Selfies On The Menu At TimeOut Sports Bar

Where your average restaurant menu might list appetizers, TimeOut Sports Bar at the Doubletree Hotel in Bristol tossed conventional menu structure into the garbage and replaced it with something they call the Selfies section.

I love a good game-changer, and as CTNow’s resident selfie expert, it was my responsibility to investigate this section of the menu.

My friends and I wanted to sit in the quietier, fancier dining room of the adjacent restaurant, the Willows, but were still able to order from TimeOut’s menu. This is a completely reasonable request. The two restaurants share a bar and a kitchen, and most importantly (if I’ve learned anything from Kim Kardashian) I deserve the fanciest, most beautiful backdrop of that the Doubletree has to offer for my selfies.

We are not sure why, but the starters are split into two sections: Selfies and Selfies or Shared (both $8 to $12), which led me to believe that some of these would be smaller, more-personal-sized appetizers, maybe even tapas-sized apps, which would have been totes adorbs.

Now if you know me, you know about my selfie obsession AND my obsession with nachos. So when they arrived, they were a bit of a disappointment: The chip-to-topping ratio was all wrong (too many chips, not enough topping). However, what it lacked in substance it made up for with its beauty: it was huge, and the chips were topped with colorful pico de gallo, chicken and a small dollop of sour cream. (Beef is also an option ($12), as is just cheese. $8.) This photogenic dish was an absolute pleasure to take selfies with.

The turkey meatballs came in a set of three, along with two buttery garlic breadsticks. This tasty little appetizer was the closest we got to that cute little tapas size I had envisioned. The crispy calamari ($11) was not the crispiest and a tad bland, but the tangy Thai chili lime sauce saved it. The mac and cheese ($10), even with its panko crumbs and “secret” blend of cheeses, was so boring that I forgot I had eaten it until I revisited my photographs from the evening.

My friend, who has ordered Buffalo wings at every bar and restaurant in the greater Hartford area, was surprised by how spicy TimeOut’s version was. Maybe these — which also come in barbecue and garlic parmesan flavors ($10) — were hotter than average. Or maybe my friends are just too dramatic. It’s hard to tell anymore.

While I appreciate this playful acknowledgement of popular culture, I’m not sure why these dishes are called Selfies. The portions are too large for one person to eat before a meal, but I’m definitely not complaining. If I had spent $9 on a few bites Artichoke Fritters (with Meyer lemon aioli, balsamic greens), I would have felt cheated. Maybe I’m just overthinking the whole thing.

>>TimeOut Sports Bar, part of the Doubletree Hotel at 42 Century Drive in Bristol, is open Monday through Sunday, 11 a.m. to 11 p.m. Information: 860-589-7766 and willowsbristol.com.