Parkville Market Opens in Hartford! CT's First Food Hall, Featuring Local Flavors

It’s been just over 100 days since we locked down and everything seemed to stand still, but not anymore. No one would deny that community, and community spirit is essential right now. Our world has been turned on its head and, if there’s anything that can redirect us in just about every way, it is coming together, especially over a plate of food. And yet, coming together may look different these days. Curbside, pick-up, six-feet apart, hand-sanitizer, and masks have been a regular part of our lexicon and daily habits the last few months. But the show must go on, so, despite a lot of stops and starts, the Parkville Market in Hartford, and the first food hall in Connecticut, is officially open. 

Like every business that has been deeply affected by the pandemic, Parkville is opening in phases and updates will be made each week.  For example, after three weeks of Parkville to-go with curbside pick up, the doors are open for socially distanced dining, and, as of last weekend, alcohol is now on the premises. It may be months before the original dream of Parkville is fully realized, but the proud owners are thrilled to open the doors, even just a bit.

Operations Manager, Chelsea Mouta, and her father Carlos, have been dreaming about bringing local businesses all together. They imagined a Main Street under one roof, as a one-stop shop for Parkville, an up and coming Hartford neighborhood. There’s a feeling of the popular Chelsea Market in Manhattan, yet with a real emphasis on local flavor; not to mention offering a vast open outdoor space for dining and live music.

The massive structure offers endless possibilities for vendors, three different bars, and more. For some, the Parkville market will be a starting ground for a new food business, whereas for others, the market will be an additional presence of an already thriving brick and mortar, food truck, or both. Here are just a few vendors that are in operation mode right now, but stay tuned, as there are many more businesses to come.

Bombay Express - serving Indian Curries and delicious Momo, a popular South Asian dumpling
Brazilian Gula Grill - serving Brazilian classics like coxinhas (chicken croquettes) and picanha (sirloin caps
Ceviche Bowls -  serving fresh and hearty Peruvian ceviche, as well as wraps and saltado peruvian stir fry)
Chompers - serving small bites of crunchy meats and cheeses; from their popular food truck to Parkville Market
Disco Forno Pizza - serving Neapolitan pizzas and Italian desserts, they too are taking their success from New England touring food truck to Parkville Market
J’s Crab Shack - serving your favorite seaside treats from oysters on the half shell and lobster rolls, to crabcakes and shrimp cocktail
Lucky Taco - serving their popular Tex Mex tacos to globally inspired cuisine
Mofongo - serving the best in Puerto Rican and American food from Mofongo to tasty cupcakes
Portly Pig - serving a New England twist on cherished Southern barbeque
Que Chivo - serving delicious Salvadorian tamales, pupusas (griddle cakes), sandwiches, and and more

Operating in the old Capitol City Lumber Company, developer Carlos Mouta, , envisioned the space for a market after his long-time tenant, the Bishops Ladder Co., left in 2017. He had been to markets all over the US and internationally, and believed this space would make a perfect canvas for a market in Hartford. The Mouta’s see Parkville as celebrating local food and retail, highlighting all that Hartford and Connecticut  has to offer. With both indoor and outdoor potential, the Market will be an all year round hot spot; they will even have an International Market below the hall and have already brought in live music.  And the three bars are taking shape: one specifically for beer highlighting local brews and classics; a wine bar with a variety of tap and bottled wines focused on high-quality at a good value; and my particular favorite, a cocktail bar that will celebrate Hartford’s past, present and future with an extensive, creative menu.

So, let’s toast the official opening of Connecticut’s first food hall, and stay tuned for LOTS, LOTS  more.

Parkville Market
1400 Park Street
Hartford, CT
Parkvillemarket.com
@parkvillemarket