Dinner and a Movie

The Hartford Courant did a news story this week about the 25th anniversary of The Gilson Cafe and Cinema in Winsted, CT, and that made me start to reflect on how many independent cinemas used to exist within our state and had to close due to lack of business, competition by mega theatre chains, and the poor economy. It seems to me that the resounding success of this theatre comes from it's incorporating a full bar and dinner menu for their patrons, a thrilling idea break from stale popcorn, candy and sodas. 


Any theatre that can offer me "Pate' and Brie~ A presentation of duck liver mousse pate' made with plum wine, a wedge of soft brie cheese accompanied with slices of bread. $5.95" and a bottle of wine with my movie, is the kind of place that I want to be! And if you don't feel like being so upscale, they also offer a smattering of delicious sounding salads, sandwiches, pastas and additional appetizers. I checked out their website today too and saw that they have Mexican food too being offered by "Padres Place" which looks quite tasty, and inexpensive.


1) Movies run $7.50 (a bargain considering I paid close to $10.00 last time I went to a movie). 2) The popcorn has REAL butter on it. 3) Doors open at 6pm. 4) Closed on Mondays. 5) Reservations required for Fridays and Saturdays...so plan ahead! 


Check out their website for more info: http://www.gilsoncafecinema.com/index2.htm

Snowy Weather Fund at La Paloma Sabenera (please help out if you can!)

Dear Friends and Customers:

The stormy weather we’ve been experiencing this winter has played havoc with La Paloma Sabanera. We’re struggling right now as we’ve lost several days of business between the holidays, furlough days, and the inclement weather. January is normally a slow month anyway and coupled with the additional off days in sales has severely hurt our bottom line. When we re-opened La Paloma, we did so right at the beginning of a severe recession. We’ve managed to remain open through a difficult economy because of your support. When you need a place to get away from the office, we’re here. You meet your friends and clients at La Paloma because of our friendly atmosphere. You recognize that La Paloma is unique and plays a vital role in Hartford’s artistic community. There is simply no other place like us. We’re a small local business so you know that your support means support for our community and the people who live here. It keeps the Hartford economy growing. However, we are more expensive to operate and don’t have the deep pockets that the chains have. Our business is run much more like a non-profit than a for-profit enterprise. That is why we are appealing to you. There are several ways you can help.

1. We’ve set up a snowy day fund in the store. You’ll see the bright red box on the counter. Please drop off donations of any amount.

2. For those who can donate $50 or more, you will receive a gift card for 10 free coffees.

3. Please stop by Monday - Friday 7am to 6pm and Saturday 9am to 3pm and support us by purchasing coffee and food.

4. Encourage your friends and colleagues to come down if they haven't been before.

We wouldn’t ask this of you if it weren’t absolutely necessary. Remember, every drop counts! Thanks and we’re going to get through this together!

-Virginia Iacobucci (owner of La Paloma)

Upcoming tastings at Spiritus

Warm up with wine tastings at Spiritus Wines: 

Thursday, January 20th from 4:30 to 7:00 PM
Saturday, January 22nd from 1:00 to 4:00 PM

2008 Mohua Pinot Noir Central Otago  $20.99

A delicate cool-climate pinot noir comparable to some of the lighter Oregon bottlings. Raspberries and currants, soft and supple with an herbal, smoky character.

2007 Vavasour Wines Pinot Noir Marlborough      $22.99

Delicious, fleshy red cherry fruit with a backbone from nine months in French oak. Very pleasant and easy to drink with a dash of acidity to prevent it from being sappy.

2008 Nautilus Estate Pinot Noir Marlborough   $24.99

Polished and refined, brimming with raspberry, cherry and sassafras aromas and flavors,lingering easily on the bright finish. Very limited quality available. 

2009 Craggy Range Vineyards Pinot Noir Te Muna Road Martinborough  $41.00

This has an adorable ripe red currant, raspberry, wild strawberry and orange sorbet bouquet that soars from the glass. The palate has a ripe, caressing entry with rounded redcurrant and orange zest fruit. 

In the constant search of brunch...I found Cafe Mangia

Brunch is probably my favorite meal, and as such I am always in search of places that I can go. I have two qualms about this. The first is that it is typically only offered on weekends, and the second that on the weekend my options are generally limited to Sundays. Grrrr. Having gotten that off my chest, I have found some really good locations for brunch and thankfully the list keeps growing. Cafe Mangia is a cute local spot in Colchester that I like to go to in the summer only because I prefer eating outdoors on their wraparound porch, and typically go there on my way elsewhere like the beach, Priam vineyard or the casinos. But I am sure it's just as good in the winter too! 

     A favorite item on the menu is the Grilled Polenta Cakes which are topped with sauteed vegetables, marinara sauce and whipped ricotta. Mmmm. Also a huge fan of the option of designing my own omlet, since I am one of those people who really gets off on adding all sorts of funky ingredients and seeing how it turns out, instead of letting the chefs do their job and pick a good combination for me. And speaking of summer, you could go with the Fresh Fruit Crepe for breakfast, and with a mouth full of berries, pretend that it's June. I certainly do.
     Lastly what's even better than a delicious menu? Delicious prices. Most items range from $6.95 to $9.95. That should be reason enough for a spontaneous road trip to Colchester on Sunday morning.

Website: http://www.cafemangia.com/sundaybrunch.html

Awesome ice cube trays are indeed out there!

I accidentally stumbled upon a website with a recent post about ice cube trays that caught my eye. Boring you say? These ice cube trays are sure to change your mind! Personally I can't decide if I want the Titanic and Iceberg set or the ones that look like dentures. Either way, they are hilarious and will be a good addition to any beverage.

Check out this website for ordering info and other great ice cube trays: http://www.oddee.com/item_96599.aspx

Taste of Hartford ~ 2011

While the price may have increased by a penny from $20.10 to $20.11, nothing else have changed about this great opportunity to get a three course meal for $20 at participating restaurants in the city of Hartford. Personally I am always psyched when this comes around and can't wait to go check it out. Here is the list of restaurants that are participating and you can check out what their tasting menu will be at the following website: http://tastehartford.com/

Agave Grill 100 Allyn Street (860) 882-1557	bin 228 228 Pearl Street(860) 244-9463	Black-Eyed Sally's 350 Asylum Street (860) 278-7427	Carbone's 588 Franklin Avenue (860) 296-9646
City Steam Brewery 942 Main Street (860) 525-1600	Costa del Sol 901 Wethersfield Avenue (860) 296-1714	DISH 900 Main Street (860) 249-3474	Feng Asian Bistro 93 Asylum Street (860) 549-3364
Firebox 539 Broad Street (860) 246-1222	Francesco's 380 Franklin Avenue (860) 296-3024	Hot Tomato's 1 Union Place (860) 249-5100	J Restaurant Bar 297 1/2 Washington Street (860) 527-7764
Max Downtown 185 Asylum St # 1 (860) 522-2530	O'Porto 2074 Park Street (860) 233-3184	Peppercorn's Grill 357 Main Street (860) 547-1714	Salute 100 Trumbull Street (860) 899-1350
Trumbull Kitchen 150 Trumbull Street (860) 493-7412	USS Chowder Pot165 Brainard Road  (860) 244-3311	Vivo 200 Columbus Boulevard (860) 760-2333	Wood-N-Tap 99 Sisson Avenue (860) 232-8277

Complimentary weekly wine tastings at Spiritus

A completely lovely thing to start doing this winter, if you don't already, is to visit some wine stores that offer free in-store tastings of their collections. One of my favorite places to do so, is Spiritus Wines in Hartford. On my introductory tasting for example, I had the rare occasion to taste 4 incredible wines that were over $100 a bottle. FREE IN-STORE TASTING SCHEDULE Thursday, January 13th from 4:30 to 7:00 PM Saturday, January 15th from 1:00 to 4:00 PM 2009 Bodegas Angel Rodriguez Martinsancho Verdejo Rueda $17.99 a bottle. Pungent notes of exotic fruits such as guava and papaya, green notes and an alluring salty almond aroma, all of these marry with the fresh zestiness of the grape to create an exciting wine for tapas and seafood. 2008 Chateau Graville Lacoste Graves Blanc $20.99 a bottle. This is not lush tropical fare of golden pineapple and honey, but rather light citrus notes of lemon and lime with a dash of melon. The real star in the glass is the expression of minerality from the vineyards gravel soils. If you have enjoyed white Bordeux in the past, I would recommend grabbing several bottles of this cuvee to enjoy with shellfish and poultry. On the other hand, if you are not familiar with such a pleasure, Graville-Lacoste provides an ideal opportunity to broaden your wine experience. 2005 Bodegas Beronia Reserva Rioja $19.99 a bottle. Aged in barrels interestingly composed of both French and American oak, the covers are made from French oak while the staves are American oak. In your glass the wine presents a fragrant perfume of tobacco, red cherry, red currant and leather, while the palate shows ripe red fruit with velvety tannins. 2007 Villa di Geggiano Chianti Classico $24.99 a bottle. This is a certified organic wine using scrupulously hand-picked grapes. The current production demonstrates excellent ripeness with lush yet not oaky overtones, a nicely firm structure, and classic notes of strawberry on the palate. A chianti such as Geggianos constitutes a perfect accompaniment to pastas, game, cheeses and rustic bread.