My tenth, and final, Taste of Hartford visit took me to VIVO Seasonal Trattoria in the Marriott Hotel. As you can see from the spots on the photo, there were still a few scattered raindrops.
We passed through the Hartford Marriott’s handsome foyer
with its attractive reception desk
and striking inlaid marble floor.
Soon we progressed to VIVO’s entrance,
and then inside to the bar, which I visited periodically to check on the score of the Saints-Vikings game.
VIVO’s dining room is unquestionably one of the most attractive in the Hartford area,
right down to minute details like this stoneware display.
The main kitchen is hidden from sight, but some items are prepared in this visible kitchen area.
VIVO’s staff is also one of its key assets. This is food and beverage coordinator Katie Gonzalez,
kitchen supervisor Lester Paszkowski,
and incredibly knowledgeable Italian waiter Giancarlo Lendaro.
Other names of note include general manager John Fraher, food and beverage director Anish Patney, executive chef William Foley and chef de cuisine Bill Reardon.
We began our meal with nice bread
and a lovely light spread of mascarpone cheese, cucumber, dill and lemon zest.
VIVO’s Taste of Hartford menu didn’t offer a choice of appetizer, entrée or dessert, but the three fixed courses were plenty appealing. Before we even got around to the three courses, however, we noshed from VIVO’s superb antipasto platter, which stood in beautifully for our second dinner. The platter included prosciutto, salami, fine olives, chunks of Parmesan, sweet roasted peppers, artichoke heart, sliced tomato, Mozzarella and strips of basil.
With the addition of a nice Clos du Bois Cabernet Sauvignon, we could easily, and happily, have called it a meal.
But Restaurant Weeks are all about trying as much interesting food as possible. So we greatly enjoyed our grilled vegetable Napoleon with a tomato basil relish and Parmesan crisps,
our Caribbean spiced pork loin with an apple and raisin compote, spiced sweet potatoes and haricot verts,
and our warm caramel pecan tart à la mode
with a cup of strong espresso.
Our Taste of Hartford meal was a nice reminder that VIVO Seasonal Trattoria is one of the Capital City’s stronger restaurants. Now if I could just figure out how to keep suave Giancarlo from stealing my beautiful wife…
VIVO Seasonal Trattoria, Marriott Hotel, 200 Columbus Boulevard, Hartford, 860-760-2333