Dine Fine

The Russell

103 Pratt St.
Hartford, CT
(860) 727-4014
therussellct.com

The Russell is a small gem downtown. The restaurant manages to be fancy and casual, right in the middle of the city and tucked away, hip and conservative. Our readers also like its Caribbean food. While the menu does have some Caribbean flavor -- such as the jerk chicken sandwich on coco bread with chipotle aioli, stewed onions, roasted red pepper and plantain chip on the side -- it goes beyond one categorization. The Russell mixes cajun seafood entrees, light wraps and salads and standard Italian (ravioli, chicken Parmesan) with tropical flourishes (a pineapple-mango dip here, sprinkle-on jerk chicken bits there).