Cuisines: British

All right, so I made some slightly disparaging comments about British food in my last post. But I was only taking the mickey! In fact, the food of the British Isles (England, Wales, Scotland, and Ireland) has come a long way in recent years, and has its own unique charm.

Of course, unfamiliar cuisine can be fraught with dangers. Once, at a quaint hotel on the sacred island of Iona, in the Scottish Hebrides, I went out with some friends for a "cream tea." First mistake: thinking that "cream tea" meant "creamy tea." It's actually tea with scones, clotted cream, and raspberry jam. Second mistake: Plopping a dollop of the cream onto the scone as if it were a biscuit and then trying to eat it with my hands, like an uncivilised American. My friends were shaking with laughter as the clotted cream melted off of the scone, creating a huge mess. I then watched in mortification as they all neatly cut the scone in half and spread the cream onto it with a knife, like butter. Whoops.

Fortunately, unless you're at high tea with the Queen, British fare is usually hearty and down-to-earth. You can get some great deals in pubs, where you can feast on homemade shepherd's pie, bangers and mash, toad in the hole, fish and chips, Yorkshire pudding, pasties, and Sunday roast while paying a fraction of the prices found at sit-down restaurants.

Most of the following restaurants are pubs, so you can go either for dinner or for drinks with friends. Go have some craic!


The Corner Pug, West Hartford: http://www.cornerpug.com/ordereze/Default.aspx

The food: This pub combines the best of British dishes with the best of American dishes, so there's something for everyone. The food is so comforting and homey, and I've been back time and time again because of it. I especially recommend their shepherd's pie, roasted chicken, and kettle potato chips. They also serve up a neat platter of delicious homemade bread before the meal.

The vibe: Classic English pub, with an obsession with pugs, as the name suggests. Pictures of patrons' pug dogs line the walls, and overall there's a great sense of family and Elmwood community here. Bar is always crowded, but there's plenty of booth space and a huge back room for larger parties.

The value: Good deal, especially for West Hartford.

Go for: Family gatherings or a pint


Mrs. Bridges' Pantry, Woodstock: http://www.mrsbridgespantry.com/

The food: As authentic as it gets. I had English breakfast tea (makes me nostalgic) and a ham and cheese quiche, while my friend had Earl Grey and a scone. Both dishes were excellent, and the clotted cream was so good I could have eaten it with a spoon. There is an extensive tea menu.

The vibe: Too cute for words, both inside and out. Quaint English tea room, with lovely table settings and china. There's also a shop that sells British import goods, including candy, tea, and other staples.

The value: The tea room is a good value, but the import store was a bit expensive for my taste. Still, if you're an expat or Anglophile, it might be worth it.

Go for: Afternoon tea


O'Neills Pub and Restaurant, Norwalk: http://www.oneillsono.com/

The food: Good food, and a lot of it! I could barely finish my shepherd's pie after filling up on piping hot bread. I did get a Guinness (of course), which was perfect. Best of all, they have curry on their menu!

The vibe: We went on a Friday night, so the place was hopping! The word that first comes to mind when I think about this place is "cool." Not necessarily a traditional Irish pub, but a chic place to hang out.

The value: Entrees are more expensive than you would think, but each night of the week there's a different deal on food and drinks.

Go for: Happy hour, pub quiz every Tuesday night


McLadden's Irish Publick House, West Hartford: http://www.mcladdens.com/

The food: I've only ever had appetizers here (nachos and mini burgers), which were good but fairly typical. Their actual menu looks like it offers more sophisticated dishes than your usual pub grub.

The vibe: Every time I've been there, it's been packed! Live music is always playing, and everybody is having a good time--that is, if you can get to the bar! Luckily they do have a back room if you'd like privacy and quiet. There's also free popcorn from a popcorn machine, which I appreciated.

The value: Entrees are quite expensive, so go for the happy hour deals.

Go for: Drinks with friends after a long work week

Cuisine: Thai

Thai is one of my all-time favorite cuisines, evidenced by the fact that my past two birthday parties have been at Thai restaurants! Yet I didn't even try Thai food until my junior year of college, when my friend Diep introduced me to it in London. Since then, I've been hooked--I rarely pass up the opportunity to have Thai, which is why this list is so long! I started with Pad Thai as my favorite dish, then moved on to Thai curries, which are different than Indian curries, but just as tasty. Thai food is fresh, healthy, light, and a little bit spicy (though it doesn't have to be). The flavors of lemongrass, basil, coconut milk, cilantro, and chili peppers are tantalizing.

Interesting in Thai? Check out these restaurants:

Papaya Thai, Norwalk: http://www.papayathai.com/home.html

The food: Absolutely delicious and tasted very high-quality. I had the massaman curry (potato, pineapple, peanuts, and onion) because I wasn't in the mood for anything too spicy, and it was perfect. Kevin had a lunch box (Pad Thai, dumplings filled with spicy lime chicken, and salad). The Pad Thai didn't taste as peanut-y as ones I've had before, which was interesting. Both our meals also came with a sour vegetable soup. For dessert we had delicious mango and sticky rice, a classic.

The vibe: The atmosphere was tropical and relaxing. It almost felt like we were on vacation!

The value: The lunch special was a great deal, with all the entrees priced much less than on the dinner menu.

Go for: A date or happy hour after work


Hot Basil Thai Cafe, West Hartford: http://www.hotbasilcafe.com/

The food: Excellent, very fresh, and with quite large portions--I had to take some home. I had the yellow curry, one of my favorites. I also remember the Thai iced tea (spiced black tea) being very good as well.

The vibe: Dark and romantic. Fairly upscale.

The value: On the pricier side.

Go for: A date


East West Grille, West Hartford: http://www.eastwestgrille.com/

The food: Very tasty, and they have Laotian food in addition to Thai. I had either the yellow or green curry, it's a bit too far back to remember. They have a huge menu, so there's something for everyone, including several less "exotic" dishes if you're not familiar with Thai cuisine.

The vibe: The quirkiest Thai restaurant I've ever been in. It's in an old-fashioned diner, slightly incongruous with the food but super fun.

The value: Good, you won't necessarily go broke eating here. Going for lunch is much cheaper.

Go for: A birthday party! ;)


The Blue Elephant Trail, West Hartford: http://www.blueelephanttrail.com/

The food: Gourmet Thai, and everything tasted very fresh. Lots of interesting specials on their menu, including yums, duck, and frog legs!

The vibe: Very fancy and beautifully decorated.

The value: Pricy, but it's West Hartford Center, so that's to be expected.

Go for: A special occasion


Thai Room, West Hartford: thairoomct.com/

The food: Probably the most authentic and least "Americanized" on this list. Try one of their noodles or fried rice dishes.

The vibe: Definitely a "hole in the wall" kind of place. It's also near a neat Asian grocery store and an equally authentic Vietnamese restaurant, Pho Boston.

The value: Good, prices are better since it's not in the center.

Go for: A unique dining experience, if you're already a fan of Thai.


Sawadee Thai Cuisine, South Windsor: http://www.sawadeethaicuisine.com/index.html

The food: This was the first Thai restaurant I went to after returning to the States, and it did not disappoint! The Pad Thai was great, and they had fried ice cream, my favorite dessert (though I prefer the Mexican version).

The vibe: I remember it being nicely decorated, if not as new and cool as Hot Basil or Papaya Thai. We had a large party and they were very accomodating--we got a nice private section of the restaurant to ourselves.

The value: Very reasonably priced.

Go for: A birthday party

What Thai restaurants have you been to?