City: Hartford, CT

Category: Restaurants

Telephone: (860) 956-6000

Address: 939 Maple Ave.

Description: For seven decades this tavern has been a neighborhood staple, serving Italian food, seafood, and brick-oven pizzas in a casual setting. Sit in a booth or at the long wooden bar and eat spaghetti, meatball grinders, or shells with marinara. Make sure to get the homemade bread. They also have four other locations (and a bakery): one at 26 W. Main St. in Avon (860-676-2000), one at 220 Main St. in Middletown (860-347-2220), and one at 32 Cooke St. in Plainville (860-747-9100). The fourth is not in Connecticut, and therefore doesn’t count. They also sell their own popular line of pasta sauces, all made and bottled on the premises. The wall of the dining room in the original restaurant in Hartford is covered with photos of celebrities who have eaten here. Maybe you’ll have your picture up there someday.