The Foundry — Restaurant in Hartford

My wife and I were able to secure reservations for the Foundry's opening night.

TL;DR: The restaurant is amazing, the dishes are focused, and well executed, the service is outstanding, and the views are the best from any restaurant in Hartford. Definitely worth the trip into Hartford to try it.

We arrived a bit early to enjoy the bar, and were immediately impressed by the cocktail list, and the bar menu. We opted for a cocktail each, and an order of the oysters. The oysters included a yuzu mignonette. The Mignonette was well apportioned of each oyster, and added a terrific flavor profile.

Shortly after, we moved to our table. We had booked the "1866" option, and were placed at a two person table right against the windows overlooking the south side of the building, and the Connecticut river.

We began with a glass of Champagne, and the "Swiss Raclette Fondue". The champagne was a delicious 1er cru, and well priced. The fondue was a perfect portion for two people to share, and was served melted on the plate, with the potato, bacon, and onion interspersed, and drizzled with mustard. The dish was delicious, and my only regret was not order the parker house rolls to be able to get the remaining cheese off the plate.

For our mains, my wife ordered the over seared rohan duck, and I had the Grilled Prime Strip Steak and 48 Hour short rib plate. The portions were perfect, and the proteins were well cooked. The prime rib itself was one of my personal favorite bites of the evening, and included a creamed watercress that I was hesitant about, but found to be delicious once I tried it.

One thing that shows the skill of the sous chef that I'd like to call out is the "spiced jus" that was served with the duck. While as a standalone flavor, it wasn't enjoyable, the sous chef showed their chops by preparing a sauce that pulled the dish together in an amazing way once enjoyed as it was intended to be. Special kudos to them!

There is a sides menu, that we should have taken advantage of for our mains, but having ordered effectively 4 courses, it wasn't necessary and we certainly didn't leave hungry.

For dessert, we tried the Black Forest cake and the Olive Oil cake. The olive oil cake was by far one of my favorite olive oil cakes I've ever had, and the crème fraiche ice cream it was served with was an unexpected star of the plate also, which paired amazingly with the citrus components.

The black forest cake at first glance appears to be a miniature whoopie pie with an immaculate plating, bringing a small bit of levity to a serious meal. The flavors were intense, but complimented one another amazingly, and brought a unique take on a classic dessert.

I would like to compliment the pastry chef for finding a way to rise about the beautiful plating of the remainder of the meal to deliver some of the most attractive plates of the night also - as they were truly beautiful to look at prior to being enjoyed.

Finally, with the check came a lovely parting mignardise plate of a bite sized hazelnut cookie, and a, I believe (Though unfortunately due to speaking with someone I ran into didn't hear) to have been a yuzu jelly. The jelly was a nice bright palette refresher at the end of the meal... but the tiny hazelnut cookie was a star of the night in and of itself. Given the opportunity, I'd likely buy them by the case. It served as a perfectly flavored bite to wrap up a wonderful night.

To the service: It was amazing. The waitstaff move about the space as if they had worked there for months, despite it having been the opening night. They were all friendly, and despite working a difficult job, radiated kindness. Even the chefs were friendly if you caught them at the edge of the kitchen, taking the time to greet you as you walked by. The team seems to be meshing well, and I can only assume that an already amazing service will only get better yet as they work together over the coming months.

Finally, as I reach my character limit - the views are amazing, and the space evokes warmth the moment you walk in. Definitely a new...

Dangerous kitchen, delicious food

My wife and I went to The Foundry. We found a restaurant with delicious food, but treats allergies dangerously. Our experience was shocking. We wrote the general manager a month ago, but never heard back. What’s worse, at least one other customer has received similar recklessness. See Alex Toribio’s review entitled, “Where Food Allergies Do Not Exist.”

I made reservations online. When their system requested information on allergies, I specified this: “My wife is allergic to fin-fish (i.e. fish with fins and a backbone, like salmon and cod) but not to shellfish (i.e. molluscs, crustaceans, echinoderms) or to the caviar of fin-fish.”

When we arrived for our dinner, our server asked if there were any allergies. None of the information I provided via our online reservation was available to her or the kitchen staff in advance, which was disappointing. However, I was grateful that our server asked. I repeated what I had provided online. She seemed to clearly understand what my wife cannot eat, and assured us the chef would accommodate.

Disappointment came a few courses into our meal when we were presented skate wing. My wife pointed out that skate is a fin-fish, and that she cannot eat the dish. The server returned the dishes to the kitchen. We were seated at a countertop facing into the kitchen, where we witnessed the drama unfold. The server had an argument with the chef running the expediting station that evening. The server then brought back the same dishes and placed them right back in front of us.

“The chef says that skate is a member of the ‘ray family’ and thus you can eat it.”

This is a very dangerous game that the Foundry’s kitchen is playing. If my wife had trusted their chef that the dish was safe, we would have been off to the hospital before the check arrived. With two eyes, a mouth, fins, and a cartilaginous backbone, it’s surprising that the chef considers skate more closely related to a clam than a cod.

We insisted to this server that skate was not safe for my wife to eat.

At this point, the chef running the expediting station cleared other chefs from the kitchen. He left his station to prepare our replacement dish. We observed “rage cooking,” him alone in the kitchen, banging pans and pots forcefully on the stove. Perhaps it’s unfair to infer that emotion from the chef, but the display right in front of us made both me and my wife uncomfortable. The result was a risotto that, while skillfully prepared, was too salty for my wife to finish eating.

This experience aligns with Alex Toribio’s previously mentioned review. He twice disclosed an allergy to all nuts. A few courses in, a dish with almonds came. They explained that this couldn’t be eaten. The kitchen argued with the server, who then returned the same dish, explaining that the kitchen says almonds aren’t nuts, but seeds, and thus are safe to eat. The patron knows that they are specifically allergic to almonds. Sadly, the incident ends with the galling conclusion of the kitchen sending out a “complementary dessert” that included almonds.

Our dining experience did have many positive elements. I must say that the wait staff at The Foundry was very kind and helpful. All of the dishes were good, and some were amazing. The smoked duck course was something we will always remember. The fava beans were wonderfully refreshing, with a perfect balance of savory, salt, and acid. My wife commends their mixologist for designing their espresso martini – one of the best cocktails she’s had in her life.

The Foundry is a Michelin-star caliber restaurant in almost all regards. If you have any food restrictions, I strongly recommend steering clear of them. I hope their disregard for allergies is an isolated flaw, and that there aren’t other ways their hospitality is deficient. Hopefully The Foundry will improve, but the fact that this has happened to multiple customers and the general manager has not responded to our complaint, I’m...

Overall, the experience was nice, and we will definitely be back for the drinks and their Tuesday night jazz nights. Upon entering on the third floor, we were greeted by an amazing host—I wish I had gotten her name—who was so sweet and made us feel very important, as every guest should.

We then went up to the 20th floor to check in for our reservation. Unfortunately, the host there was not the most welcoming. There was no warm greeting or even a smile to properly welcome guests, and after speaking with others in the restaurant, we learned we weren’t the only ones who felt this way. Considering this is a new restaurant with a beautiful aesthetic and a fine-dining menu, I feel the first point of contact should offer a much warmer welcome than what we experienced.

After checking in, our table wasn’t ready, which was totally fine, so we went to the bar to have a drink while we waited. The bartender was absolutely amazing—patient and knowledgeable. She walked us through different cocktails she recommended and could make for us. I had a tequila margarita, and my partner had an Old Fashioned—both were top-tier.

We were quickly seated at a table by the big windows, and the view was absolutely breathtaking. We even interacted with the guests next to us, and we all had a great time talking and vibing together.

As for our server, I would say she was just okay—we weren’t particularly impressed. She didn’t explain the menu at all, which I feel is important for a new restaurant, especially since the chef frequently changes the menu. I had the rigatoni pasta, which I’d rate 2/10. The presentation was mediocre, and the taste was bland—reminiscent of Ragu (no offense). My partner had the roasted duck breast, which was absolutely amazing! The flavors were incredible—the duck paired with fig and onion was just perfect.

We also ordered a bottle of French Pinot Noir, which was probably the best Pinot Noir I’ve ever had.

After dinner, we went back to the bar to thank the bartender for her amazing service and to let her know her craft as a mixologist was top-tier. We’ll definitely be coming back just to enjoy more of her drinks.

We also had the pleasure of meeting another server named Steve. He noticed my partner and me admiring the open kitchen and chef’s counter seating area. He explained that their kitchen is fully electric and shared that they will soon be offering ten-course meals at the counter. As foodies, my partner and I absolutely loved this concept and will be back once they start offering it.

Before leaving, we had another great interaction with the first host from the third floor, who came up to the restaurant level. She spoke with us about their Tuesday jazz nights, and since we’re both in the industry, it’s the perfect time for us to come back and enjoy a beautiful evening downtown with great music and drinks.

Overall, I think this restaurant has something special. I’d just recommend working on ensuring consistent customer service across all...