Restaurants in Hartford

The audience goes wild for Chef Jesus "Suso" Seoane as he deftly dances the handle of a sharp butcher knife between his fingers. As if drawn by magnet, the blade finds a large red pepper and flays it down the center in one fluid stroke. When Jesus isn't flaunting his knife skills on the Telemundo cooking show Cocinando con Suso, he's hard at work perfecting an authentic menu of Spanish and Latin-American dishes at his restaurant, Suso Latino Basket.

The word suso sprawls across his eatery's wall, a painted chef's hat jauntily hanging off the o. Just past the marble-tiled bar, tables populate with steaming specialties such as puerto rican pork pernil, peruvian sautéed pastas, cuban sandwiches, and spanish paella, which overflows with more seafood than Poseidon's bank vault.

Chez Ben Diner serves everything you’d expect from a classic American diner—three-egg omelets, triple-decker club sandwiches, and burgers—with an unexpected twist: a selection of authentic French-Canadian dishes. Founded by Benoit and Solange Quirion, the restaurant recently passed to Windsor natives Joel and Anne Quirion who continue the family tradition of friendly service, all-day breakfast, and uniquely Canadian dishes, such as poutine, a combination of fries, cheese curds, and brown gravy. The emphasis on traditional Canadian eats hasn’t gone unnoticed: the breakfast poutine earned a mention in Serious Eats, and Roadfood.com calls the cretons—a cold pork spread that can be served on toast or used as stucco on a gingerbread house—“addictive.”

Robin and Steve Andrikis can attest that sometimes a wrong turn can send you in the right direction. Just 28 days after accidentally stumbling upon 81 Whiting Street—the future site of Big Steve's Grill—the pair began planning a business that would change their lives forever. After operating their own grocery store for 18 years, Robin and Steve opened Big Steve's Grill in August 2009, and have been satiating stomachs with fresh, made-to-order casual eats, from hand-pressed Angus burgers and bowls of house-made chili to deep-fried Twinkies drizzled in chocolate, ever since. Vivid orange and yellow walls ensconce guests in the dining room, which offers views of the patio dotted with picnic tables, where diners can enjoy an idyllic dinner beneath the bright blue sky and looming Godzilla shadows.

Across from the train station, Center Station Pub & Grill’s sizzling sandwiches, burgers, and wings call to the hungry stomachs of travelers and locals alike. Berlin’s Biggest Burger weighs down the menu with its melted american cheese, sautéed onions, and two half-pound patties that, when smacked together, have led many a lifeguard to close the pool due to thunder. The cooks also ladle nine different sauces over signature wings, sling chicken-parm grinders, and bedeck homemade tortilla chips in nacho cheese. Under new management since November 2010, the classic pub fare pairs nicely with the 15 microbrews on tap, poured in a restaurant that serves as an exciting gathering place for Berlin residents. Center Station schedules karaoke on Fridays and bands to perform on weekends, filling the gaps in live entertainment with an in-house pool table, video games, and dartboards.

Luen Hop Chinese Restaurant fills pint- and quart-size cartons with takeout staples including soft lo mein noodles, fried rice, and well-sauced cuts of seared pork, chicken, and beef. Roasted duck—a house specialty—complements mixed vegetables with its crisp skin and tender meat, and tofu and chicken surrender to sweet and spicy sauces during General Tso's good-cop-bad-cop routine.

Tabaq Masala Restaurant and Banquet Hall whisks diners away on a pan-Asian sojourn through Indian, Chinese, Pakistani, and Bangladeshi cuisines. In the 100% halal kitchen, chefs spice dishes with fresh chili, pan-fry whole pomfret, and crisp roti flatbread within the clay confines of a tandoori oven. The dining room walls reflect the kitchen’s cultural mélange with a mix of Indian and Chinese artwork, and a private prayer room facilitates diners' devotions. The red carpeting in a spacious banquet hall gives large group celebrations a glamorous atmosphere without smuggling in paparazzi inside chafing dishes.