West Hartford Business Buzz: January 6, 2025 – We-Ha | West Hartford News

A round-up of openings, closings, and other news about West Hartford businesses. 

Business Buzz is sponsored by NBT Bank, and we are very thankful for their support!

By Ronni Newton

Happy New Year to all!

It’s been two full weeks since the last Business Buzz, and while I don’t (and won’t) skip this column very often, I did very much appreciate the break, along with two weeks of just two newsletters. With this year’s holiday schedule, there were two full weeks of altered schedules and not much business going on – and like many other people I’ve talked to, it was hard to keep track of the day of the week.

Happy New Year! Photo credit: Ronni Newton

I ended my holiday break on Nantucket (where I wrote the new year in the sand on a very blustery and cold New Year’s Day). It was a planned trip – but delayed a few days due to my mother-in-law being hospitalized for a few days (she’s doing much, much better now and is out of the hospital), and our return was delayed even more due to high winds preventing any ferries from operating. When we were finally able to leave on Friday, there were “convenience bags” placed on all the tables. It was the roughest ride I have experienced, but thankfully neither Ted nor I (nor Millie, who was looking a bit green around the gills) needed to use one of the bags.

A few days ago the Instagram algorithm decided for some crazy reason that the following two photos (both of which I took, with my phone) were spam. I have no idea why posts that are clearly spam get through, when my photo of my own dog is flagged, as well as what I thought was a beautiful late-day photo of the beach.

Millie enjoys a winter walk on Surfside Beach, Nantucket. Photo credit: Ronni Newton

Winter at Surfside Beach, Nantucket. Photo credit: Ronni Newton

Overall, we had wonderful holiday celebrations with our families! A group of nine (including grandson “Champ”) attended the Fenway Bowl in Boston and saw UConn handily defeat Carolina (I have been rooting against the Tarheels forever and that felt extra good) while being less cold and wet than we anticipated, we enjoyed get-togethers with friends (see bullet point below about the fabulous dinner that we had with Jeannette and Dan Dardenne at Casadoro on Dec. 26), and Ted and I relished our very quiet New Year’s Eve dinner at the Seagrille on Nantucket.

Cheers to 2025 at the Seagrille. Photo credit: Ronni Newton

Island quahog chowder at the Seagrille. Photo credit: Ronni Newton

Scallops wrapped in bacon at the Seagrille. Photo credit: Ted Newton

Grilled tuna at the Seagrille. Photo credit: Ronni Newton

Pepita Crusted Wester Ross Salmon at the Seagrille. Photo credit: Ronni Newton

Back in West Hartford, on Saturday night we had a delicious dinner at Ocho Cafe with my sister and her boyfriend, Carmine. I had the Tacos de Adobada and my sister had the Aloha Tacos on the new “Chef’s Special” menu – and we very much enjoyed them!

Margarita with no name at Ocho Cafe. Photo credit: Ronni Newton

Tacos de adobada at Ocho Cafe. Photo credit: Ronni Newton

Aloha tacos at Ocho Cafe. Photo credit: Ronni Newton

Carne asada chimichanga at Ocho Cafe. Photo credit: Ronni Newton

Short rib tacos at Ocho Cafe. Photo credit: Ronni Newton

Churros at Ocho Cafe. Photo credit: Ronni Newton

To the person who tried to comment Friday on the previous Business Buzz with a message that suggested quite strongly that I eliminate the introduction to my columns, and wrote “your personal life is of no interest to us,” if you are still reading I want to let you know that your comment will not be posted, but not because it was critical. You failed to use your full name – which for years has been a requirement to have a comment posted. I post a reminder about it in this column every few months. And, when I emailed you to tell you that you needed to edit your comment to provide your full name in order for it to be approved (I do that to all who post comments with incomplete names), the email bounced back as undeliverable. Be as critical as you like (please refrain from name calling and profanity, though) – but you can’t hide behind your keyboard.

Each time I ask readers if they want me to skip this portion of the column, an overwhelming number say they like it. The owners of restaurants that we visit and highlight like it, too. (And Ted and I choose the restaurants on our own, and pay for our own meals unless it’s a special friends and family event.) The asterisks below separate the introduction from the business news.

If you are a long term, regular advertiser on We-Ha.com and have a 60 to 75 word submission for a future Business Buzz please send to Bob Carr at [email protected]. You can also contact Bob if you are interested in becoming a sponsor of a section of the site.

If you have information to share about local businesses, please provide details in the comments or email Ronni Newton at [email protected].

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Here’s this week’s Buzz:

Sabich at Gveenah. Photo credit: Ronni Newton

• I’ve been waiting for the opening of Gveenah Mediterranean Fusion Kitchen ever since I spoke to owner Roi Graber in September about his plans to open the restaurant in the space formerly occupied by Black Bamboo. They had a very soft opening right before New Year’s, but weren’t serving food yet when I stopped by, so I went back again on Sunday – and wow! There’s already been lots of rave reviews on Facebook from those who have visited, and I’m glad I had a chance to sample several of the dishes, and take photos of some of the other items being served. Graber is an accomplished restaurateur who evacuated from Israel in late 2023 and had to leave his businesses behind, and (in partnership with Climor Ventures) has created a unique concept that is truly a fusion of Mediterranean cuisines – Italian, Greek, Turkish, Israeli, etc. – and is entirely pescatarian, with dishes that include fish and dairy, but not meat. It also happens to be certified kosher – which Graber said is not what defines the place, which should appeal to anyone. The bread is all made fresh daily, as is the crust for the flatbreads. The pasta is all made in-house, too, and eventually they will be offering gluten-free options. Nothing is fried, and they are very selective about the oils that they use. “I’m so happy that everything is going well,” Graber said on Sunday. “We make all the food fresh, from scratch. We are not going to compromise the food quality,” Graber said. He said he’s very pleased with how the process went and said the town was great to work with. The menu will continue to grow, Graber said. “This is just the beginning. We hope it’s going to be very good,” Graber said. There are seats for about 25 people inside, and while they don’t have a liquor license, if you’d like a glass of wine with your dinner, you can order it from Harvest Fine Wine & Spirits right next door. Ian Halpern, owner of Harvest, is friends with Graber (and his cousin, Guy Neumann, owner of West Hartford-based GN Construction) and is helping out while Gveenah is getting going. Halpern said he has cultivated a list of about 30 wines, all kosher,, from Israel, Italy, Chile, and other locations. They will soon have a QR code posted in Gveenah to make it easy to order and have the wine brought over from next door. Look for Graber to also be one of the next guest chefs at Gather55, in support of Hands On Hartford. “We’re so happy he’s here,” resident Stephen Kest said Sunday afternoon after eating the Seared Fresh Ahi Tuna Tataki that he said was delicious,  “He’s going to need a bigger space soon,” Kest said. Gveenah (which means “cheese” in Hebrew) is located at 844 Farmington Avenue, and is currently open Sunday through Friday, from noon to 9 p.m., and hope to soon be opening at 11 a.m. They are closed on Saturdays.

Roi Graber, owner of Gveenah. Photo credit: Ronni Newton

Chef’s bread with (from left): smoked labneh, Mediterranean salsa, tahini, and schug at Gveenah. Photo credit: Ronni Newton

Fresh pappardelle at Gveenah. Photo credit: Ronni Newton

Moussaka at Gveenah. Photo credit: Ronni Newton

Seared fresh ahi tuna tataki at Gveenah. Photo credit: Ronni Newton

Tahini shake at Gveenah. Photo credit: Ronni Newton

Gveenah is now open at 844 Farmington Avenue. Photo credit: Ronni Newton

Gveenah is now open at 844 Farmington Avenue. Photo credit: Ronni Newton

• Jeannette Dardenne and I and our husbands were planning to get together for dinner over the holidays, and chose DORO Restaurant Group‘s newest concept, Casadoro. DORO is based in West Hartford (they own Zohara, Treva, Àvert, and DORO Marketplace in town, as well as several other DORO locations and Artisan Burger Company in Manchester), and Casadoro is located in the former Bertucci’s space on the Berlin Turnpike in Newington, and according to the website is focused on the “next generation of Italian-American classics,” including pizzas and house-made pastas. Tommy Crawford is the executive chef, and James Arena is the pastry chef – but DORO founder and CEO Dorjan Puka, COO and partner Scott Miller, and CFO Mira Puka were all there the night we went, just a week after they opened. The dinner – appetizers that we split, main dishes, dessert, and an aperitif that we didn’t plan on – was truly fabulous from beginning to end. The food and service were impeccable, and the restaurant, which seats 200, was packed! They will be opening a large patio which will add about 100 more seats, and it will be usable 9-10 months of the year, Puka said. We all are looking forward to our next visit!

Calamari at Casadoro. Photo credit: Ronni Newton

Wild shrimp scampi at Casadoro. Photo credit: Ronni Newton

Casadoro, the newest DORO Restaurant Group concept, is now open at 2929 Berlin Turnpike, Newington. Photo credit: Ronni Newton

Casadoro, the newest DORO Restaurant Group concept, is now open at 2929 Berlin Turnpike, Newington. Photo credit: Ronni Newton

Eggplant pizza on gluten-free cauliflower crust at Casadoro. Photo credit: Ronni Newton

Chicken pesto orecchiette at Casadoro. Photo credit: Ronni Newton

Mushroom rage at Casadoro. Photo credit: Ronni Newton

Salmon at Casadoro. Photo credit: Ronni Newton

Rigatoni vodka at Casadoro. Photo credit: Ronni Newton

Desserts at Casadoro, from left: Cannoli pie, lemon cheesecake, raspberry gelato. Photo credit: Ronni Newton

Lemon cheesecake at Casadoro. Photo credit: Ronni Newton

Cannoli pie at Casadoro. Photo credit: Ronni Newton

Dorjan Puka, owner, founder, and CEO of DORO Restaurant Group, pours glasses of Vecchio Amaro del Capo. Photo credit: Ronni Newton

Casadoro, the newest DORO Restaurant Group concept, is now open at 2929 Berlin Turnpike, Newington. Photo credit: Ronni Newton

Casadoro, the newest DORO Restaurant Group concept, is now open at 2929 Berlin Turnpike, Newington. Photo credit: Ronni Newton

• STRIDE Physical Therapy Center is now open in West Hartford at 261 Park Road (former Degras and then WeHa Fit space), “providing an array of modern physical therapy services for runners, athletes, and active adults,” and offering free onsite parking, according to a news release. The clinic is led by Bonnie Wilder, DPT, a native of West Hartford who is also certified running coach and former D1 runner. Services include: Sports & Orthopedic Care, Pre/Post Surgical Care, Injury Treatment & Prevention, Dry Needling Therapy, Running Gait Analysis, Normatec Compression Therapy, Cupping Therapy, Sports Training Programs, and Functional Movement Assessments. Wilder graduated from Sacred Heart University in 2020 with a BS in Exercise Science and obtained her DPT in 2023 from University of Hartford. She is also certified in dry needling and trained in functional cupping, blood flow restriction (BFR), and performing running gait analyses. “I’m looking forward to working with clients at this fantastic new facility, combining my expertise with top-of-the-line equipment to benefit the people I work with,” Wilder said. “Physical therapy can help people in their recovery and help them to maintain optimal health so they can remain active and enjoy an active, pain-free lifestyle. That’s true for runners, athletes, and all of us.” For more information about STRIDE, call 860-462-2042, or follow them on Instagram (@strideptc).

Stride Physical Therapy is now open at 261 Park Road. Photo credit: Ronni Newton

Courtesy photo

• The sign is now up for The Laurel, which is opening in the former Corner Pug space at 1046 New Britain Avenue in Elmwood. Owner Ashley Flagg told me a few weeks ago that they would be opening in “early 2025,” and I heard it may be this month. I’ll be eagerly anticipating the news about the opening, and the opportunity to visit! For more information about Flagg’s vision for The Laurel, click here for the article I wrote back in July when they announced the plans.

The sign is up for The Laurel, which will be opening in the former Corner Pug location at 1046 New Britain Avenue. Photo credit: Ronni Newton

• Over the weekend I also checked on the progress of the Prospect Plaza outbuilding that will soon house Chipotle, Jersey Mike’s, and Teriyaki Madness. They were aiming to be open by the end of 2024, and while that didn’t happen, it looks fairly close to completion, at least from the outside. The parking lot is now paved and painted, and you can see where the “Chipotlane” for the town’s first Chipotle drive-through will be. Updates to come!

Future Chipotle, Jersey Mike’s, and Teriyaki Madness at Prospect Plaza. Photo credit: Ronni Newton

Future Chipotle, Jersey Mike’s, and Teriyaki Madness at Prospect Plaza. Photo credit: Ronni Newton

Site of the future “Chipotlane” at Prospect Plaza. Photo credit: Ronni Newton

• Congratulations on reaching the five-year milestone anniversary to resident Shanell T. Smith, Ph.D., a doctoral expert and institutional consultant who founded Shanell T. Smith Consulting, LLC to revolutionize how doctoral students navigate their academic journeys. “After witnessing countless students struggle with deteriorating health due to stress, strained relationships, and insufficient institutional support, I was determined to create a healthier, more efficient way to pursue a doctorate,” she said. “Using my proven ‘Accelerate Your Doctorate Method,’ I offer private and group coaching that guide students from start to finish with confidence and clarity. Our approach ensures they progress through their programs faster, without sacrificing quality or their well-being. The success of my business stems from three key factors: my unwavering commitment to this mission – there is no ‘Plan B’; my investment in continuous growth through business coaching; and staying true to my authentic self while confidently delivering unparalleled results for my clients worldwide,” Smith said. To learn more, visit https://www.accelerateyourdoctorate.com.

Shanell Smith. Courtesy photo

American Legion Hayes-Velhage Post 96 U-19 team and coaches pose with the West Hartford Town Council. Photo credit: Ronni Newton (we-ha.com file photo)

• Congratulations to former West Hartford resident and Hall High School graduate Laura Rowntree, now a Superior Court Judge in Vermont, who was sworn in on Dec. 20, 2024 after being appointed by Gov. Phil Scott. According to the announcement,  Rowntree has been with the Vermont Attorney General’s Office since August 2018 and became the chief of the Civil Division in April 2022, overseeing defensive litigation filed against the State. Prior to moving to Vermont and joining the Attorney General’s Office, Rowntree worked as an associate attorney for two law firms in New York City and as an assistant corporation counsel at the New York City Law Department. Rowntree also clerked for U.S. Magistrate Judge James L. Cott in the Southern District of New York. Before attending law school, she was a teacher. “I am honored by the appointment and grateful to the Governor for his confidence in me,” said Rowntree. “I look forward to continuing to serve Vermonters as a superior court judge.” Rowntree earned a B.A. in English and history from Cornell University, and an M.S. in teaching and a J.D. from Fordham University. She is a member of the Advisory Committee on the Rules of Civil Procedure and a past member of the South Burlington School Board.

Laura Rowntree. Courtesy photo

• ICYMI, many of the top stories on We-Ha.com in 2024 were business-related – and included several Business Buzz columns. Read my full round-up here.
• The annual West Hartford Chamber of Commerce Economic Development Luncheon is next week at the Pond House. Click here for the details.

Remember, if you have any business news to share, add it in the comments section below or email Ronni Newton at [email protected].

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