Spring Weekend in West Hartford, Connecticut | Eat, Stay, Play
The cultured suburb of West Hartford is the foodie town no one beyond Connecticut’s borders is talking about … yet.
Àvert Brasserie lends a soupçon of French flavor to West Hartford’s sidewalk dining scene.
Photo Credit : Julie BidwellI’ve never been to Paris in the springtime, but I’ve been to West Hartford. Don’t laugh-cry for me. Connecticut’s own little slice of Europe is one of those “if you know, you know” places that many travelers overlook. It’s equidistant from Boston and New York City, and you’d be hard-pressed to find a few-block area in either metropolis with the variety of cuisine that awaits in this sophisticated suburb with 63,000 residents and two Whole Foods Markets. When temperatures nudge up in April, out come the sidewalk tables, the street musicians, the couples of all persuasions strolling hand in hand through West Hartford Center and adjacent Blue Back Square. Up spring the tulips, in parks with architectural features and flowering trees worthy of Impressionist paintings.
I’ve known West Hartford for half my life, but I sometimes forget how rich it is in Connecticut-centric shopping. In places to walk. In neighborhoods like Elmwood and Bishops Corner, with their own character and restaurant finds. How steeped it is in history.
Photo Credit : Julie Bidwell
The newest commercial district is named for local son Noah Webster’s Blue Back Speller. His birthplace is one of 41 notable locations mapped on a weathered sign on South Main Street, not far from his 13-foot marble likeness, sculpted for the town by Korczak Ziolkowski of Crazy Horse Memorial fame. I feel like a slacker as I circle the statue of my dictionary idol, reading his credits: Activist, Author, Educator, Farmer, Journalist, Patriot, Publisher, Scholar.
There is value in slacking, though. So I’ve been weekending in WeHa often with the aim of setting to rest a question I hear perennially from Connecticut friends: Why doesn’t anybody write about West Hartford as a destination?
Truthfully, it’s with some reluctance. Can I live with longer lines for my food-truck favorites at the year-round GastroPark (oh, Hindsight Barbecue, you slay me with your pulled-pork mac and cheese)? Could it become more challenging to secure a table at Coracora, a foodie magnet since chef Macarena Ludena’s Peruvian dishes earned this unassuming Elmwood eatery (it’s in a former McDonald’s) a 2023 James Beard Award nomination for most outstanding restaurant in the country?
And what about divulging secrets like the labyrinth concealed in the forest behind Copper Beech Institute, a nonreligious mindfulness-education nonprofit at Holy Family Passionist Retreat Center? It’s open free to anyone. Whenever I’ve lost myself in its twists—aimlessly aiming for the moon gate at its center—it’s been mine alone, save for the songbirds, the whistle of budding branches.
Photo Credit : Julie Bidwell
Photo Credit : Julie Bidwell
I’m reminded of the benefits of sharing when I meet my West Hartford–based friend Jeannette at DORO Marketplace on a sunny April morning, and we select eight handcrafted French-butter pastries including a filled, glazed, nut-sprinkled pistachio croissant puffy enough to fill me all day. On the patio, dressed with lush plants from Moscarillo’s, we chat with DORO Restaurant Group owners Dorjan and Mira Puka: Albanian immigrants who’ve helped internationalize West Hartford Center with their Treva (Italian), Àvert (French), and Zohara (Mediterranean) restaurants. As our conversation meanders from the extraordinary food scene to the uniqueness of this community—where art, education, and history are revered, businesses collaborate, and being outdoors is central to life—it’s clear I can’t keep WeHa under wraps.
Just where to send you, though, when in West Hartford Center alone you’ll also find top-notch Afghan, American, Caribbean, Chinese, Japanese, Mexican, steak, and seafood restaurants? Jeannette and I contemplate this at celebrity-chef-owned Sparrow Pizza Bar, where toppings like ramps and pesto are splashed to the outer edges of crispy pies. Our debate continues at the West Hartford Reservoirs, where 30 miles of trails are open to walkers, runners, and cyclists. “You’ve made me fall in love with my town all over again,” she says, as we realize for every recommendation in this guide, we have a handful more. So, visit while West Hartford’s still relatively undiscovered. And please let me know if there’s an extra seat at your table.
Guide to West Hartford, Connecticut | Eat, Stay, Play
Where to Eat in West Hartford, CT
Bricco: Chef Billy Grant’s enduring trattoria is always packed with lovers of creative Italian comfort food, wine, and conversation. billygrant.com
Coracora: Accolades pour in for this family-owned Peruvian standout. Head chef Macarena Ludena worked her way up from bussing tables in her parents’ restaurant, and recently her empanadas, ceviches, and fried whole sea bass earned 2023 Connecticut Restaurant of the Year honors. coracoraeats.com
Photo Credit : Julie Bidwell
DORO Marketplace: The pastries are scrumptious, but don’t miss the homemade bagels, fried-chicken sandwiches, sourdough pizza slices, and Connecticut-roasted Shearwater coffee drinks. doromkpl.com
DORO Restaurant Group: Any one of DORO’s three West Hartford Center restaurants would warrant a road trip. How about nibbles at all three? Mussels aux frites and fondue at Àvert Brasserie, ricotta-stuffed zucchini blossoms and the ravioli del giorno at Treva, and seasonally inspired hummus and colossal roasted cauliflower at Zohara. dororg.com
Harry’s Bishops Corner Pizza: If you do want to try a New Haven–style apizza, the finest approximation you’ll find outside Elm City is right here. Breaded eggplant and onion is my go-to. Gluten-free crust is an option. harryswh.com
Hartford Baking Co.: Power your explorations with a pressed E-BAT (local egg, bacon, avocado, and tomato on a just-baked brioche bun), and take home a San Fran–style sourdough loaf to savor all week. OK, it might not last a day. hartfordbaking.com
Sparrow Pizza Bar: In a state known for pizza, leave it to Chopped grand champ Adam Greenberg to prove “New Haven style” is not the only way to go. The bar here stays lively until midnight on weekends. sparrowpizzabar.com
Shish Kebab House of Afghanistan: Jaw-dropping happy-hour prices and shareable portions make this a wallet-friendly date night spot. afghancuisine.net
Where to Stay in West Hartford, CT
Delamar West Hartford: With its own farm-to-table-focused Artisan restaurant and a spa that spoils guests and locals, you could spend all weekend luxuriating here, even though chauffeured tours are available and all of Blue Back Square and West Hartford Center is on your doorstep. delamar.com
Things to Do in West Hartford, CT
Elizabeth Park: Known for its roses, this late-19th-century landscape on West Hartford’s eastern edge fires up its cavalcade of color earlier than you might expect. A fragrant and photogenic greenhouse show in March is followed by unimaginable deals on unique and heirloom bulbs. By late April, more than 10,000 tulips shimmer and shine. elizabethparkct.org
Photo Credit : Julie Bidwell
Noah Webster House: Tablet tours allow you to dive as deeply as you’d like into the history and stories that reverberate through the house where “America’s Schoolmaster” grew up. Purchase West Hartford–themed gifts, and support programming for all ages including poetry readings and Life on the Farm demonstrations. noahwebsterhouse.org
Westmoor Park: Spring’s an idyllic time to visit the barnyard animals and see 66 specimen trees on a self-guided arboretum walk at this 162-acre environmental education center, about a 7-minute drive north of West Hartford Center. It’s a popular birding spot, too. westmoorpark.com
Where to Shop in West Hartford, CT
Good Cause Gifts: It’s a superbly styled boutique. It’s also a nonprofit founded by local parents, where every well-priced item you purchase supports employment opportunities for adults with disabilities. goodcausegifts.org
Kimberly Boutique: If you’re anything but a wallflower, waltz into this high-end women’s clothing, accessories, and gift store and relish the personal attention you’ll receive. Celebrating 20 years, it’s a destination for discovering looks as exclusive as you are. kimberlyboutique.com
Photo Credit : Julie Bidwell
Moscarillo’s Garden Shoppe: Whatever weather spring may bring, you’ll feel sunny and light on a walk through the immense greenhouse at this fifth-generation-owned plant emporium near Bishops Corner. moscarillos.com
Kim Knox Beckius
Kim Knox Beckius is Yankee Magazine's Travel & Branded Content Editor. A longtime freelance writer/photographer and Yankee contributing editor based in Connecticut, she has explored every corner of the region while writing six books on travel in the Northeast and contributing updates to New England guidebooks published by Fodor's, Frommer's, and Michelin. For more than 20 years, Kim served as New England Travel Expert for TripSavvy (formerly About.com). She is a member of the Society of American Travel Writers (SATW) and is frequently called on by the media to discuss New England travel and events. She is likely the only person who has hugged both Art Garfunkel and a baby moose.
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