A Hartford homecoming for former ON20 chefs

ON20, the restaurant on the 20th floor of the Hartford Steam Boiler building in the capital city’s downtown, appeared to be another COVID casualty. The fine-dining establishment shuttered in March 2020 and didn’t seem poised to reopen among all the uncertainty of the pandemic.

shape. Hartford Steam Boiler’s leadership wanted to restore the restaurant’s glory, to breathe new life into the unique space that boasted soaring views of the city. They called upon a few professionals who were quite familiar with its recent history.

They contacted Jeffrey Lizotte, the former executive chef at ON20 who left in 2016 to open his own restaurant, Present Company in Simsbury’s Tariffville section. Jeff agreed to return as executive chef and partner in the new concept, The Foundry, the new “high-end culinary jewel” that made its debut in January.

Jeff, who said he’s always been rooting for the restaurant to make a comeback, also asked ON20 alumni Chef Jesse Powers and Francesco Tomiano to round out The Foundry’s team as chef de cuisine and general manager. Powers served as the executive chef at ON20 in its final four years, after Jeff departed to open Present Company.

“You’re in a room that has a lot of history for Chef (Powers) and me, and actually a few other people on our staff who have worked here prior when it was ON20,” Jeff said. “It holds a lot of meaning, and it’s got some soul, and it’s got a story.”

While the 20th-floor perch and the sweeping skyline views will be familiar to returning ON20 guests, The Foundry isn’t a replica of its predecessor. After renovations, the restaurant showcases even more windows to take in the impressive views, with near-panoramic vistas. The reimagined space has an open kitchen in the main dining room, where guests can watch all the bustling action, and coveted chef’s counter seating for tasting menu experiences.

Jeff describes The Foundry’s menu as seasonal and contemporary American fare, and dishes rotate based on ingredients’ availability. Summer dishes highlighted the best of warm-weather produce, with small plates like sweet corn cappelletti, torchon of foie gras with summer berries, an heirloom tomato tartlet with stracciatella and a melon gazpacho. Striped bass paired up with summer bean minestrone and smoked tomato butter, while a roasted heirloom squash dish was served with zucchini-basil velouté, pine nuts and stuffed blossoms.

Jesse said he lets his farmers’ harvests shape the menu changes, rather than sticking to strict seasonal schedules.

“My approach has always been to let produce drive the creation of a dish, rather than, you know, ‘What are we going to put with the chicken? What are we going to put with the steak?’” he said. “We could have a lot of these ingredients that are normally looked at as summer ingredients, really, through the first frost. We’re going to let the seasonality of New England dictate our menu.”

Jesse said there are some dishes on the menu with what he calls “signature elements,” that may be updated regularly with more seasonal ingredients. A house made sourdough spaghetti, which replaces some of the water and flour in the recipe with sourdough starter, featured razor clams, Calabrian chili, and preserved lemon in a spring edition. Later in the summer, it was updated with Maine crab, blistered sun gold tomato sugo, and Santa Barbara uni.

“Our roast duck has become that for us on an entree level as well,” he said. “We’ve come to the point where we may not be able to see that go away, but the beauty of a well-roasted duck is that it goes with a lot of produce, so that that dish can change seasonally and be completely transformed.”

Both Jesse and Jeff said they’re especially pleased by diners’ response to enjoying luxury items, like caviar service and an A5 Wagyu ribeye. They also enjoy watching guests try more non-traditional dishes, like olive oil-poached cod cheeks.

“Seeing people order those, maybe for the first time ever, wanting to have that experience, wanting to do it here, we know how much that means to us,” Jeff said.

“I think one of the greatest compliments is the trust from diners and their ability to say, ‘All right, let’s order this thing we’ve never heard of before, because we’re in the right place and the right people are handling it and preparing it and delivering it,’” Jesse said. “That’s just a tremendous complement to our team.”

The Foundry also offers an extensive bar program with innovative cocktails, which Jeff said was a necessity to keep up with industry expectations. Bar manager Chelsea Solkowski (who graced the Autumn cover of edible CT EAST in 2022) leads the charge, and the bar team turns out unique presentations like the Pour Over & Over (a “clear” espresso martini with espresso-infused vodka, cocoa, vanilla, and aquafaba) and Needle in a Haystack, described as a “cornfield on fire” with Ambar whiskey de maiz, hay liqueur, lemon, dry vermouth, honey, and Turkish tobacco. A thandai-inspired drink, based off a rich, creamy, and slightly sweet beverage commonly sipped in Northern India, has Jin Jin Indian gin, Strega, and flavors of cardamom, rose, coconut, and orgeat.

“We knew that if The Foundry was going to come back as the new and improved version, it really had to differentiate itself and go the extra step to provide a superb bar experience,” Jeff said.

The bar also offers its own food menu, which reflects the main menu with some of the same smaller plates, but “allows us to have a more bar-shared communal experience,” he said, with additional options like house-fried chips with onion dip, oysters, and a burger with aged beef from Four Mile River Farm in Old Lyme. Jeff and Jesse said they’re happy to continue “carrying the torch” for their special spot atop the 20th floor.

“We were part of what it was, and we’re part of what it is today, and that gives us a really cool perspective on things, and an emotional attachment to a restaurant and to a business that I think is unique just because of our history with it,” Jeff said.

“I would want people to know that the people that are running this place, this isn’t just a restaurant for them. This is their home. This is something very special to them…It’s like a family member that we’re having a reunion with… We’re bringing it back to life in a lot of ways, and it’s just an amazing experience.”

The Foundry is located at 400 Columbus Boulevard (One State Street Building, 20th floor) in Hartford thefoundryct.com