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Better People, Food & Beer, 1185 Whalley Ave, New Haven, CT (2026)

06/17/2026

📍Phantom Farms Brewing - 30 Martin St - Cumberland, RI

Phantom Farms Brewing is a craft brewery that opened in Cumberland, Rhode Island in March 2024. It was founded by entrepreneur Jason Macari and his son-in-law Jay Neveu. Macari first worked for toy manufacturer Hasbro before launching a custom cabinetry business with another former Hasbro colleague. Today he is involved in multiple businesses. For a new venture, Macari decided to open his own brewery with Neveu, another former Hasbro employee. The partners acquired and completely renovated the circa 1872 Berkeley Mill boiler room building to house the brewery. They named it “Phantom Farms” after the Macari family’s local apple orchard and bakery just down the road. Oscar Garrido and Andrea Riera, a husband-and-wife team from Chile, were hired as the head brewers. Since opening, Phantom Farms has become known for its farm-to-pint operation, its close connection to its namesake orchard, a historic taproom, and award-winning lagers.

I recently visited Phantom Farms Brewing while I was in town for the day. I was scheduled to meet up with some other beer bloggers. The first thing I noticed was how beautiful the restored historic building was. There was plenty of space upstairs and downstairs, indoors and outdoors, and the brewery is also family-friendly. After exploring all of the various rooms, I looked over the draught menu. There was an eclectic mix of beer styles as well as hard cider crafted with apples from the Phantom Farms Orchard. Between mingling with the other bloggers and playing some games of Binho, I enjoyed pours of “Half Dark” (Czech Amber Lager), “Elegant Viking” (New England IPA), “Alternate Continuum” (Barrel-Aged Saison), and “Hypernova” (Barleywine). I was very impressed with everything that I tried, especially the last two. Between an excellent roster of beers, a beautiful historic space, and some excellent company, I had a really enjoyable experience at Phantom Farms and I highly recommend them to any craft beer aficionados who are visiting the area! 🍻

06/15/2026

📍City Kebab House - 207 Main St - Hartford, CT

City Kebab is a Middle Eastern kebab restaurant that opened in Hartford, Connecticut in September 2023. It was founded by husband and wife Uzbek immigrants Timur Rakhimov and Aziza Djalmamedova. The couple immigrated to the United States from Uzbekistan in 2010. After over a decade of education, training, and hard work, they decided to try their luck as restaurateurs. They found a space that used to be home to Hook & Ladder Restaurant (right next to Hartford Fire Department’s historic South Green Station). The couple hired Turkish immigrant Hasan Korkmaz as their head chef. Together, they curated a menu full of traditional Turkish and Uzbek cuisine that is all prepared in accordance with halal dietary laws. Some of the menu items include kebabs, samsas, falafel, gyro, and mezzo platters.

I recently dined at City Kebab while I was in Hartford to see a concert. I checked Yelp to see if there was anywhere good to grab dinner before the show, and Middle Eastern/Mediterranean cuisine sounded fantastic to me. When I entered, I was greeted by the very friendly co-owner Timur, who said, “I work for my wife. She’s the real boss.” After being seated, I began to look over the menu. When Timur returned, he tried to recommend that I get gyro. I told him, “Oh no. I know exactly what I want. I’d like to order a variety of small plates to sample. I’m a local food blogger and I want an authentic experience.” Timur was just ecstatic and quickly went to give my order to the kitchen staff. I started off first with a small “Mixed Cold Appetizer” (combo of hummus, babganush, haydari, soslu patlican, antep ezme, avocado ezme), the “Falafel” (mixture of chickpeas, parsley, onions, garlic, Middle Eastern spices, deep fried) and a small teapot of “Turkish Black Tea”. Timur brought me some complimentary “Ramazan Pidesi” (Turkish Bread) as well as a glass of “Fresh Squeezed Lemonade”. He said, “You need to try this!” So far, everything was excellent! For the main course, I had the “Mixed Grill” (mixture of chicken shish, beef shish, kofte, lamb adana, beef & lamb gyro, served w/ white rice, bulgur rice, Mediterranean salad). It was a symphony of Mediterranean flavors! Timur surprised me with a “Pumpkin Samsa” (pumpkin filling in crispy pastry, seasoned with spices, served w/ tomato sauce) and said, “You can’t leave without trying this. It’s an Uzbek specialty!” It was very tasty! Before the meal was over, he said, “Save some room. I have another surprise for you at the end.” He brought me “Künefe with Dondurma” (Turkish ice cream). I had never tried this before. Stuffed with melted mozzarella and then topped with pistachio and almond crumbles, it was simply divine! I repeatedly thanked Timur for his hospitality and for sharing his culinary cultural traditions with me. I had enough leftovers for both my wife and I to have for dinner the following evening. I’ll definitely be returning with my whole family. If you’re looking for an authentic Middle Eastern culinary experience in Hartford, then look no further than City Kebab! 🇺🇿🇹🇷

06/14/2026

Here’s a beer that I revisited for the first time in many years: Tröegs Independent Brewing’s “𝐍𝐮𝐠𝐠𝐞𝐭 𝐍𝐞𝐜𝐭𝐚𝐫”. First released in 2004, this offering is an Imperial Red Ale. It’s only released once a year; typically in January. This beer bridges the gap between the massive hop flavor of Hazy IPAs and the malt sweetness of English IPAs. Excessively dry-hopped, Nugget Nectar is an explosion of pine, resin, grapefruit, mango, and creamsicle. This was my first time enjoying it again since 2014 and I was happy that I finally got my hands on some again. It clocks in at 7.5% ABV. 🍻

06/13/2026

Here’s a new beer that I found in my recent travels: Allagash Brewing Company’s “𝐍𝐨𝐫𝐭𝐡 𝐒𝐤𝐲”. The Maine-based brewery is renowned for their Belgian-inspired beers. This offering is a Belgian-inspired Stout that they first released in August 2020. It’s smooth with nice notes of roasted malt and dark fruit. This would be a good beer to enjoy by the fire on a cold night. It clocks in at 7.5% ABV. 🍻

06/12/2026

🍻 - 𝐌𝐘 𝐅𝐀𝐕𝐎𝐑𝐈𝐓𝐄 𝐆𝐎-𝐓𝐎 𝐁𝐄𝐄𝐑𝐒 - 🍻 𝐏𝐚𝐫𝐭 𝟒

I had tried out a lot of great craft beers over the years. Most of them I only try once, even if I really like them. There is, however, a small group of beers that I keep on coming back to again and again. They may not necessarily be the best beers that I ever tasted, but they are reliable ones. These are the ones that I will grab at the beer store, even if I came in looking for something else. These are the familiar beers I will reach for when I don’t want to risk being disappointed. Maybe I reach for them out of nostalgia purposes, maybe I reach for them because they are top quality. Either way, these are the brews that I look forward to.

𝟏𝟔. 𝐂𝐚𝐩𝐭𝐚𝐢𝐧’𝐬 𝐃𝐚𝐮𝐠𝐡𝐭𝐞𝐫
Brewery: Grey Sail Brewing of Rhode Island
Been Enjoying Since: 2015
Why I love it: This is an excellent offering which helps to bridge the gap between juicy New England IPAs and highly-bitter West Coast IPAs.

𝟏𝟕. 𝐉𝐮𝐥𝐢𝐮𝐬
Brewery: Tree House Brewing Company
Been Enjoying Since: 2015
Why I love it: Tree House is well-known for their large portfolio of hazy IPAs, but sometimes there’s just nothing like the beer that put the brewery on the map.

𝟏𝟖. 𝐍𝐞𝐰 𝐄𝐧𝐠𝐥𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐉𝐮𝐢𝐜𝐲 𝐈𝐏𝐀 (formerly Wicked Hazy)
Brewery: Samuel Adams Brewery (Boston Beer Company)
Been Enjoying Since: 2018
Why I love it: For a brewery that’s most well-known for their crispy lagers, this take on a New England IPA is surprisingly good. It’s gone through a few name changes since its initial release. Regardless what you call it, I’m always happy to see it.

𝟏𝟗. 𝐅𝐨𝐜𝐚𝐥 𝐁𝐚𝐧𝐠𝐞𝐫
Brewery: The Alchemist Brewery
Been Enjoying Since: 2021
Why I love it: Between this and the Alchemist’s flagship beer “Heady Topper”, I’m honestly not sure which beer is my favorite.

𝟐𝟎. 𝐅𝐫𝐞𝐞 𝐖𝐚𝐯𝐞 𝐇𝐚𝐳𝐲 𝐈𝐏𝐀
Brewery: Athletic Brewing Company
Been Enjoying Since: 2024
Why I love it: As far as non-alcoholic offerings are concerned, this one is easily my favorite!

06/11/2026

🍻 - 𝐌𝐘 𝐅𝐀𝐕𝐎𝐑𝐈𝐓𝐄 𝐆𝐎-𝐓𝐎 𝐁𝐄𝐄𝐑𝐒 - 🍻 𝐏𝐚𝐫𝐭 𝟑

I had tried out a lot of great craft beers over the years. Most of them I only try once, even if I really like them. There is, however, a small group of beers that I keep on coming back to again and again. They may not necessarily be the best beers that I ever tasted, but they are reliable ones. These are the ones that I will grab at the beer store, even if I came in looking for something else. These are the familiar beers I will reach for when I don’t want to risk being disappointed. Maybe I reach for them out of nostalgia purposes, maybe I reach for them because they are top quality. Either way, these are the brews that I look forward to.

𝟏𝟏. 𝐅𝐮𝐳𝐳𝐲 𝐁𝐚𝐛𝐲 𝐃𝐮𝐜𝐤𝐬
Brewery: New England Brewing Co.
Been Enjoying Since: 2013
Why I love it: There was a time when this delicious Citra IPA was very hard to come by. It’s still one of my favorite local offerings after all of these years.

𝟏𝟐. 𝐈𝐦𝐩𝐞𝐫𝐢𝐚𝐥 𝐒𝐭𝐨𝐮𝐭 𝐓𝐫𝐨𝐨𝐩𝐞𝐫
Brewery: New England Brewing
Been Enjoying Since: 2013
Why I love it: NEBCO’s elusive Imperial Stout is loaded with delicious notes of chocolate and coffee. I look forward to it every Stout Season.

𝟏𝟑. 𝐇𝐞𝐚𝐝𝐲 𝐓𝐨𝐩𝐩𝐞𝐫
Brewery: The Alchemist Brewery
Been Enjoying Since: 2014
Why I love it: I still remember my first Heady very vividly. It doesn’t show up in my area often, but I grab it like a crazy person whenever it does. It was glorifying to have it on draft in person at the brewery.

𝟏𝟒. 𝐃𝐞𝐥’𝐬 𝐒𝐡𝐚𝐧𝐝𝐲
Brewery: Narragansett Brewery
Been Enjoying Since: 2014
Why I love it: This is one of my favorite summer beers! It has delicious notes of Del’s Frozen Lemonade and tastes great after a nice long bike ride or an afternoon of mowing the lawn.

𝟏𝟓. 𝐒𝐢𝐩 𝐨𝐟 𝐒𝐮𝐧𝐬𝐡𝐢𝐧𝐞
Brewery: Lawson's Finest Liquids
Been Enjoying Since: 2014
Why I love it: Like some of my other go-to beers, this one was also difficult to locate in the early days. It has delicious tropical fruit notes and it never lets me down.

06/10/2026

🍻 - 𝐌𝐘 𝐅𝐀𝐕𝐎𝐑𝐈𝐓𝐄 𝐆𝐎-𝐓𝐎 𝐁𝐄𝐄𝐑𝐒 - 🍻 𝐏𝐚𝐫𝐭 𝟐

I had tried out a lot of great craft beers over the years. Most of them I only try once, even if I really like them. There is, however, a small group of beers that I keep on coming back to again and again. They may not necessarily be the best beers that I ever tasted, but they are reliable ones. These are the ones that I will grab at the beer store, even if I came in looking for something else. These are the familiar beers I will reach for when I don’t want to risk being disappointed. Maybe I reach for them out of nostalgia purposes, maybe I reach for them because they are top quality. Either way, these are the brews that I look forward to.

𝟔. 𝐍𝐚𝐫𝐫𝐚𝐠𝐚𝐧𝐬𝐞𝐭𝐭 𝐋𝐚𝐠𝐞𝐫
Brewery: Narragansett Brewing
Been Enjoying Since: 2006
Why I love it: Sometimes I just want to have a beer that tastes like… beer. Forget Bud, Miller or Coors. Try this classic from Rhode Island. It was good enough for Captain Quint.

𝟕. 𝐒𝐞𝐚 𝐇𝐚𝐠 𝐈𝐏𝐀
Brewery: New England Brewing Co.
Been Enjoying Since: 2012
Why I love it: The first beer I ever enjoyed from my favorite local brewery. I’lm always happy to see it at a pizzeria or a dive bar.

𝟖. 𝐆-𝐁𝐨𝐭 (formerly Gandhi-Bot)
Brewery: New England Brewing
Been Enjoying Since: 2012
Why I love it: Regardless of what you call it (it will always be Gandhi-Bot to me) this is a classic Connecticut staple: one of the best Double IPAs that our state has to offer.

𝟗. 𝐑𝐨𝐚𝐝𝐬𝐦𝐚𝐫𝐲’𝐬 𝐁𝐚𝐛𝐲
Brewery: Two Roads Brewing Company
Been Enjoying Since: 2013
Why I love it: Not only is this the best pumpkin beer in Connecticut, it’s easily one of the best pumpkin beers anywhere. I look forward to it every Halloween season.

𝟏𝟎. 𝐂𝐞𝐥𝐞𝐛𝐫𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧 𝐀𝐥𝐞
Brewery: Sierra Nevada Brewing
Been Enjoying Since: 2013
Why I love it: This is a great alternative to the dark, spiced, heavy ales that dominate the winter holiday season. It’s bursting with vibrant, fresh hop flavor.

06/09/2026

🍻 - 𝐌𝐘 𝐅𝐀𝐕𝐎𝐑𝐈𝐓𝐄 𝐆𝐎-𝐓𝐎 𝐁𝐄𝐄𝐑𝐒 - 🍻 𝐏𝐚𝐫𝐭 𝟏

I had tried out a lot of great craft beers over the years. Most of them I only try once, even if I really like them. There is, however, a small group of beers that I keep on coming back to again and again. They may not necessarily be the best beers that I ever tasted, but they are reliable ones. These are the ones that I will grab at the beer store, even if I came in looking for something else. These are the familiar beers I will reach for when I don’t want to risk being disappointed. Maybe I reach for them out of nostalgia purposes, maybe I reach for them because they are top quality. Either way, these are the brews that I look forward to.

𝟏. 𝐎𝐜𝐭𝐨𝐛𝐞𝐫𝐟𝐞𝐬𝐭
Brewery: Samuel Adams Brewery (Boston Beer Company)
Been Enjoying Since: 2005
Why I love it: I’ve sampled a lot of Märzens and Festbiers over the years (including the officially recognized Oktoberfest beers), but this is the one I keep coming back to.

𝟐. 𝐏𝐮𝐦𝐩𝐤𝐢𝐧𝐡𝐞𝐚𝐝 𝐀𝐥𝐞
Brewery: Shipyard Brewing Company
Been Enjoying Since: 2005
Why I love it: It may not be the best pumpkin beer out there. In fact, it actually kind of tastes like pumpkin pie soda. However, it was the first pumpkin beer I ever had and it’s always been special to me.

𝟑. 𝐆𝐮𝐢𝐧𝐧𝐞𝐬𝐬 𝐃𝐫𝐚𝐮𝐠𝐡𝐭
Brewery: Guinness Brewery
Been Enjoying Since: 2005
Why I love it: Guinness has a wide variety of beer styles now, let alone multiple versions of their Irish Dry Stout, but it’s the OG Guinness Draught that I keep coming to. It’s creamy, full of flavor, and filling!

𝟒. 𝐀𝐫𝐫𝐨𝐠𝐚𝐧𝐭 𝐁𝐚𝐬𝐭𝐚𝐫𝐝 𝐀𝐥𝐞
Brewery: Stone Brewing
Been Enjoying Since: 2006
Why I love it: This is the first beer that I tried where I started choking after the first sip because I was totally unprepared for that strong flavor. I’ve been in love with it ever since!

𝟓. 𝐁𝐢𝐠𝐟𝐨𝐨𝐭
Brewery: Sierra Nevada Brewing
Been Enjoying Since: 2006
Why I love it: The first barleywine I ever tried is the same one that I keep coming back to after all these years. I always look forward to its annual release.

06/07/2026

Here’s a new beer that I found in my recent travels: Bell's Brewery’s “𝐇𝐚𝐳𝐲 𝐇𝐞𝐚𝐫𝐭𝐞𝐝 𝐈𝐏𝐀”. A member of the brewery’s “Hearted” series of IPAs (that began with their flagship “Two Hearted Ale”), this offering is a Hazy IPA. It’s hazy, piney and delicious! It clocks in at 7.5% ABV. 🍻

Better People, Food & Beer

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