Peggy Chirico ~ Hartford & Tolland County Real Estate Blog: Connecticut: West Hartford

A Great Restaurant Experience in West Hartford, CT

After shopping in West Hartford Center on Saturday, we had worked up quite an appetite.  One of the restaurants that I had been wanting to try was closed so we meandered through the streets until we happened upon Rizzuto's Restaurant.  We checked out the menu and decided that it looked like a great place to have a leisurely lunch. 

The day was warm, dry, and breezy, so we asked for a table in the outdoor dining area. There was plenty of shade provided by large awnings and the area looked out over an expanse of lawn with sculptures and plantings.  Lovely.

The menu had the usual offerings of appetizers, sandwiches, pizzas (lunch menu), but we opted for an interesting array of small plates to share.  Offered were meat, vegetables, and cheeses, which were priced individually or one could order samplings from the list.  For $18, we chose three cheeses and three vegetable items.  The cheeses were artisan and served with honey and apricots.  Just stunning.  The vegetables dishes were delicious, different, and very satisfying.  Check out the menu because my descriptions would not do them justice.  With a glass of crisp white wine, this was truly lunch with a European flair.   Very well done!

The staff was very friendly and gracious, and we plan to return soon to check out the dinner menu.  If you are looking for a delightful restaurant that is not afraid to try something a little different, you must visit Rizzuto's at 111 Memorial Drive in West Hartford CT.

Next time I will take a picture of the food!

Looking for something fun to do this winter? Try ice skating!  Today's Groupon is a 2-for-the-price-of-1 ticket to Veterans Memorial Skating Rink in West Hartford.  The way Groupon works is that you buy the deal today but you have a year to use it.  If you haven't checked out Groupon yet, you should.

Located at 56 Buena Vista Road in West Hartford, Veterans Memorial Skating Rink is a NHL-sized newly renovated rink that offers skate rentals, lessons, hockey programs, party rooms, food, and much more.  There is also free wireless access for those parents or chaperones who don't want to skate.

If you are looking for free skating and free skate rentals, there is still one more day of ice skating at Bushnell Park in Hartford.  The last day is January 6, and it is open to the public from 11 a.m. to 8 p.m. 

Did you know that Trader Joe's is owned by ALDI?

I was not surprised by all the comments generated by Mike Saunders' post on the new Trader Joe's that opened in his home town.  Those who are familiar with Trader Joe's agreed wholeheartedly with him and those who are not familiar with it were left wishing they had one too.

I have loved Trader Joe's since my daughter introduced me to it when she was living in Boston.  Now, I manage to go to the closest one to me (which is 20 minutes away) as often as I can.

What I find fascinating is the history of Trader Joe's which began in California by Joe Coulombe and was bought out in 1979 by Albrecht Discount (ALDI), a grocery chain that started in Germany in 1948.  Trader Joe's has the vibe of a Whole Foods while Aldi has the basic no-frills warehouse feel.  Despite feeling worlds apart, both offer great prices (although fewer products than a supermarket).  I shop regularly at ALDI simply because I need to buy fruits and vegetables more frequently, but I always plan a trip to Trader Joe's to stock up on what they have to offer.

I shop at both stores for different reasons, but Trader Joe's is definitely a more fun experience.  The people who work there are very helpful and cheerful.  I don't know what ALDI's policies are but Trader Joe's definitely takes a positive approach toward employees, so maybe they want to work there.  Check out this quote from the above-mentioned article:

You can't buy engagement from employees, but the pay at Trader Joe's helps. Store managers, "captains" in Trader Joe's parlance -- the nautical titles are a holdover from Coulombe (newly promoted captains are commanders; assistant store managers are first mates) -- can make in the low six figures, and full-time crew members can start in the $40,000 to $60,000 range. But on top of the pay, Trader Joe's annually contributes 15.4% of employees' gross income to tax-deferred retirement accounts.

Kind of an amazing story, isn't it?

THE WEST HARTFORD CT HOUSING MARKET is a very active one.  I recently listed this fabulous split level home and in less than week we had a contract. We are sheduled to close on July 23, 2010. 

With three spacious bedrooms, two and a half remodeled bathrooms, eat-in kitchen, open floor plan, and hardwood floors throughout, this home is perfect for living and entertaining.  Set in a desireable neighborhood within walking distance to West Hartford Center and Bishop's Corner, the location is ideal.

My sellers and the new buyers couldn't be happier, but what about all the people who missed out on an opportunity to live here?

I recently wrote about West Hartford being named one the the top ten cities of the new decade by Kiplinger. Did this have an impact on the West Hartford housing market? I'll probably never know, but the publicity probably didn't hurt a bit.

If you are looking for a home in West Hartford, there are currently 244 houses on the market.  Here are the number of homes available on the MLS by price range as of today:

• $200,000 and Under              24
• $201,000-$250,000               36
• $251,000-$300,000               43
• $301,000-$350,000               25
• $351,000-$400,000               22    
• $401,000-$450,000               19
• $451,000-$500,000               14
• $501,000-$550,000               13
• $551,000-$600,000                9
• Over $600,000                      39

If you would like more information about the West Hartford CT housing market, please give me a call.

WEST HARTFORD CT NAMED ONE OF TOP TEN CITIES OF THE DECADE!  Kiplinger Personal Finance Magazine has named West Hartford, CT one of the top ten cities of the decade.  The top ten in order are:

1. 1.  Austin, Texas
2. 2.  Seattle, Washington,
3. 3.  Washington, DC
4. 4.  Boulder, CO
5. 5.  Salt Lake City, UT
6. 6.  Rochester, MN
7. 7.  Des Moines, IA
8. 8.  Burlington, VT
9. 9.  West Hartford, CT
10. 10.Topeka, KS

Of course, those of us who live in the Hartford area have long known that West Hartford has always been a great place to live, and this newest designation will only add to its popularity.

You can read the full article on the Top Ten Cities for the Next Decade or the full article on Best Cities for 2010: West Hartford CT.