Business & Tech

West Hartford Business Buzz for Nov. 10: Openings, Closings and Other News

A round-up of West Hartford business news.

An interesting week in West Hartford business, particularly in the Center, where there were two major openings, and the announcement of a closing...

First the good news: Chef Dorjan Puka’s much-anticipated brasserie A’Vert opened at 35 LaSalle Road on Monday. The sister bistro to Puka’s Italian restaurant Treva (A’vert spelled backwards) has drawn rave reviews from people writing on Patch’s Facebook Page. “[I]t was delicious. My half chicken was the best I've ever eaten. Bravi!” wrote Matthew Worth. “It was amazing!” wrote Elizabeth Fleming. “We had the escargot, pike quenelles and steak Tatar. Everything was just perfect!”

Muse Paintbar had a soft opening for the last couple of weeks, holding several private sessions. Friday marked the first public session for the combination bar, eatery and art studio. I interviewed owner Stan Finch on Friday and plan on publishing an article on Monday on this interesting new business in Blue Back Square.

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On a different note, Lunden Diamond Company announced that it will be closing its doors in January. The retail jeweler had been in West Hartford for 17 years, including the last nine at its current location at 27 LaSalle Road. Owner Jay Rinaldi said that he plans on keeping his wholesale and manufacturing business in town, but that the retail space was closing down due to a spike in the rent.

Some good news in the Park Road area, with Plan B re-opening on Monday after closing for three weeks for renovations. A staffer told Patch that “the place looks great” with a larger dining room and waiting area.

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A couple of menu changes at local restaurants. A.C. Petersen unveiled a menu for teenagers and college students “to have a place to hang out with friends and enjoy great food.” The menu features a choice of snack (bites, wings, mozzarella stick, quesadilla), salty (basket of fries), and sweet (ice cream) for the low price of $9.99 with a student ID. The menu is available only after 8 p.m., according to A.C. Petersen’s Facebook page.

Noodles & Company in Bishops Corner recently launched three new limited-time menu offers, according to a press release. The new menu items, which are available until March 2014, include the Thai Hot Pot, Spaghetti Alfredo MontAmore® and Pork Adobo Flatbread, which will be available at all restaurants nationwide until March 2014. Click here to view the new menu items.

West Hartford residents love to be "in the know" about happenings in town, especially the openings — and closings — of local businesses. We hear things all the time, and some of them turn into big stories. But sometimes we don't have enough news to write an entire story, even though the information is definitely newsworthy.

Every Sunday we'll highlight the business stories you may have missed during the past week, and give you the scoop on the other news you may not have heard about. And if you have tips about businesses opening or closing, please include them in the comments or send an email to ted.glanzer@patch.com.


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