For those sad to learn the Corner Pug is closing , there’s exciting news: Millwright’s executive chef Ashley Flagg will open her first restaurant in the same space. The Laurel, slated to open early next year at 1046 New Britain Ave. in West Hartford, will feature several of Flagg’s favorite culinary dishes pairing global cuisines with local ingredients.
Flagg is still finalizing the menu for The Laurel, but she plans to offer several dishes inspired by cuisines from different parts of the world. The renowned chef said that what she enjoys most is being able to experiment with dishes and learning about different cuisines. “I like to have the people that I work with have an influence on the menu, this way they feel more engaged,” Flagg said.
“I have this amazing line cook who is Puerto Rican and Dominican and she has a ton of things on the menu. She taught us all how to make dishes we didn’t know how to do. We also had a dish washer from Ghana and we introduced a Ghanaian peanut stew which was delicious.
So we will have a menu that’s changing as we go. I’m really looking forward to exploring in this new environment we’re creating.” Flagg, who now lives in Bloomfield with her wife Rebekah, grew up just off West Hartford’s bustling New Britain Avenue in her mother’s house on South Quaker Lane.
She even briefly attended Conard High School before moving to Burlington. The Laurel will be within walking distance from where she grew up. “I grew up eating at.