Vito's By the Park, Hartford

A fountain's mists drift over a cool, quiet water outside the windows of Vito's By the Water, where chefs have been cooking up traditional Italian food for many years. Following recipes that have been in the owner's family for years, they craft traditional entrees such as New York strip steak with demi-glace or lobster ravioli with vodka-cream sauce. They also adorn thin and Chicago-style deep-dish stuffed crusts with quality toppings such as baby clams, breaded eggplant, and seasoned ricotta.

Vito’s chef-owner, Rob Maffucci, has also earned culinary fame with an October 2014 appearance on Food Network's, "Beat Bobby Flay". Here, he grappled with the ingredients of pumpkin puree and fresh pasta during a Halloween special that showcased the chef's talents, pitting them against culinary powerhouse, Bobby Flay.