The Elbow Room in West Hartford, Connecticut: Restaurant Review

At the heart of suburban nightlife outside Hartford, Connecticut sits West Hartford Center, an old fashioned yet upscale downtown lined with outstanding bars and restaurants. For more than a decade, the Elbow Room has been a self-described "American joint" at the intersection of the West Hartford neighborhood's main streets.

The Elbow Room is known for its gourmet take on classic American comfort food, for its sizable wine list, its attractive wait staff and its outdoor seating.

The signature dishes on the Elbow Room's menu seem, at first glance, to be out of place with its eclectic style. The Baked Macaroni is by far the most talked-about dish - so popular the owners were forced to add it to the menu at the chicken wing restaurant they opened in another part of town. It's the blend of melted cheeses that make it so smooth and delicious. The other main attraction, believe it or not, is the Pot Roast. This traditional favorite is served with pan gravy, mashed potatoes and julienne vegetables - just the way your grandmother undoubtedly made it on Sunday afternoon long ago.

But there is so much more to the Elbow Room than these traditional favorites.

There's great beef - a grilled NY Strip or pan-seared Tenderloin. There's outstanding seafood - like encrusted tuna or pan-seared sea scallops. Plus there are chicken dishes - like pasta tossed with black pepper cream sauce and sausage, or corn-meal crusted chicken in gravy.

In between, you'll find great choices such as grilled pork chops or salmon, even inspired items like stuffed zucchini with roasted garlic and goat cheese or roasted peppers stuffed with rice and beans.

The atmosphere at the Elbow Room is in keeping with the young professional crowd you'll find there - off beat and hip. The two-level dining room is topped by the Hartford area's only rooftop outdoor dining. The 70-seat rooftop patio is a great place to enjoy after-work drinks and dinner and to look down - literally, if not figuratively - on passers-by below on the streets of West Hartford Center. For the more down-to-earth, there's sidewalk seating available as well.

Over the years, the Elbow Room has been the recipient of numerous awards for its food and atmosphere from publications such as the Hartford Advocate and Hartford Magazine, making perennial appearances on those publications' "best of" lists.

The Elbow Room is located at the intersection of Farmington Avenue and LaSalle Road in West Hartford, Connecticut, serving lunch and dinner seven days a week.