Bloomfield seems to be booming of late—or should I say blooming? The town of just 20,000 residents, who in the past have included notable athletes such as K.C. Jones, Dwight Freeney and Nykesha Sales, seems well positioned to draw business from Hartford, from other Farmington Valley towns and from the ’burbs north and east of the Capital.

While Peruvian food can be found in other parts of Connecticut, nowhere is the cuisine represented with greater richness and sophistication than in the Hartford area. There’s considerable debate as to which establishments serve the best Peruvian fare in Greater Hartford.

Foreign-born restaurateurs don’t always understand American ways of thinking. For every person persuaded to venture into an ethnic restaurant by the assurance that American food (whatever that is) has been included on the menu, a score of potential customers will wonder if the restaurant is too willing to compromise its authenticity.

957 Storrs Rd. (Rte. 195), Storrs 860-429-4490 www.altnaveighinn.com.

Unfortunately, that charm hasn’t always translated into commercial success for restaurateurs, with noted failures in recent years like Joe Black’s, Rio and Zula. The short bricklined block that is Pratt Street may not be a good spot for outsized ambitions.

51 East Main St. (Rt. 44), Avon 860-676-8855 www.thegristmill.net.

On the Connecticut restaurant scene, cuisines come and go, ebb and flow. Restaurants representing the northern reaches of Eastern Europe are becoming scarce.

But it’smorelikelythatBackstage isso named becauseofits placementnext to Torrington’s WarnerTheatre, becauseits ownerisKeithMahler(presidentof PremierConcerts,Connecticut’s largest independentconcert promoter),and even becauseofits tendencytobooklocalperformers atits Backstage Bar.