Asylum Street Really Solidifies Its Position As The Top Street In Downtown Hartford in 2022

When I was a little kid, in the late 1960s and the early 1970s, the famous Hartford jeweler Bill Savitt used to do radio commercials advertising his landmark Asylum Street store in the heart of downtown Hartford. I remember once hearing Savitt's jewelry store tagline of "35 seconds from Main" in a radio commercial. Being far from the swiftest student, I initially thought that the commercial was referring to the state of Maine.

Approximately three or four years ago, the Sam's Quick-Stop convenience store opened at the top of Asylum Street, next to Burger King, at the corner of Main Street.

                                                    

                                          

Lots of Food Choices

Ever since Papa's Pizza on Union Place closed several years back, downtown Hartford was experiencing a real lack of tasty, affordable pizza slices and pies. Enter Ranch House Pizza, located at 17 Asylum Street in downtown Hartford.

So far, I have purchased and eaten pizza slices from Ranch House at least six times, and I purchased one small pie.  I'm pleased to say that the food has been great every time. The pizza leans toward Greek-style, with a delicious, slightly-sweet red sauce, creamy mozzarella cheese and fresh toppings.

               

                          

Ranch House Pizza has an extensive dine-in and takeout menu, and has a full bar on the premises.  Service is fast and friendly, and prices are reasonable. If you're hungry for a really good pizza pie, head on down to 17 Asylum Street. Open seven days a week.

Approximately a year and a half ago, I read about a new food store coming to the former location of CVS Pharmacy at the intersection of Main and Pearl Streets in downtown Hartford. Since I'm always interested in any new food-oriented spots opening in the city, and I regularly visit a nearby bank, I have periodically observed the progress being made there.

Update: Summer 2022- The much-awaited, large food store that was inhabiting the former CVS location has closed. Unfortunately, the lack of business downtown due to the health pandemic has created this big loss. 

At the northeast corner of Asylum Street and Trumbull Street, a new restaurant/bar named Four Dad's Pub opened in early 2022. The location formerly housed McKinnon's restaurant and bar, and back in the 1970s, I'm pretty sure the upscale Brownstone Restaurant was situated in the front part of the building in the 1970s. 

As part of my chef apprenticeship with the Associated Restaurants of Connecticut, I had the opportunity to work at the Brownstone, as well as Frank's and the Marble Pillar. I've read some great things about the meatball grinders at Four Dads Pub, so I may have to revisit the Beownstone building soon.

The creamery restaurant located in the former Dunkin Donuts spot on Asylum Street has been open for a couple of years now, and they seem to be doing okay. The owners of the restaurant also own Sam's convenience store, just a few doors down Asylum Street.

The esteemed Max Downtown restaurant continues to be a standard-setter for fine dining in downtown Hartford. A couple of blocks further down Asylum Street, Fornarelli's serves a full menu of Italian favorites.

Further Down Asylum

At Black-Eyed Sally's Southern Kitchen & Bar, the kitchen is still producing tasty barbecue and Southern food, and the bar is a popular socializing spot. At night, the restaurant generally provides live music several nights a week.

A wide range of musical genres are represented at Black-Eyed-Sally's. Local, regional and national rock acts perform there on a regular basis, and people of all ages regularly patronize this classic Hartford restaurant and nightspot.

Near the corner of Asylum and Ann Ucello Streets, the NY Market & Deli is the place to go for all sorts of sandwiches, snacks, hot and cold foods and convenience store items.

One of the most well-known streets in Hartford, Asylum Street has long been the home of interesting businesses, and has re-invented itself numerous times.

Next week, I have a month-long painting exhibit opening at the East Hartford Public Library, and I'm going to make a real effort to stop downtown to order a meatball grinder to-go from Four Dads Pub. Yee-haw.