Popular Restaurant Launches New Hours, Menu In West Hartford

WEST HARTFORD, CT — Grant’s Restaurant and Bar in West Hartford is kicking off 2019 with new hours, a new menu and a new team. Billy Grant, chef/owner of Grant’s Restaurant and Bar located at 977 Farmington Avenue in West Hartford, announced the changes this week. Ashley Flagg has been hired as the new Chef de Cuisine and Jason Cass has been promoted as front of house manager.

“Together they are crafting a new seasonal dinner menu, adding more shareable plates, an expanded list of burgers and more cuts of steaks,” according to a press release. “Loyalists will still have their classic signature Billy Grant favorites to choose from, along with new dishes that complement the traditional American Comfort Food found at the restaurant.”

As part of the changes, the restaurant is closing lunch so they can “focus on the thriving dinner scene” in West Hartford. Read more from the press release below:

“I am so excited for the New Year at Grant’s and am thrilled to welcome Ashley as Chef de Cuisine,” Grant said. “Ashley is the first female chef to lead one of my kitchens. She is smart and brings a dynamic and innovative energy to the dining experience. I am fully confident in her abilities and skills as Head Chef, and I look forward to working with her.”

Flagg started her restaurant career working at Grant’s while in culinary school back in 2010. Her family hails from the Basque region of Spain - known as a preferred destination of foodies traveling abroad - bringing this background and tradition with her. She has extensive experience in the kitchen, having worked at Winvian in Litchfield and before that alongside famed restaurateur Jamie Bissonnette of Little Donkey and Toro out of Boston.

“Everyone knows that working for Billy Grant is like working with an extended family,” Flagg said. “I am humbled to be back at Grant’s, to be a part of his family, and to bring my family’s traditions to the table while introducing new interesting flavor combinations to the menu.”

The new menu at Grant’s will have some unexpected, but welcome additions while hat-tipping the classics that have kept patrons coming back for years. Starters will include a Moroccan Hummus and a Crab & Avocado Toast, a larger selection of burgers and in honor of Grants’ roots, a section dedicated to steaks served a la carte. There will also be an expanded offering of sides.

“Grant’s is a chef driven kitchen with an emphasis on quality food,” Grant said. “My motto has always been: simple, fresh, and delicious - and we will continue to honor the tradition of sourcing locally whenever possible, cooking the best food we possibly can, and consistently putting out dishes that everyone loves.”

Flagg has indicated she wants to get back to the basics. She is committed to ensuring consistency, opening up an opportunity for shareable plates and upleveling the quality of the proteins of the plate.

“Grant’s will again be a destination for food-lovers looking for a fresh plate and full stomach,” Flagg said.

Grant’s Restaurant and Bar is open six days a week, Tuesday through Sunday. Hours of operation are Tuesday - Wednesday from 4 p.m. to 9 p.m. with dinner service beginning at 5 p.m.; Thursday - Saturday from 4 p.m. to 10 p.m., with dinner service beginning at 5 p.m.; Sunday from 10:30 a.m. to 8 p.m. Happy Hour is six days a week - Tuesday - Saturday from 4 p.m. to 6 p.m. and on Sunday from 3 p.m. to 8 p.m. Brunch is served Sunday from 10:30 a.m. to 2 p.m. The bar is open late.

Click here to view the new menu. Visit the Grant's Restaurant and Bar website here.

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Photos courtesy of Grant’s Restaurant and Bar