It's so nice to get off campus during the semester. Even just for an hour or two, a break from school territory is much needed as a stress reliever and to spend quality time with friends. Mini adventures help get me through the week.
This semester, I took two trips off campus to grab some yummy food: a great break from the dining halls. The first trip was to West Hartford and the second to Hartford.
Celebrating a friend's birthday, we went to Bar Taco for dinner and it's neighbor, Milkcraft, for dessert. Bar Taco is a trendy Mexican restaurant with many small street taco options and side dishes. Everything on the menu is full of flavor and perfect for foodie pictures. Milkcraft is also a popular destination, serving creamy ice cream with the option of a fancy waffle cone and carefully placed themed toppings.
I love Bar Taco every time I go and can't wait to return. In contrast, I think Milkcraft is overrated. Pictured below is my red velvet ice cream (missing the red velvet cake pieces that were advertised). I tried two flavors before ordering and found them to taste the same. Aside from the appearance, the ice cream is nothing special: very milky and bland.
To the right of the sweets are my two street tacos: closer is chicken and back is brussels sprout. This time I preferred the veggie option. I plan on trying a different meat taco next time because the chicken was a little dry.
Hartford was also a great quick trip. Taking a Friday afternoon bus from campus, a friend and I went to The Place 2 Be for lunch. We were in brunch mood and shared both a breakfast and lunch item (the entire menu sounded amazing). The strawberry cream cheese stuffed French toast was some of the thickest I've ever had. It was very moist, tasty, and melted in our mouths.
Below it is our grilled chicken pesto panini with French fries. The sandwich was perfectly crispy, warm, melty, and had a good chicken to pesto ratio. The fries, as seen in the picture, were thin with a crunchy exterior and soft interior: my personal favorite type.
I am glad to have shared both of these, as each dish was nearly too much of that food and flavor to eat the entirety of it. Find yourself a friend who wants to order the same items as you!
I am excited to have recently heard that this restaurant chain is opening additional locations later this year. I look forward to trying more of their food and some of the fun drinks.