MAIN STREET MAGAZINE (PAGE 33) / CB WISMAR / JULY 2017
When you get right down to it, it’s a restaurant named for a dog. “Hanq” is not a person. It’s not a nickname for a favorite uncle. It’s the name of Kris Kelsey’s 30 pound “puggle,” and the choice of names says a great deal about HANQ’S at 131 Water Street in Torrington, CT.
HANQ’S is a casual place, fueled by the emotional decisions and the relentless dream of its owner and delivered on a daily basis by an exceptional kitchen team led by Chef Mike Wilusz and a staff that is friendly and helpful without ever being overbearing.
Bringing the best of farms and markets to the table Born of Kris Kelsey’s fascination with creating an entire enter- tainment experience, HANQ’S celebrated its rst anniversary in June, 2017, and continues to offer imaginative menu selections, a lush selection of draught beers, a solid wine list, and daily surprises that bring the best of the markets and farms right to the table.
“I wanted to create an environ- ment where people want to ‘have a moment.’ We want people to feel comfortable staying here for several hours, enjoying the food, the enter- tainment, and the conversation.” Kris Kelsey is much more interested in customers wanting to come back again and again than rushing through an evening meal and disap- pearing into the night.
Where would you like to sit?
HANQ’S offers three dining areas in its second oor location in Tor- rington. The tap room has all the comfortable feel of a classic bar environment staffed with bartenders who are as adept at creating named cocktails and seasonal specials as they are being patient as patrons encounter an array of tap beers that come from breweries with names like Lord Hobo and Against the Grain. The dining room is an L-shaped affair with enough room between tables to not feel like diners are crammed in and have to keep apologizing for bumping into
their neighbors. “We wanted to make sure that if people want to move around and talk to friends, they can be comfortable,” asserts Kris. “You’ve made the decision to spend your evening with us. We’re going to provide great food and the chance to relax and enjoy yourself.” A recent study of patrons revealed that a typical stay at HANQ’S is close to three hours. The timing of the food service is crisp and ef- cient. The choice to stay in place is up to the customer.
A third space that entices patrons during the late spring, summer, and early autumn months is the outdoor deck. Sixty seats re ect the Kris Kelsey philosophy of “comfort- able space,” with room still left for live bands and the bountiful herb garden that supplies the restaurant.
Let us entertain you
The entertainment part of the HANQ’S formula tends to be jazz, local and accessible. The stage in the main dining room is large enough to hold a ve piece jazz band, but not intrusive into the space. Kris Kelsey placed HANQ’S in Torrington at the edge of what is becoming known as “the Arts District,” because “I’m comfortable here.” A native of nearby Winsted, CT, Kris had ventured out of the region to pursue a college basket- ball career in Santa Barbara, CA. “I went from college into the record- ing industry into entertainment,” acknowledges Kris with a hint of a smile. Santa Barbara became Los Angeles become Las Vegas and Kris was launched in a career in entertainment. “I wanted to have a place of my own ... and apart from the weather, this is the area that attracted me.” Northwest Connecti- cut meant family and the inherent sense that there was great opportu- nity here.
“In the 80’s, there were a dozen bars and restaurants in Torrington that were bustling with regular customers. When the town began to fade, so did those businesses.” Kris Kelsey begins that Torrington’s time is returning, and he wants to be part of the renaissance. “I want people to be able to walk around, to stop in places they like, see friends, enjoy the evening.” HANQ’S is his effort at laying the foundation of that imagined future, and it is working.
An imaginative collaboration
Restaurants can be judged on many factors: ambience, staff attitudes, location, pricing, and, most importantly, food. The imaginative offer- ings that come from Mike Wilusz’s kitchen re ect the open and honest collaboration of Mike, Kris, and the rest of the culinary team. “We experiment, we test, we sample,” says Chef Mike, “then we offer new dishes as specials to see how the customers respond.” A new menu, appearing right after the 4th of July, is a real challenge.
“We have regulars almost plead- ing with us not to change out some of the dishes on the summer menu,” re ects Kris Kelsey. “Some of the items will stay, but we’re excited about the seasonal offerings and some new relationships.” There are rumors of ice cream specialties from a premium Connecticut ice cream shop that will be paired with fresh mint from the rooftop garden and Caribbean dishes that will in- troduce an entirely new audience to the wonders of malanga root chips and chimichurri sauce.
Worth the journey
For some, the notion of venturing to Torrington to try a new restau- rant is close to the idea of sailing to the end of the earth. If home is Ancramdale, NY or Housatonic, MA, there may need to be a reliance on the GPS to nd one’s way to Water Street. In this case, it is less about the journey and more about the destination. The Litchfield Hills are verdant this time of year with sweeping vistas and seemingly endless views of stone walled farms and pristine white churches set in quaint villages. This road trip has a speci c destination, and the scenery is merely an added benefit. HANQ’S offers such a complete dining experience – from the trip
up from street level through the hallway of open brick, the wide wooden stairs to the welcoming host station ... to the menu that is compact, but complete and enter tainment on selected weekends that completes a full, immersive evening.
There is a bit of HANQ’S that is reminiscent of the great jazz clubs of New York and Chicago with the addition of a menu offering Asian Lacquered Ribs, Chicken N Waf es 3 Ways, “Air Cooled” D’Artagnan Oven Roasted Chicken and Sweet English Pea and Onion Ravioli. “Our guests come from all directions,” re ects Kris. “We have regulars from West Hartford, New Milford, a large percentage from Litch eld, and a steady number of reservations with 917 (New York City) area codes.” In Kris’s observa- tion, New Yorkers have begun dis- covering Torrington, and HANQ’S is a solid rst stop in that discovery. “You’ve got great towns that are accessible to New York – New Milford, Great Barrington – and it could be that Torrington is next.”
Whether Kris’s passion for the area is borne out, or not, will take some years to resolve. In the mean- time, his comfortable, welcoming restaurant should be a strong enough magnet to entice lovers of good food, good music, and a lovely evening to make the trip. HANQ’S is open Wednesday through Sunday with extended hours on the week- ends to accommodate “those who lunch,” and the night owls who want to stop in for a piece of Chef Mike’s ourless chocolate cake with pistachio brittle, or to spend a few moments in conversation with Kris Kelsey, whose dream has become a restaurant. •
HANQ’S is on the second oor at 131 Water Street in Torrington, CT. The phone number, (860)309-7200, is best for reservations and information about upcoming performances. A new website is in the works, but until that arrives, HANQ’S is active on Facebook.
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