Lunch at Vinted in the Blue Back Square - West Hartford CT

Social Media Promotion

 #ShopTheBlueBackSquare
#LunchAtVinted (Part I)

Last weekend I received an invitation from Kat of A Little Bird Told Me to attend a lunch and shopping promotional event at the beautiful Blue Back Square in West Hartford CT. Needless to say, I jumped at the chance to finally visit this great little shopping district in West Hartford that I had heard so much about.

Rather than make this a super long post - I'm breaking my recap into two parts. Part One will be all about lunch at Vinted Wine Bar and the merchants (ElyseRyan Jewelry  and Nelson Salon and Spa) that met with us there --- and Part Two will be about the stores we visited at the Blue Back Square. (Read Part II about my shopping experience HERE)

Vinted Wine Bar

The event started officially with a sampling of the NEW lunch menu at Vinted Wine Bar, a member of the Federal Restaurant Group, with establishments in Massachusetts and Connecticut. The Vinted has an amazing selection of wines by the glass and a fun American tapas menu that goes perfectly with this quaint little place.

Vinted Wine Bar West Hartford CT

I adored the wine stations that surrounded the room with some great selections. I even spied one of my all time favorites the Prisoner Red (below, second from left).

Wine Stations - Showcasing and chilling over 60 varieties of wine

We started our lunch off with a nice light white wine, the Igreco Filu Bianco Calabria. The perfect selection for a luncheon with friends! Ever so slightly acidic, with a fresh clean flavor profile, this was a great Italian white wine to start our tasting with!

The bottle looks a bit like a minion, no?

Igreco Filu Bianco Calabria IGT, Italy

For our first course, we had a delicious Roasted Shrimp Kale Salad made with julienned apples, spiced walnuts, fresh radishes, with a creamy buttermilk dressing.

Roasted Shrimp Kale Salad

Next we had a delicious de-constructed platter, the Winter Beet Salad, made with smoked yogurt, porcini 'dirt', charred red onion and prosciutto.

Winter Beet Salad at Vinted Wine Bar

Next up on our luncheon sampling list --  the Truffle Risotto Balls with a truffle butter sauce. I could eat these all day, every day. They were ohhhh soooo goood!

Truffle Risotto Balls at Vinted Wine Bar

We then sampled a crisp cocktail perfect for the holiday season, an Apple Spice Cocktail, perfectly presented with a sugared rim and citrus peel. I have to say, this was a great plus for me as most wine bars I visit don't pay such close attention to their cocktail and spirit menus. Vinted has a cool craft cocktail menu with everything from Juleps to Moscow Mules! Definitely a plus!

Apple Spice Cocktail

Another great item we sampled was the Forest Mushroom Quesadilla, stuffed with aged cheddar cheese, sauteed kale, roasted garlic, parmesan, and chili oil with a charred scallion sour cream dip on the side. So incredibly good!

Forest Mushroom Quesadilla at Vinted Wine Bar

Everything was delicious! Other items available that day were a Honey Barbecue Chicken Slider (does that sound amazing or what?) and another craft cocktail, a modern take on the classic Grasshopper!

While all this food tasting was going on we also met with ElyseRyan Jewelry and members of the Nelson Salon and Spa who were on hand for beauty tips and makeovers.

ElyseRyan Jewelry

ElyseRyan Jewelry is beautiful and her philosophy of giving back is just as lovely. Depending on the item, a portion of proceeds is donated to the Ilya Peckerman Fund benefiting the Vasculitis Foundation’s Research Program or to the Easter Seals organization. Owner, designer, and hand-crafter Elise Rosenstock is equally giving, and gifted all the lunch attendees with her Easter Seals cuff bracelet. (Thank you Elise!!)

ElyseRyan Jewelry - Easter Seals Gives Back Bracelets

ElyseRyan Jewelry - Vasculitis Foundation Bracelet

For more about ElyseRyan Jewelry visit http://elyseryan.com/

Nelson Salon and Spa

The team from Nelson Salon and Spa also visited with us during our time at Vinted, offering makeovers, makeup tips, and more beauty secrets.

Nelson Salon and Spa

Nelson Salon and Spa is a luxury, full service salon providing a wide range of services in the West Hartford area.

For more about Nelson Salon and Spa visit http://www.nelsonsalonspa.com


This meetup was so much fun! Big thanks to Kat for inviting me and to Vinted Wine Bar for a delicious sampling of their new lunch menu! And additional thanks to ElyseRyan Jewelry and Nelson Salon and Spa for the informative afternoon!

Vinted Wine Bar
63 Memorial Road
West Hartford CT 06107
860.206.4648
Visit them online at http://vintedwinebar.com/

For more information on the Blue Back Square visit http://www.bluebacksquare.com/

Read Part Two of #ShopTheBlueBackSquare ==>> HERE 

For more pictures of this event 

visit the Home Place facebook page HERE

and while you're there, don't forget to "like" us!

  Disclaimer: I was invited to this event by members of the merchants' public relations and marketing firms, however, all views expressed are my own.