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    Gather55

    4.8 (68 reviews)
    Closed 5:00 pm - 8:30 PM
    Updated a few days ago

    Gather55 Photos

    GATHER55 ATMOSPHERE

    What's the vibe?
    Romantic
    Classy
    Moderate noise
    Outdoor seating

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    Recommended Reviews - Gather55

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    Shanina S.

    Gather55 is a Hands-On Hartford initiative that is part of its commitment to serving neighbors, engaging volunteers, and connecting communities in the Hartford area. Diners may participate by paying the full posted price of the meals or a minimum price of three dollars, or they may choose to volunteer with Hands-On Hartford. Additionally, the chefs are rotated every month to give back to the community. Gather 55 has a pre-fix menu, and you get an appetizer, main course, and dessert for fifty-five dollars. I ordered the Milanese Pork Chop with Arugula. It also came with grilled lemon. The Pork Chop was beautifully cooked and had great flavor. The Pork Chop was crispy and not overcooked. The grilled Lemon brought the Pork Chop to another level. The grilled lemon gave the pork chops a nice pop and brought more flavor out of the pork chops. The Argula was cooked to perfection. It tasted great, and you could tell that the grilled Lemon was squeezed into the Argula while it was cooking. The food was fabulous. The customer service was too notch, and I will be back again.

    Dan R.

    "Come gather 'round people Wherever you roam And admit that the waters Around you have grown" (Bob Dylan) It's part community center, part soup kitchen, and part high end restaurant. In addition, it's unlike any restaurant I've ever been to. My first visit to Gather55 wasn't my first visit to the building, because back in the early '90's I was here during its Spaghetti Warehouse and Trout Brook Brewery days. Gather55 is so unusual because of its innovative and visionary business model. For breakfast and lunch, it opens the doors to the underprivileges or those struggling within the community for "pay what you can" meals. Those that have zero dollars are assigned a task in the restaurant and working for a half hour or so will earn you a meal. In the evening, the white tablecloths come out and Gather55 becomes a high-end restaurant with weekly guest chefs, and the revenue raised from these pricey dinners subsidizes the breakfasts and lunches. Chef and Gather55 director Rob Mafucci does a great job explaining everything in this YouTube video - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PJHbwtuwnfc&t=138s Four of us had a memorable dinner at Gather55 last night. We started off with a few glasses of wine for around $10 a glass. The menu suggested pairings to go along with the evening's five appetizers and four entrees. The dishes were all created by different chefs including some heavy hitting familiar names like Chef Billy Grant and Chef Tyler Anderson. The appetizers were priced between $14-$18, the entrees between $28-$32, and the desserts were all $11. They also offer a 3 Course Prix Fixe Menu for $55 with your choice of salad or appetizer, entree, and dessert. Our appetizers were: Tom Yum Noodles $15 with chili paste, coconut milk, bok choy, bean sprout, Chinese cabbage, peanut, scallion, and lime Crispy Yucca Rellenos $14 (Vegetarian) Chef Jeremy Williams yucca, herbed cheese, aji verde sauce Kale Caesar Salad $14 with parmesan, lemon, and crispy garbanzos. Two of us went with the Tom Yum Noodles, including yours truly. It was a dish by this month's Guest Chef Lapat Watrous of Aroy Thai Garden in Middletown, and she created a helluva delicious starter. It was an amazing combination of tastes, textures and an amazing sauce that reminded me a lot of Panang Curry. Our main courses were: Salmon en Papillote $32 (GF) with potatoes, leeks, fresh herbs, cooked in parchment paper Stuffed Eggplant & Kale $28 with vadouvan, beans, tomato agrodulce, and fregola Pork Chop Milanese $29 with arugula, parmesan, lemon beurre blanc Lobster Ravioli ($18 from the appetizer menu) with tarragon mascarpone cream, and roasted hazelnuts. I had the eggplant dish and had to scurry to my phone to find out what some of the exotic ingredients were. I learned that vadouvan is a French spice blend, tomato agrodolce is an Italian sweet and sour sauce, and fregola is a teeny tiny pasta very similar to couscous. It was the creation of Chef Tim East of West Hartford's Union Kitchen, and it was delicious. The presentation was gorgeous, rollatini style spirals of eggplant topped with bits of kale, topped with the pasta and beans all swimming in a bed of fantastic tomato sauce. We had coffees and split two desserts - Chef Tyler Anderson's Brown Sugar Budino (an egg custard) with brown sugar, maple, and cocoa nibs, and Chef Kristin Eddy's Flourless Chocolate Torte with bourbon, orange, crème fraiche, and black pepper. I had a forkful of each, and they were both fantastic. You really have to tip your hat to Rob Maffucci and his talented group of collaborators for putting together such an innovative effort to serve the community and offer a wonderful dining experience. Thank you, Chef!

    Stuffed eggplant
    Jazz A.

    We went to gather 55 yesterday for a give back birthday dinner, where all proceeds go to hands on Hartford .. which I thought was fantastic idea. It's a great way to give back to the community while having a nice dinner out. Furthermore, the menu constantly changes as they switch out the chef every month . So more reason to keep going back . I must say gather 55 is worth all the 5 stars The food was top quality with fresh ingredients and tasted like I was at a fancy restaurant! And the staff was amazing too and has a nice and cozy atmosphere I got the rose sangria which I loved And the three course meal for $55 which included an appetizer, entree and dessert . Appetizer I got the lobster ravioli which was the best I ever had Entree I got the stuffed eggplant. This was one of my all time favourite vegetarian dishes And dessert was the flourless chocolate tarte ( I was too full to appreciate this fully but it was presented beautifully and tasted good ) My husband got the Thai noodles ( which was amazing .. I highly recommend ) , the steak served with fries, and the apple spice cake ( this was big portion for dessert and I ate more of this then my own dessert ... definitely recommend ) Gather 55 had been on my list of "places to try" for a while so I'm thankful I got the opportunity to try it out . I will definitely be back again

    Ghanian peanut stew chicken
    Jackie S.

    Gather 55 has an amazing mission in serving the Hartford community and performing outreach. They also have great food with a rotating menu and nice ambiance, and generally is a nice, clean place with cool art and a cute vibe. Last night I had dinner with my friend after seeing that Ashley Flagg from the Laurel was the guest chef for this month. We were greeted warmly, given bread and butter to start, and our server kindly explained their mission. We both ordered the prix fixe menu for $55 which included an appetizer, entree and dessert and loved all the dishes. The pasta bolognese was perfectly al dente and with a rich, flavorful sauce. The ghanian peanut stew chicken was great-- chicken was tender with a crispy skin, and the peanut sauce was subtle and the sweet potatoes really came through more. The flatbread was also warm, crispy and added a yummy texture. My friend enjoyed her tom yum soup and tagliatelle as well. My flourless torte was rich and chocolately, but slightly on the drier side. Overall we had a wonderful experience, and would definitely recommend this restaurant for anyone who enjoys food and wants to support a good cause.

    Nonnie D.

    I love this place and its unique model for supporting our under housed neighbors. Great idea to offer top notch chefs an opportunity to share their featured signature dish with cooks who feed the homeless. It's a win/win. We pay full price for gourmet meals and Gather 55 helps feed those in need. Book a table and bring a friend. Food and service is excellent and the mission heartwarming. Feel good about eating out again.

    Lomo saltado
    Rachel S.

    Couldn't get any better than this! Not only do you get a 3 course meal for $55 but the money goes back to the community. Non-profit restaurant. It's a win win for everyone. The menu changes I believe each month. To start we got fresh warm bread served with house made maple sesame butter. To die for! When I went I got the kale Caesar salad for my app, then the lomo saltado for my entree and flourless chocolate cake for desserts. Everything was delicious. The beef was very tender and flavorful. Usually in small cuts I get worried about it being hard and chewy, but this was cooked to perfection. Nice for a date night or with a group. Staff was great. I will definitely be back! Can't wait until next time.

    Peruvian Chicken with Green Sauce
    Monique A.

    I've been hearing about this place for a while, especially because of their amazing mission to serve the community, and I was so excited to finally experience it for myself. I was lucky enough to attend one of their monthly dinner events, and I was thoroughly impressed. The meal was absolutely wonderful, and there was such a warm, welcoming sense of community throughout the evening. It's clear that this place is dedicated to both great food and making a positive impact. I can't wait to return and check out the restaurant. Great place, even better mission!

    Archana P.

    Dinner here was yummy! Totally wanted to support this pay as you go model and loved the featured chefs ! The overall experience was nice ! All in all the food was good, flavorful, and intriguing. The app was amazing.. some carroway crumble with whipped ricotta and beets. Odd combo but delicious! Dessert was a budino - just perfect. The main entree was a surprise to me but also yum! It said celery root steak....so I expected meat...nope quite the opposite! It's fixed price fine dining for 2 or 3 items. Parking was easy and ample. Go , support, and next time I'll bring books.

    Left - Short Rib Right - Lomo Saltado Drink - Rose Sangria
    Michelle I.

    The food was absolutely incredible. Staff was wonderful and kind. Our servers have great recommendations and you could tell they loved their job. We even met the chef and got our photo taken while there. My husband and I were celebrating our anniversary. It felt cozy and intimate. Can't wait to go back!!

    Allison C.

    I've been curious to check out Gather55 since I first learned of their unique concept, and I'm so glad my fiancé and I were finally able to visit! The food from guest chef Tom Kaldy was delicious, and we liked that they had a mix of dishes from past guest chefs which featured a wide variety of flavors. Their prix fixe price is reasonable, and it's nice that the servers don't accept tips, but rather donations for Hands on Hartford. Such a cool way to try different dishes from top CT chefs while also supporting this awesome non-profit. We were the only diners for dinner that evening while there was a private event in their main dining room, but the servers made an effort to give us a nice ambiance.

    Blueberry Pancakes
    Sarah N.

    Gather55 is a social enterprise located in Hartford near Parkville Market and Witchhouse Tattoo. They have an amazing model where you can either pay full price, pay what you can (minimum $2) or volunteer for 30 minutes. All of the staff I interacted with were extremely welcoming and friendly. The service was a bit slow; it took 40+ minutes for my table to receive our food, but it was very busy and I assume a lot of the staff are volunteers. Even at full price, the food is very affordable and the portion sizes are generous. I enjoyed my pancakes a lot. They were crispy on the outside and fluffy on the inside and not too sweet.

    John M.

    i had heard good things about gather55 . i love their mission . we struggled to understand gluten free . the apps were ok the dinner was meh. the pork was way over cooked and the chicken was not very flavorful the olive oil desert was thick and bland overall i will not be back

    Curry chicken
    Sho R.

    I have taken out lunch from here. Pay what you want concept is pretty new to me. I paid the full menu price. The restaurant does a good job in helping the community. When I was there, I met a reporter who travelled from the next state to study the concept. A lot of people I saw inside the restaurant were very poor. The staff seem to be volunteers. What they lack in experience, they make up in the pride they take in the cause. Curry chicken was an excellent entree. It looks very colorful, tasted good, was nutritious and the ingredients were fresh. G55 burger was decent. Side of fruit bowl was a nice touch of nutrition. You will love Hibiscus sun drink if you love the ginger punch and the sorrel. PB + Janet was a good shake with peanut butter protien and the goodness of the fruits. It was less sweet though.

    Malabi

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    Photo of Dan S.
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    Thank you for support and nice review.

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    Thank you for your support.

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    Thank you for your review and continued support. We appreciate you!

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    Yes Jardon- Thank you!

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    Thank you Kate. We hope you come try the menu.

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    We look forward to dining with us again. Thank you.

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    Absolutely fantastic! Delicious 3-course fixed menu prepared by a local star chef. Fabulous service and a great deal!!

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    Thanks so much for dining with us and thanks for the great review.

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    Page 1 of 2

    Ask the Community - Gather55

    Is there a kids menu available?

    Do you serve alcohol at dinner?

    We serve beer, wine & sangria.

    Don’t See Your Question? Ask Away!

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