Last week Hamden held its 9th annual Restaurant Week which was sponsored by Bankwell for the fifth year in a row.

“We felt Hamden has such an array of different types of restaurants that we wanted to be able to spotlight and have a week where we were celebrating all the diversity of our restaurants,” Chamber of Commerce President, Nancy Dudchik, said.

Restaurant week gives residents and business people from town and the surrounding towns the opportunity to support local restaurants. According to Dudchik, around 15 restaurants participate each year. She said it varies each year because new restaurants open and new businesses come to town, which gives the owners the chance to bring new customers into their restaurants.

Hamden has a diverse group of restaurants. There’s Indian, Mediterranean, Greek, Italian, American and many more.

“This diverse list of different restaurants showcase what our town is like,” Dubchik said. “The diversity of our town. This really is a reflection of who are as a business community and as a community.”

HQ Press is highlighting three restaurants. One of the restaurants is a new addition to Restaurant Week, Bomb Wings and Rice, and two of the restaurants have been a part of Restaurant Week since the very beginning.

Bomb Wings and Rice

This week at Bomb Wings and Rice the Restaurant Week special included 12 piece wings, two sides and sweet potato cornbread. 

“We knew that a lot people wanted to try different types of wings so our 12 piece combo comes with two flavors and then also comes with two sides and you get cornbread.” The manager of Bomb Wings, Shanikqa Waston said. “ A lot of people really enjoy our cornbread so that’s why we decided to put that in there as well.”

Bomb Wings and Rice has a very cozy and simple layout. This is not a regular seating restaurant. At Bomb Wings you take everything to-go. You order your food at the counter and wait for your food on the benches inside the restaurant or you call ahead and pick it up when it’s ready.

“We did a couple of events for the Chambers and we thought it would be the opportunity to join and also to bring new business to the restaurant, especially with us just opening up,” Waston said.

B&D Deli Works

 This week at B&D Deli Works the Restaurant Week special included a lunch sandwich, a side, a drink and a homemade cookie.

 Mark, the owner of B&D, said, “We’ve had a few people take advantage of the fixed price combo option you know it seems to generate a few new people through the door, that’s what it’s about. It’s about getting new faces in that we haven’t seen before and to some degree it has done that.”

 The inside of B&D is small but classy. It is white and blue with a very clean atmosphere. The employees are very friendly and welcoming. You have the option of sitting down inside B&D or taking your food to-go. The counter has snacks and baked goods on top of them. Be wary of what time you go because the hours between 11 a.m. and 2 p.m. are the busiest.

B&D Deli Works is known for its sandwiches, specifically its lunch sandwiches, which were a part of the Restaurant Week special.  

 Mark took over B&D Deli a year ago. The previous owner had always participated and now Mark is continuing the tradition.

“I simply wanted to feature a representative sample of the menu and items that we can quickly and easily prepare,” Mark said.

Ixtapa Grill

 

This week at Ixtapa the Restaurant Week special included an appetizer, an entrée and a desert. Ixtapa is one of the restaurants this week that decided to make a Prix Fixe All-Day Menu for dine-in only. The inside of Ixtapa is very symmetrical. There are booths all along the sides of the restaurant with tables in the middle. The walls are a different color from the ceiling and floor. The booths and walls are contrasting colors making it appealing to the eye. 

Ixtapa’s regular menu includes all of their well-known foods. Just because Restaurant Week is over, that does not mean you can’t try all of their dishes. 

Restaurant week has a variety of deals that benefit the customers and allow businesses to reach new customers. Get ready for next year because it’s the 10th anniversary and the Chamber of Commerce is planning something big!