Fall Visit to West Hartford's Delamar Hotel and Artisan Restaurant

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After staying a weekend at the beautiful DELAMAR in Greenwich CT I was so excited when I was included in an invite to tour the newly opened DELAMAR West Hartford and dine at the Artisan Restaurant!  Located close to West Hartford's Farmington Avenue business, shopping, and restaurant district, and at the foot of one of my favorite shopping destinations, the Blue Back Square, this hotel is a welcome addition to the neighborhood.

We loved Hartford county's newest boutique hotel with onsite amenities that includes fine dining at the Artisan Restaurant and a full-service luxury spa.

We started our visit in the lobby where we viewed the gorgeous artwork on display from the New Britain Museum of American Art. This ever changing gallery of curated art at the DELAMAR is absolutely amazing. As an added bonus guests of the hotel are invited for a complimentary visit to the museum. 

I would be remiss if I didn't mention the incredible chaise sculpture made entirely of quarters that is certainly the centerpiece of the hotel lobby.

We viewed several of the rooms, suites, and junior suites, some with balconies and beautiful views of the surrounding area.

Rooms are light-filled and roomy - perfect for the busy traveler or for a relaxing weekend getaway.

Every room included comfortable seating perfect for unwinding after a business meeting or shopping excursion.

True to boutique hotel standards, the artworks and decor, both in private rooms and public areas, is absolutely spectacular. 

The Delamar West Hartford is sure to be a destination for corporate conferences and business meetings, as well as a special event and wedding venue, offering both interior and outdoor facilities and spaces.

After our tour of the hotel we returned to the adjoining Artisan Restaurant for some cocktails and dinner.

The Artisan offers happy hour cocktail specials and has an extensive list of specialty and signature cocktails.

Seating is available in the tavern, the garden (weather permitting) and in the beautiful restaurant. The menu features local and seasonal flavors with New England-inspired cuisine with Chef Frederic Kieffer's own twist and European flair. Chef Kieffer has an on-site garden, where he grows a variety of produce used in his seasonal menus.  Artisan provides all room service and catering for banquets and special events.

We enjoyed some delicious salad - with veggies fresh out of Chef's Garden and some delicious seafood, chops, and steaks. My tuna pictured below was absolutely divine!

And for dessert I went with a creamy luscious custard with a sweet little Madeline cookie on the side! 

For my next visit to the Delamar you'll find me at the DELAMAR Spa for one of their wide array of full service treatments - offering everything from manicures and pedicures to custom treatments. There are even bridal services available.

Photo Source: The Delamar West Hartford

The newly opened DELAMAR Spa offers some of the best and newest treatments straight from Europe. DELAMAR Spa’s primary partners in skincare are Valmont, specializing in cellular skincare from Switzerland, and Biologique Recherche from France. Both companies are long time family-owned businesses where the owners are personally vested in the science, results, and the overall experience. 

Learn more about the spa's many treatments at https://delamar.com/west-hartford/spa/treatments/

If you are looking for a place for your next conference or special event, be sure you view the DELAMAR Hotel! It's located 20 minutes from Hartford's Bradley International Airport, and less than two hours from both Boston and New York City.

Visit the Delamar West Hartford and Artisan Restaurant soon!

Delamar Hotel and Spa

1 Memorial Road
West Hartford, CT 06107
(860) 937-2500
https://delamar.com/west-hartford/our-hotel/amenities-services/

Artisan Restaurant

27 LaSalle Road
West Hartford, CT 06107
(860) 726-4090
https://delamar.com/west-hartford/dining/

Disclaimer: We were invited to the Delamar Hotel and Artisan Restaurant by members of the hotel's management and marketing team, however all views expressed are our own. Portions of this review were sponsored.

© Home Place 2017

Weekend Brunch at Barcelona Wine Bar in West Hartford

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You didn't think Sunday Brunch could get better right?

Well, it just did!

How could that happen, you ask?

How about adding a SATURDAY brunch to your weekend?

That's right! Barcelona Wine Bar in West Hartford has a Sunday AND Saturday brunch!

So, of course we traveled to West Hartford's beautiful downtown Farmington Avenue shopping and restaurant district to visit Barcelona Wine Bar WeHa-Style and sample their weekend brunch!

Bloody Mary Bar
Design your own Bloody Mary!

I started with a Bloody Mary from the Bloody Mary Bar! So much to choose from but I stayed with my favorite heaping spoonful of horseradish and added some briny olives (stuffed with blue cheese) and some pickles! YUM!  I garnished it with a cucumber, radish, and lemon. And, of course, a thick piece of bacon (or two!) as a stirrer.

Bloody Mary Bonnie Style

Also a popular favorite at brunch was this cool refreshing White Sangria

We also learned about the Porron - a shared drinking vessel that is a cross between a wine carafe and a watering can. One tilts the spout without it touching the lips, opens wide, and drinks away! Of course, the cowboy was the immediate expert. Go figure.

And this is why I love him!

The wine in the porron was a delicious Spanish wine, Ameztoi Rubentis Rosado, Getariako Txakolina.  Nice and fruity and light.

And then the food fest began! What I like most about Barcelona's Brunch, is that although they do have specialty brunch small plates and tapas on the menu, you really have the opportunity to order anything you like! This means you don't have to limit yourself to breakfast-type items, and because we went in the early afternoon, we wanted to try a bit of everything!

Below are some of the items we sampled.

 Pork Belly Bocadillo
with Egg and pickled onions

Albondigus
Spicy Meatballs in a Ham-Tomato Sauce

Grilled Asparagus
With Egg, Shallot, and Truffle

House Made Bacon Steak
Served with a Whole Grain Mustard Sauce

Pickled Beet Salad

Lemon Blueberry Pancakes
With a creamy whipped ricotta topping and sweet maple syrup

Roasted Bone Marrow
Served with beets, green onion, and capers.

Manchego Cheese and Jamón [ham] Croquettes
Served on a creamy bed of garlic aioli drizzled with smoked paprika 

Grilled Duck Hearts
With Red Chimmichurri

Torrijas (French Toast)
Served with a delicious coffee vanilla syrup

Huevos a la Flamenca
served with spinach, manchego cheese and a baked egg

Watermelon Salad
Pickled Red Onions and Feta Cheese

Paella Mariscos
Seafood Paella with prawns, clams, mussels and squid

Patatas Brava
with salsa brava and garlic aioli 

Poutine
Mangalica Cheese Gravy, Egg, Ricotta

Sardinas  in olive oil

Jamón Serrano
Sliced Spanish Ham

Grilled Summer Squash
in a Red Pepper Aioli Sauce

And, believe it or not, after all that food we found some room for desserts!

Churros with Hazelnut dipping sauce

Dulce de Leche Crepes
topped with coconut ice cream

My personal favorites were

• Pork Belly Bocadillo, a delicious breakfast sandwich with a bit of an earthy spice to it 
• Huevos a la Flamenca, a nice balanced dish full of flavor
• Watermelon Salad, the salty cheese brought out the sweetness of the melon
• Torrijas, this 'french toast' type dish was executed PERFECTLY, the bread was correctly saturated with the egg mixture making the inside almost custard-like, and the outside crisp and cinnamon-sugary. Hands down the BEST Torrijas I've ever had!

If you are looking for a weekend brunch spot Barcelona Wine Bar in West Hartford is a great place to visit! There's so much to do in the area, and brunch specials are available SATURDAY and SUNDAY!

Barcelona Wine Bar in West Hartford

971 Farmington Avenue
West Hartford, CT 06107
(860) 218-2100
http://www.barcelonawinebar.com/location/west-hartford/



Disclaimer: We were invited to Barcelona Wine Bar's Saturday Brunch by members of the restaurant's marketing and management team, however, all views expressed our are own.



© Home Place 2016