Taste of Manchester is Tomorrow!

The 5th Annual Taste of Manchester is upon us! Tomorrow (Tuesday, May 13th) from 5:30 to 9:00 p.m., as long as you have a ticket, you can sample all the flavors @TastyTownCT has to offer.

To help you plan your evening, go here for a map with a list of participating restaurants and locations, as well as what they will be offering. 

Be sure to get a door prize ticket at each restaurant you visit. Prizes will be drawn at the end of the event in the Army Navy Club on Main Street. Visit the 4 Golden Ticket locations (Antonio's, Hungry Tiger, Main Pub and Rocco's - who have participated for all five years) for a special door prize ticket.

And go here to check out the restaurants we featured here at A Couple in the Kitchen.

See you tomorrow night. Tweet your evening along with us @TastyTownCT #TOMCT2014. 

Taste of Manchester: Pagani's Manchester Caterers

As part of the Taste of Manchester 2014 Marketing Committee, Amy has volunteered to write short features on the participating restaurants and share them via our blog here.This year's Taste of Manchester will be held on Tuesday, May 13th from 5:30 to 9 p.m. See the TOM webpage, Facebook page, or Twitter @TastyTownCT (#TOMCT2014) for more information.

For over 83 years, three generations of the Pagani family have been providing high quality food to Manchester residents. And this year, Pagani’s Manchester Caterers will bring samples of that food to the Taste of Manchester 2014. 

Pagani's specializes in Italian cuisine; case in point, they make their own homemade meat sauce (and we hear it's to die for). Nonetheless, their culinary offerings spread beyond the peninsula with items such as Swedish meatballs and Polish kielbasa, to name a few. Their storefront is located at 78 Maple Street in Manchester, CT, and they serve all of Connecticut and Western Massachusetts with a wide range of catering options to suit every need and budget. They are most well-known amongst local businesses for their "hot and cold 'pick-up' buffet." Yes, from buffet spreads to party platters to clambakes, not to mention full service dinners to order, Pagani’s aims to please. Wait-staff, serving utensils, and delivery are all available at additional costs.  

We had the chance to speak to Mr. Pagani during one of the brief moments he was not in the kitchen. He spoke about what they might serve at this year's Taste of Manchester: a nice Italian-style meatball with a side of pasta topped with their famous meat sauce. And we Manchesterians do love our Italian food. 

Pagani's easy-to-navigate website has all the information you need to plan your next catered event, including menus, photographs, and testimonials from customers. They can be reached by phone at 860.646.0037 or by emailing paganicaterers@yahoo.com. And to try before you buy? Well, come to the Taste of Manchester, of course!

Taste of Manchester: Hartford Road Pizza

As part of the Taste of Manchester 2014 Marketing Committee, Amy has volunteered to write short features on the participating restaurants and share them via our blog here.This year's Taste of Manchester will be held on Tuesday, May 13th from 5:30 to 9 p.m. See the TOM webpage, Facebook page, or Twitter @TastyTownCT (#TOMCT2014) for more information. 

We were thrilled to discover Hartford Road Pizza during the 2012 Taste of Manchester event, and it has been part of our local restaurant repertoire ever since. And really, that's what the Taste of Manchester is all about -- having the opportunity to discover, or re-discover, all the local gems we are so fortunate to have right here in the City of Village Charm. 

Hartford Road Pizza is one of those gems. It's a family-owned operation that serves up delicious Italian food made with family recipes gathered for over 40 years. Their pizzas are fabulous, with a crunchy, chewy crust and a variety of toppings both common and not-so-common. Take, for instance, their Spaghetti and Meatball pizza - spaghetti and sliced meatballs coated in spaghetti sauce and topped with parmesan and mozzarella cheese. On a pizza! So clever! Or this one, topped with the more traditional mushrooms and peppers. Looks like the perfect pie.

Pizza with mushrooms and peppers

Hartford Road Pizza also serves up plenty of appetizers perfect for sharing such as salads, wings, and something they call a "fried mozzarella block" that puts everyone else's puny cheese sticks to shame. Italian dinners (served with a tossed salad and fresh rolls) also grace the menu, and the portions are huge. Amy stopped in earlier this evening to try their stuffed shells (she had a craving, Chris doesn't like them, and frankly, they are a pain in the neck to make). They were delicious, and there was plenty left for lunch tomorrow. They also serve calzones, grinders, lunch specials, and there's a kids' menu for the little ones. 

Fresh tossed salad

Fried Mozzarella Block

Stuffed Shells

The atmosphere is casual and cozy. The hostess greets customers as if they are old friends, which many of them seem to be. She let us in on their plan for this year's Taste of Manchester (and yes, they have participated in every one of them). They will be serving their famous pasta fagiole that they make fresh every day, and which they "sells gallons and gallons of." Amy got a small tasting and thinks they probably sell more than that. They will also have squares of their award-winning spinach, potato, sausage and cheese pizza for people to sample. We can't wait to try it!

Pasta Fagiole

Hosmer Soda

They are located at 250 Hartford Road, on the curve in the road across from the mills. Patio dining is open when the weather is suitable, and beer and wine are available, as is a variety of flavors of locally made Hosmer soda. They are closed on Monday, but open all other days for lunch and dinner. Free delivery is also available. They can be reached at 860.432.8800, and their menu is posted at their website.