Below, we spotlight some of our favorite classic and emerging destinations in central Connecticut– in particular, West Hartford, where new luxury hotel offerings, lovely gardens, and an incredible local food network continues to evolve and inspire.

Artisan West Hartford

Fresh off its one year anniversary, Artisan West Hartford continues to inspire patrons with finessed neo-New England fare served inside of what is, no doubt, a real-life version of The Secret Garden. Located in the heart of Blue Back Square at the Delamar Hotel, Artisan is open 7 days a week and features an expansive 1500 square feet of outdoor pergola and garden space– the first of its kind in the region.

Designed by gardener Renee Giroux (of Bouley Botanical fame), the concept is about as wholesome and idyllic as it gets: chefs grow the vegetables they cook with in the garden that surrounds the restaurant, harvesting items like patty pan squash, eggplants, and tomatoes just moments before they are cooked into elevated dishes that are served to diners in the same garden where they grew. (That’s about as farm-to-table as it gets.)

Executive Chef Frederic Kieffer’s menu is influenced by the seasons and as such is constantly changing, but Fall 2018 patrons should look out for the restaurant’s stellar crab meat and tomatillo gazpacho, which features a bed of succulent crab meat topped with avocado sorbet and a gorgeous bright green soup that they pour table side for added flourish. Seafood dishes, moreover, are excellent, while the wine list is selected with aplomb and dessert is thoughtful and tailor-made (items like local salted caramel goat cheesecake are offered alongside homemade ice cream and olive oil cake).

Those organic ingredients that cannot be supplied by the on site garden are sourced from area farms, so that Artisan can continue to offer fresh, artful cuisine year-round. In design as well as in practice, Artisan honors local craftsmanship and agriculture by paying homage to Central Connecticut’s tobacco farms with a series of oversized murals featuring flowering tobacco plants that echo the lushness and intimacy of the garden just outside. The result is a setting that is refined yet welcoming. To quote the restaurant itself: “The ambiance of a lush, romantic garden is transportive.”

Artisan West Hartford, 1 Memorial Rd, West Hartford, CT 06107

Elizabeth Park Conservancy (Hartford)

Elizabeth Park Conservancy is a 102-acre historical city park listed in the National Register of Historic Places that straddles both Hartford and West Hartford– a shared gem among the two municipalities. With a beautiful dahlia garden, a charming duck pond, and a world-class rose garden on site, it’s a great place to take the kids or dogs out for an afternoon spent in nature, and a lovely spot to run, walk, or picnic amongst the flowers.

The Elizabeth Park Rose Garden is the oldest rose garden in America– renown for its lush alleys of blooming heritage roses and it’s copious, expertly maintained espalier. Visitors to the garden can enjoy a meal at the nearby Pond House Cafe (which also hosts events and weddings) or do as the locals and get a takeaway lunch from Popover (see below) to enjoy a perfect outdoor meal in the park.

Elizabeth Park Conservancy, 2804, 1561 Asylum Ave, West Hartford, CT 06117

The Delamar Hotel & Spa (West Hartford)

Part of what makes Artisan so appealing is The Delamar Hotel, where the restaurant is situated. Not only is the Delamar the area’s premiere luxury hotel destination (featuring the work of local artists, a delicious complimentary breakfast, and local transportation services powered by a Tesla) but the on-site Spa is fabulous, offering a variety of bespoke esthetician services powered by Biologique Recherche and Valmont skin care products.

Services at The Delamar Spa range from non-invasive facelift treatments that use triple micro-current technology to manual lymphatic drainage, collagen eye masks, blow outs and deep conditioning treatments, and deep tissue massage, all of which are administered by highly trained, friendly staff. Many of the spa treatments also take place on an Amethyst BioMat, which offers the benefits of far infrared heating, which is thought to improve circulation, immune function, and fight inflammation.

The Medspa at the Delamar, meanwhile, offers Coolsculpting, Botox, Juvederm, and Kybella, among other medically approved health and beauty treatments. Locals can get treatments before heading down to Artisan for the perfect stay-cation, but visitors to the area will also enjoy the relaxed, restorative offerings.

Delamar West Hartford, 1 Memorial Road, West Hartford, CT 06107

Popover Bistro & Bakery (Simsbury)

We’ve had many good popovers in our day– but none seemingly as inspired and inventive as those sold at Popover Bistro & Bakery in Simsbury. Popover’s Mission is synonymous with its name: they specialize in popovers (again: why doesn’t every city have one of these?!) and salads that are made from farm-fresh ingredients daily.

Popover aims to source local, healthy, organic products whenever possible, and they take special care to create allergy-conscious food with universal appeal. Fortunately, the bakery is also open late (as far as bakeries are concerned, 8 PM is late) and on the weekends. It’s a truly modern operation that knows what it does well, which is why people keep coming back.

Popover Bistro & Bakery, 928 Hopmeadow Street, Simsbury, CT 06070

Millwright’s Restaurant and Tavern (Simsbury)

Since 2012, Millwright’s has been serving seasonally inspired New England cuisine that includes micro-gastro triumphs like Chef Tyler’s signature tapioca custard, “All The Flavors of Clam Chowder,” which is now a guest favorite. Special care is also given to actively use ingredients that would have been available in New England historically– and with the exception of citrus and a few seasonal necessities that can’t be grown in the winter, they’ve done a pretty good job of sticking to their source bioregion.

The post West Hartford Aims to Be Connecticut’s Next Foodie Paradise appeared first on Garden Collage Magazine.

Koslow, who learned the ropes under Anne Quatrano of the celebrated Atlanta restaurant Baccanalia, first made a name for herself selling locally-made jams, which she fashioned into intriguing seasonal flavors like “Seascape Strawberry and Rose Geranium” and “Raspberry Cardamon”, taking time to include local fruits like Warren Pear that don’t usually make it out of California.

At first, Koslow sold her jams at local farmers markets in L.A.– so the concept behind Sqirl, or so she jokes, was just to make food that could be used as a vehicle for these jams. Little did she know, her revolutionary take on healthful breakfast food would take over not just L.A., but an entire nation of foodies. Last fall, Koslow published her first cookbook [easyazon_link identifier=”141972231X” locale=”US” tag=”gardcoll03-20″]Everything I Want To Eat: Sqirl and the New California Cooking[/easyazon_link], which quickly became one of our favorite food books on the market. 

When food critics first caught word of the menu, the dish had both The L.A. Times and the New York Times raving– the latter called it “wickedly-conceived breakfast food” that was “downright revolutionary,” while the former suggested that Sqirl’s food can “actually touch your life.”

The crown jewel of Sqirl’s menu is the Sorrel Pesto Bowl, made with Meyer Lemon and sorrel pesto, a perfectly-poached egg, pickled watermelon radish, and creamy sheeps milk cheese folded over sensationally-cooked rice. In the span of 2013 to 2015, when food critics first caught word of the menu, the dish had both The L.A. Times and the New York Times raving– the latter called it “wickedly-conceived breakfast food” that was “downright revolutionary,” while the former suggested that Sqirl’s food can “actually touch your life.” 

Repeat visits to the restaurant prove that it does. Sqirl’s brioche knocks the wind out of you, to say nothing of the savory rice and egg bowls that have become a celebrated compliment to what was once a small jam business. The menu features a variety of intriguing gluten free options, as well, like cactus flour pancakes and brown rice porridge. Drink options are also excellent and flavorful, from Vanilla Bean Limeade to Vegan Horchata (made with Kokouho Rose brown rice and organic medjool dates). 

Photo: via Sqirl

Photo: via Sqirl

Photo: via Sqirl

Photo: via Sqirl

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Most people have no idea how all of Sqirl’s food can be THIS good, but many of Koslow’s secrets, as the cookbook now reveals, simply stem from using fresh, seasonal ingredients and striving to cook only with what is locally produced. Fresh flavors make better meals, and Sqirl is an enduring testament to that tradition. 

Sqirl is located at 720 N Virgil Ave #4 in Los Angeles, California. 

Looking for other LA recs? Check out Gjusta Bakery, Plant Food + Wine, and Kismet.

The post Sqirl Makes The Best Breakfast in L.A. appeared first on Garden Collage Magazine.

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Photo: @kismetlosangeles/Instagram

Photo: @kismetlosangeles/Instagram

Photo: @kismetlosangeles/Instagram

Photo: Courtesy of Kismet

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Both Sara Kramer and Sarah Hymanson (the two chef partners of Kismet) worked at Blue Hill, the restaurant at Stone Barns, prior to moving out West, and their flavors– like the restaurant itself– have a light, clean charm, honoring the freshness of the original ingredients. Light wood paneling and simplified lines create a graphically inviting (and imminently Instagrammable) space, perfect for meeting up with family, friends, or first-dates.

Kismet is located at 4648 Hollywood Blvd, Los Angeles. Daytime eating is strictly walk-in, and dinner reservations start at 5 PM.

Want to embark on your own worldwide culinary adventure? Check out our guide to all the cooking oils you need to know. Can’t get enough Middle Eastern Cuisine? Check out these Five Great Hummus Joints in NYC.

The post Kismet Brings Fresh, Middle Eastern Flavors to LA appeared first on Garden Collage Magazine.

Outside of his award-winning cuisine, the Danish chef founded VILD MAD (translated from Danish as “wild food”), an initiative aimed at teaching the public more about sustainable, wild food and encouraging the exploration of foraging.

Earlier this summer, VILD MAD released its long-awaited app, which is described as a “tool for decoding the landscape and all its culinary potential.” Redzepi is particularly interested in childhood exposure to foraging; he created his own foraging curriculum that is set to be implemented by park rangers in Denmark. Other resources for curious minds can be found online, where Redzepi has gathered talks and articles from the culinary world’s top minds, each of whom reflects with their own perspective on the importance of food. (For example, Thomas Keller examines the question “What is cooking?” or Zimbabwean activist Chido Govera considers how sustainable mushroom farming has changed the lives of women and orphans.)

In a further attempt to bring foraging to wider audiences, this August VILD MAD is hosting the VILD MAD Festival in a nature reserve outside Copenhagen. Strategically scheduled, the festival takes place at the height of the season for berries, mushrooms, and late summer herbs, making for an abundant, end-of-season harvest. Rangers and chefs will be on hand to answer questions and offer instruction, and guests are encouraged to forage around the lake and cook with what they collect.

The event is completely free and open to anyone who turns up.

To learn more, visit the event page at VILD MAD’s website.

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So says Danii Oliver, the owner of Island to Island, as we sit at her bar sipping fresh lavender smoothies in the summer heat.

Located in Brooklyn a few blocks from Prospect Park, Island to Island is bringing “bar” back to the juice bar trend by serving smoothies and kombucha alongside chic cocktails. The “seed to spirit” juicery and craft beer brewery strictly sources their organic ingredients from across New York state, serving them up in a smooth, dark paneled bar where the shelves feature kombucha scobies next to sleek spirits. Wellness as nightlife is a growing trend, and Island to Island evokes just the right mood, their health club/hang out hybrid completed by an outdoor garden space and board games. (When GC visited, 50 Cent and Snoop Dog played out over the speakers.)

Of the bar’s effortlessly cool style, Oliver explains, “We created a place a pregnant momma can hang, an overworked man can chill, a child and parents would not be bounced from– and, best of all, a place a person on a juice fast could be social without their friends or coworkers passing judgement because there is something for everyone.”

The space was born out of Oliver’s own desire for such a place– a space where she could enjoy being out without having to sacrifice eating what made her feel good. Oliver was 200 pounds when her journey began and though she thought she was making healthy choices, she soon realized she wasn’t aware of all the additives in what she was eating. When she became pregnant, she became even more committed to cleaning up her diet.

“I got serious about eating natural, eating in season, eating local and being aware of what I consumed,” Oliver recalls. “Drastic change happened. My food-related allergies disappeared, my depression stopped, and the weight melted off of me. But I started losing friends… Going out became a nightmare. No one invited me out because they thought I could not eat anything.”

Drawing on her seven years’ experience as a mixologist, Oliver began crafting juices for herself, using the traditionally alcoholic art to balance flavors and taste. As she began to see improvements in her health, those around her wanted in. From there, House of Juice (Oliver’s in-house juice brand) and Island to Island were born.

Today, Island to Island’s signature menu option is their “Seed to Spirit” flight, a grafting of the farm-to-table movement and a classic bar offering.

“The ‘Seed to Spirit Experience’ is a flight that takes guests on the journey of food’s life cycle from seed, to produce, to probiotic, to spirit. It is the natural journey that plants go through as they age, gain wisdom, and share their properties with us differently at every phase,” Oliver relays. “The flight board consists of a smoothie (made with coconut, chia seeds and flaxseeds), a juice (made from the water of fruits and vegetables), a probiotic soda (made from tea, herbs, roots or bark, and good bacteria), and finally a spirit (made from any of the season’s local harvest of fruits, vegetables, grains, herbs, and yeast to produce alcohol from the natural sugars). The ‘Seed to Spirit Experience’ involves exploring plant benefits in liquid form along with the culinary experience of sweet, savory, sour and bitter.”

In addition to the Seed to Spirit flight, Island to Island has an array of cold pressed juices (which you can choose to have spiked), smoothies, and their in-house superfood wellness shot (ginger, turmeric, bule sole bl2, olive leaf, honey, and bee pollen). According to Oliver, Island to Island’s signature drinks are “The Ollie-T” (a smoothie that is a green twist on a piña colada), “The Purple Heart” (a juice using sorrel as its base), “The Brooklyn Jun Brew” (a kombucha that’s excellent with a touch of pineapple added), and “The Sorrel Ale” (a spiced Trinidadian “celebration juice”).

Through Island to Island, Oliver is hoping to balance out alcohol’s reputation as “bad” and unhealthy.

“In the old days fermented drinks were used as medicine– mediums that preserved and sped up the absorption of plant properties into a person’s blood stream, like tinctures,” Oliver explains. “In my homeland, drinks were crafted by Arawak women to make the men happy. Our grandparents used grain-based alcohols to disinfect, soothe pain, and de-stress the mind and body.”

According to Oliver, a large part of understanding how alcohol can be beneficial is shifting where and how it is consumed.

“Yes, drinking and getting drunk is not ideal but alcohol in moderation is beneficial,” Oliver clarifies. “Craft beer and the hops in the beer have many medicinal properties. One person should not drink a keg of beer, but one person having a craft beer at night, and especially in a social setting, will have a world of benefits, from the effects of the hops (family to cannabis) to the social healing of depression.”

In this way, Island to Island heals both the body and the community, providing an “engaging experience to anyone from as young as a child to as old as great-grandparents” in a place where people can come together, without pressure to drink. No matter your order, Island to Island proves anyone can have a good time.

Island to Island is located at 642 Rogers Avenue, Brooklyn, New York. Visit their website for more information.

Looking for a place to grab a bite to eat while in Brooklyn? Head to the world’s first avocado bar: the Avocaderia.

The post Island to Island Puts the “Bar” Back in Juice Bar appeared first on Garden Collage Magazine.

The stars of the evening– the drinks– are curated by RAPT New York, using ingredients exclusively grown at Farm One, a hydroponic garden that sources to New York’s culinary elite. Accompany the drinks are DJs, garden cuisine (courtesy of cult faves like La Pulperia and Wafles & Dinges ) for when you inevitably get the drunchies, gold foil tattoos, watercolors, a photobooth, live art, and even a non-toxic nail station so you can sip in perfect style.

The Foundry is located at 42-38 9th Street, Long Island City, NY. Visit Secret Summer’s website to purchase tickets.

In the Long Island City area? Check out Socrates Sculpture Park. 

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On Saturday, June 3rd, Momofuku and Zahav are teaming up to offer Israeli breakfast at Zahav in Philadelphia, PA. Chefs Mike Solomonov (Zahav) and Matt Rudofker (Ssäm Bar, Momofuku) met over ten years ago while both working in the kitchen at Vetri Ristorante in Philadelphia, and always swore they’d collaborate in the future. Following up a pop-up collaboration four years ago, and a dinner which took place at Ssäm Bar this March, their latest endeavor is being billed as a “salatim meets barchan” two-course meal, and is sure to set some serious #brunchgoals.

For more information or to purchase tickets, visit the event page. Zahav is located at 237 St James Place in Philadelphia and can be reached from NYC via bus or train.

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Long celebrated for its gut-healing, skin-beautifying properties, bone broth has become one of the most sought-after high value nutritional items in the NYC health scene. At Springbone Kitchen, all bone broth served is grass fed and collage-rich, full of glycine and proline, two anti-inflammatory amino acids that improve gut health and digestion and function as the cornerstone to immune system health and muscle repair. (Glycine has also been shown to significantly improve sleep and cognitive function.)

All menu items are free of GMOs, antibiotics, refined sugar, and canola oil– an added bonus considering that the broth is also delicious (we’re partial to the “Liquid Gold” drinking broth, which is chicken broth made with organic coconut milk and turmeric).

Photo: Andreana Bitsis

Photo: Andreana Bitsis

Photo: Andreana Bitsis

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For those new to bone broth (or returning to red meat), Springbone Kitchen offers an array of items that prove (as health experts note) that grass-fed meat can be as delicious as it is nutritious– meat that is raised humanely is lean and full of nutrients!

Try the Zucchini Spaghetti with Grain-free Meatballs or the 100% Grass-fed Burger– with the option to prepare it on a gluten-free bun, a paleo bun, or a portabello mushroom cap, we promise it won’t disappoint. They even let you add guac!

For more information on Springbone Kitchen, visit their website.

The post Springbone Kitchen Brings Fast, Accessible Bone Broth To The Village appeared first on Garden Collage Magazine.

Opening this week in the historic and refurbished Palm House is the Yellow Magnolia Café, a modern, vegetable-focused restaurant overlooking the garden’s lily pool terrace. For those who still want the XX of open air, in-the-park dining, the Yellow Magnolia Canteen is open to guests by the entrance to the Steinhardt Conservatory.

The two new food outposts are named after the BBG’s distinctive yellow-flowered magnolia (whose season is rapidly approaching!) and further embrace the BBG’s commitment to sustainable practices. All of the ingredients will be sourced from local farms and purveyors– some of the produce will even be harvested from the BBG’s own beds. As a result, the dishes offered are entirely seasonal, and are developed in collaboration with BBG’s horticulturalists.

To learn more about the Yellow Magnolia Café and Canteen, visit the BBG’s website.

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