The Corner Pug

Who would have thought West Hartford Restaurant Week would lead me to an existential reviewing crisis. Is this the mythical grass is greener syndrome, or have I fallen prey to the familiarity breeds contempt syndrome, or is it that, despite my protests to the contrary am I just guilty of the Torrington self loathing syndrome. Finally is anyone going to catch on that none of this has anything to do with an existential crisis or let me ramble on for poetic license to my point.. Yes I do have a point. Because after two nights of experiencing Restaurant Week and coming back satisfied from tonight’s meal at the Corner Pug, already to give it a pretty positive review, the following question popped into my mind “Am I being so positive because it is in the food Eden of West Hartford or is it a truly good place. Well let me write it out and you all can decide or maybe I will decide at the end.

The Corner Pug is the kind of place I like. It isn’t fancy it is a pub/restaurant. A little more restaurant than O’Connors, and little more pub than Hanqs, you get the idea.

I started with a bowl of the New England Clam Chowder. This was accompanied with a loaf of bread for the table. A good hearty loaf. You hear that Buon Appetito? Even the damn pub serves bread. This was a good bowl of chowder. Thick like a New England Clam Chowder should be. Not soupy like that wimpy Rhode Island imitator. This was thick with potatoes and had a strong bacon taste, the clam taste was strong enough and mixed well with the bacon. Ok the bacon might have led the dance, but come on can anybody get upset when bacon leads?

Next came the main course of sirloin, mashed potato, creamed spinach and one single large beautiful onion ring. The steak was tasty and for the most part tender, but was cooked more then the requested medium rare. It was medium and consequently drier than I preferred. Over cooked meats seemed to be a common problem for the kitchen as both steaks and the burger were all overdone. That is too bad, but should be correctable. Providing bad meat wouldn’t have been, and fortunately that isn’t a problem they had. The creamed spinach was creamy and delicious. Popeye would have been pleased. The mashed potatoes were adequate, but too dry and basic for my tastes. I like my mashed potatoes pepped up with something more, garlic, horseradish or at least enough butter to carve a decent cow out of at the Iowa State Fair. But this had none of that, just enough butter to have seem healthy and probably have some nutritionist nodding their approval. Damn nutritionists. And finally the onion ring, which was a thick ring of onion (thus the name) coated in a slightly less thick golden brown fried halo. Take that nutritionists.

Finally came the dessert. I had the Oreo Mousse Cake. It tasted like its name, which means it was good. My two dinner companions had the cheesecake and raved about it giving me order envy. But you can’t win them all.

I left thinking this was a good restaurant and that I would have to comeback and try more things. But then when I got home, I got to thinking, outside of it being in West Hartford and the New England Clam Chowder, what made it better than the local places? I am not sure if it was in Torrington, I wouldn’t put it next to all the other places, go there a few times and complain about how we don’t have any really good restaurants in town like they have in West Hartford.

Instead, because it was in West Hartford I left thinking of going back and now wondering about those various syndromes and what they reflect on our dining habits.