffee House
405 Capitol Ave. Hartford, CT 06106
http://www.lapalomacoffeehouse.com/default.htm

It’s time to get you caught up on my breakfast outings. Two weekends ago, I ventured out to meet my friend Ryan at Quaker Diner in West Hartford. Situated near the intersection of Park Road and South Quaker Lane, this tiny diner is fashioned like an antique railroad dining-car and has been serving generations of hungry guests since the 1930s. Considering how small the eatery is, our wait time wasn’t too bad. The service at Quaker Diner was incredibly efficient, at least in my experience. Just note that they’re only open until 1:30 pm on the weekends but serve breakfast the entire time ( lunch menu available only on weekdays).

First of all, the coffee is outstanding. Since I drank about two cups more than usual, the caffeine was merrily, merrily coursing through my veins while we waited for our order.

The menu didn’t offer anything terribly unusual, just a wide selection of traditional diner classics with a range of omelet options, French toast, pancakes & homefries.

I chose the raspberry pancakes, which were amazing- a nice contrast between the tangy fruit filling and light, buttery pancake flavor. Ryan went for the kielbasa & cheese omelet, another delicious choice. Also, if you love homefries, definitely try them here. Just don’t make my mistake and opt for the “cheddar homefries”. What I envisioned to be a light sprinkle of shredded cheese turned out to be a big glistening glob of nacho-esque topping. So I worked around it. No big deal. I’d order a plain batch next time.

The verdict? Excellent food, but try to get here early on weekends. We went around 9:30 and the place was already packed, so I imagine it gets busier as the hours roll by. Service was quick, prices reasonable, cash only. Enjoy!

Quaker Diner

319 Park Road
West Hartford, CT 06119-2021
(860) 232-5523

I’ve given up chocolate for Lent.

Chocolate, donuts, cupcakes…and every other treat out there.

Problem is, I have an irrepressible sweet tooth.

I also live with three other girls. It isn’t uncommon for us to stand around eating chocolate chips out of the bag. Or bake brownies at 11:30 at night. Or scrape out nearly empty frosting containers. We steal each other’s hot chocolate mix and scrounge around the apartment for that last square of chocolate. I could go on.

This will be quite a challenge. It’s hard to say goodbye to my beloved treats.

But first I’ll tell you about my most recent (pre-Lent) chocolate experience.

I’m taking you back to Tisane.

I know I’ve described this restaurant’s happy hour menu, but the desserts deserve their own glowing reviews. Tisane’s peanut butter cup fondue, warm chocolate brownie and vanilla lemongrass crème brule are just a few selections, the perfect accompaniments to a hot cappuccino or mug of tea.

My friends & I opted for two of the most popular items on the dessert menu:

The Bon Tons piqued my interest- how could they not? Molten dark chocolate-filled crispy wonton skins on a bed of flambé rum bananas. Plus scattered chocolate espresso beans. Fantastic. Here’s my only criticism: I wish the bon ton shells tasted more like pastry than fried wontons. The filling was, of course, warm, rich, and delightful. $6.59

Here’s another Tisane chocolate gem: Lava cake. House made warm chocolate cake with a molten center served with hazelnut gelato and fresh whipped cream. Perfect combination. $6.59

Here’s a shot of my mocha & me. Clearly content :)

Desserts are priced from $5-$8. Most hover around the $6.50 mark.

http://mytisane.com/

Hopefully I won’t crack in my dessert-deprived Lenten observance- I did pretty well last year! And don’t worry, after Easter I’ll resume my quest for bakeries, chocolatiers, and all that is delicious in this town.

A few things to look forward to this weekend:

Saturday is A Free Day for Hartford residents at the Mark Twain House.

On Saturday and Sunday the Webb-Deane-Stevens Museum in Wethersfield is hosting Black History Month…Special Tours that provide a unique look at the Revolutionary War’s impact on slavery, as well as the struggles and triumphs of the African American town residents.

Also, check out the Broad Brook Opera House performance of RENT: An amazing rock opera with music and lyrics by Jonathan Larson based on Giacomo Puccini’s opera, La Boheme.
through February 28th $20
Broad Brook Opera House
107 Main St., Broad Brook, CT 06016
860-292-6068

Annual Jazz for Juvenile Diabetes concert at West Hartford’s Town Hall Auditorium.
Information: susspeople@aol.com and 860-614-0770.
February 20th
West Hartford Town Hall
50 S. Main St., West Hartford, CT 06107
860-236-8543

Hartford Symphony POPS! Century of Broadway

February 20th : 8 p.m $32.50 – $62.50; $12.50 with a student I.D.
Bushnell Center for the Performing Arts, Mortensen Hall
166 Capitol Ave., Hartford, CT 06106
860-987-5900

Performing some of Broadway’s greatest hits, including songs from Phantom of the Opera, Sweeney Todd, Jesus Christ Superstar, Chicago, Godspell, West Side Story, Showboat, and My Fair Lady.

For a more extensive list of CT weekend events, check out http://www.ctweekend.com/