Union Kitchen

The story

Crafted with passion, served with love

A Contemporary American Table in West Hartford Center

Union Kitchen sits at 43 LaSalle Road in the heart of West Hartford Center, serving contemporary American food built on seasonal ingredients, clean technique, and a wine program that has earned recognition well beyond Connecticut's borders. The restaurant has been nominated two consecutive years for Best Restaurant in Hartford County by the Connecticut Restaurant Association — a reflection of how seriously this small team takes their craft.

The Kitchen: Chef Tim East

Head Chef Tim East came to Union Kitchen after sharpening his skills alongside nationally recognized names including Todd English and Bobby Flay, and at celebrated local institutions like the former Cavey's in Manchester. His approach is straightforward: technique-driven, ingredient-focused, and always seasonal. Inspiration arrives from many directions — an old Appalachian family recipe, a research trip to a world-class restaurant, or one of the more than 250 cookbooks in his personal collection. The result is a menu that pairs New American classics with genuinely unexpected regional dishes, and changes often enough to reward regular visits. Dishes like honey lavender duck and wild mushroom chawanmushi hint at the range East brings to the table.

The Wine: A List Built on Story and Terroir

Director Vish Badami oversees the floor and the wine program with the kind of precision that comes from managing restaurants recognized by the James Beard Foundation and San Pellegrino's World's 50 Best — Rasika in Washington DC and Indian Accent in NYC, respectively. A certified sommelier with the Court of Master Sommeliers, Vish assembled Union Kitchen's list from scratch with a clear philosophy: highlight boutique producers making wine in the thousands of bottles, not millions, and prioritize organic, biodynamic, and sustainable farming. The list has grown from 95 labels to over 200, spanning classic Burgundy and California expressions of Chardonnay to skin-contact wines and a rare Nebbiolo from a tiny Piedmont village. That breadth earned Union Kitchen the Wine Spectator Award of Excellence — now four consecutive years running — and Connecticut Magazine's statewide Best Wine Selection award in 2023.

A $65 tasting menu with wine pairings puts this philosophy into practice at the table, pairing dishes with selections chosen to challenge expectations as much as complement flavors.

The Bar

Bar Manager Kyle Sundland leads a program grounded in elevated classic cocktails, seasonal flavors, and modern technique. The bar's extensive spirits and amaro selection is deliberately made approachable, introducing guests to producers and styles from around the world without intimidation.

The Team Behind the Room

General Manager Jill Feldman, a West Hartford native, brings experience from tasting menu restaurants in Manhattan and neighborhood spots in Brooklyn. Her conviction — that people always remember how they are treated — shapes the tone of service throughout the dining room. Together, Badami, East, Feldman, and Sundland form a team whose individual backgrounds are unusually deep for a restaurant of this scale, and that depth shows in every part of the experience.