The Hartford Baking Company is not in Hartford, but in West Hartford. The cafe is clean and well-lit, but in a strip mall located in an industrial area not far from a big box home repair store. Admittedly, this is the part of West Hartford that I favor; it’s home to other good restaurants like The Spot, Pho Boston, East-West Grille, and Bombay Olive and it has a working class vibe. It’s the part of town where one can buy groceries and lumber, get a new muffler, and bring Fluffy for an emergency operation after she tangles with a chihuahua.
There was a constant stream of customers when I visited the Hartford Baking Company on a recent weekday. My expectation was that most clientele would be contractors stopping in while running errands in the “Home Design District, but customers were diverse. When I arrived I had my choice of table, but the seating options were quickly reduced.
After a lot of indecision, I settled in a ginger scone and a mocha. The pricing was similar to that of Starbucks, but for smaller portions; however, the flavor and freshness was a remarkable improvement over the chain’s goods. The mocha lacked syrupy sweetness. The scone tasted as a scone should taste and the texture was, I think, spot on.
A return visit in the not-so-distant future is mandatory, as I neglected to leave with a loaf of the French Peasant bread.
The Hartford Baking Company is located at 625 New Park Ave., West Hartford. It is closed on Mondays.
