Dinner at Francesco’s Ristorante in Hartford was an event. This classic Italian restaurant is located on Franklin Avenue and has parking behind and to the side of the building. Walking into the main entrance you are immediately in the bar area where live music is played on Friday and Saturday nights. The dining area is classy, comfortable and overall has a pleasant atmosphere and lighting. The bathroom is clean and nicely remodeled (always a good sign). We ordered drinks from a friendly waitress, and appetizers- one traditional style calamari and one New York style calamari tossed in a spicy arrabiatta sauce. On this busy Saturday night we waited over twenty minutes after we finished the calamari for the main courses which was attributed to a Kitchen mishap. I had the special, beef tips in a red wine reduction served with vegetable risotto. This included mushrooms which I asked the waitress to leave out, although my meal was served with mushrooms. This was quickly resolved and the waitress was great about it even though they were very busy. The beef tips were tender, juicy, and the red wine reduction was sweet and just tangy enough, and went great with the root 1 cabernet sauvignon. The vegetable risotto was fresh and creamy, an excellent pair with the reduction sauce. Sometimes on busy nights restaurants rush you through your meal to maximize the customer flow or pester you too often about how things are going- it couldn’t be more different here- whether intentional or not. We had plenty of time to eat, chat, and enjoy the dining experience here (isn’t that what it’s all about?). Price range: Medium
