Hartford's Asylum Cafe shutters it doors

Downtown Hartford lovers should be mourning the loss of the popular Asylum Café at 253 Asylum Street. The downtown restaurant and bar closed last week after problems with the State Department of Revenue Services. According to the Hartford Business Journal the business had their sales-tax permit suspended for nonpayment of sales taxes.

The Asylum Café was a popular joint which served up some great N.Y. style pizza as well as everything from Little Neck Clams to all sorts of pastas, calzones and sandwiches as well as entrees like Ribeye Steak and Chicken Rollantini.

The restaurant is a few doors down from the former Mayor Mike’s restaurant which is now home to Burger Baby. The venue is also diagonally across the street from the shuttered Market at Hartford 21. This closing is another big hit to Hartford’s struggling restaurant scene. There is now another vacant storefront along a prime stretch of downtown and one less venue for residents and visitors to frequent.

For instance, visitors to Hartford for the 15th annual Northeast Fishing & Hunting Show this weekend at the Connecticut Convention Center will now have one less venue to choose from and another vacant storefront to walk by.

On another business related closing note – the Wireless Zone at 231 Trumbull Street/Hartford 21 closed and relocated to the suburbs (5 Cross Roads Plaza in West Hartford). The store had only been open for about 9 months.