Tom Colicchio's Tom:Tuesday Dinner

[kathryn]

According to the NYT, the room that holds Tom: Tuesday Dinner was Craftbar's original location (until it moved to be around the corner, on Broadway) and served as Craft's private dining room until Tom: Tuesday Dinner began.

http://dinersjournal.blogs.nytimes.com/200...olicchio-cooks/

[Fat Guy]

It was the Craftbar space. I'm not sure it was ever a private dining room, nor am I sure that's what the New York Times piece says.

[Sneakeater]

It's been used by Craft as a private dining space since sometime after Craftbar moved, and is still used as a private dining space on the nights when they're not holding Tuesday Dinner or Frugal Friday (or Thursday).

[Fat Guy]

Right you are:

http://www.craftrestaurant.com/craft_private_dining.html

[David Ross]

I like the photography idea. It's a great way to toe the line between foodies and food bloggers who want to document their meal, while at the same time ensuring that your food is presented to the internet public in the way (well lit, styled, shot) that you would like it to be, and also to avoid having picture-snappers disturbing other customers.

←

I agree, posting the photos on the website is a great idea. And I really like the menu postings-especially the archives where I can go back and see what was served during a specific time of year.

Two minor quibbles, which are very minute in detail-I wish the photos on the website were in a logical order. In other words, instead of showing a dessert at the top of the series of photos, show me each dish in the order it was served, ending with the desserts. Secondly, I'd like to be able to enlarge each photo so I can see the dish more closely. Again, very minor details but ones that I think a detailed Chef like Colicchio would appreciate hearing.

[docsconz]

I like the photography idea. It's a great way to toe the line between foodies and food bloggers who want to document their meal, while at the same time ensuring that your food is presented to the internet public in the way (well lit, styled, shot) that you would like it to be, and also to avoid having picture-snappers disturbing other customers.

←

I agree, posting the photos on the website is a great idea. And I really like the menu postings-especially the archives where I can go back and see what was served during a specific time of year.

Two minor quibbles, which are very minute in detail-I wish the photos on the website were in a logical order. In other words, instead of showing a dessert at the top of the series of photos, show me each dish in the order it was served, ending with the desserts. Secondly, I'd like to be able to enlarge each photo so I can see the dish more closely. Again, very minor details but ones that I think a detailed Chef like Colicchio would appreciate hearing.

←

The question I would have is how well do the photos represent the actual dishes served s opposed to idealized renditions of them.

[jtb]

Since this thread has been quiet since February, I was just wondering if there were any more recent experiences out there.

Also, I'm getting mixed readings on the reservations process. I plan to be in the city late to mid December and would like to take a shot at getting into the 22-Dec dinner. Should I be calling 6 weeks in advance to the day, or what?

Thanks,

Jim

[Ochowie]

I was absolutely never able to even talk to anyone about a reservation for the Tuesday Dinner. Maybe you will have better luck or the hype has died down a bit.

[jtb]

Just yesterday morning I scored a 2-top for 22-Dec - by a hair. They seem to be in a mode now whereby they book 4 weeks in advance. This is going to be interesting.

[edo]

Tonight was the opening night of Colicchio&Sons, in the previous Craftsteak space. There they are doing more composed dishs like they served at Tom:Tuesday Dinner. Bottom line: great stuff very similar to what they were serving at those nearly impossible to get into meals. I put up more pics and commentary at http://www.wordsmithingpantagruel.com/2010/01/colicchio-opening-night-review.html if you want to see more.

Edo

[LPShanet]

Tonight was the opening night of Colicchio&Sons, in the previous Craftsteak space. There they are doing more composed dishs like they served at Tom:Tuesday Dinner. Bottom line: great stuff very similar to what they were serving at those nearly impossible to get into meals. I put up more pics and commentary at http://www.wordsmithingpantagruel.com/2010/01/colicchio-opening-night-review.html if you want to see more.

Edo

I think those impossible to get into meals may now be even more impossible to get into. When I went to C & S last week, they said they were discontinuing Tom: Tuesdays so he could focus on the new place. Tom was in the house, although not in the kitchen. They were unsure whether the Tom: Tuesdays would start again eventually.

[oakapple]

With Colicchio & Sons offering a tasting menu featuring similar dishes, I am not sure what would be the point of reinstating TTD.

[LPShanet]

With Colicchio & Sons offering a tasting menu featuring similar dishes, I am not sure what would be the point of reinstating TTD.

Having done both, I think the point would be that TTD was a MUCH higher level of cooking. Add to that the facts that it was a much smaller/quieter room, a much more personal menu and Tom himself was actually at the pass touching every dish and you have a pretty compelling case for reinstating it. There's a big difference between good food in a huge/bustling room being brought to you by competent but green staff, and sitting at one of six or so tables and chatting with Tom as he makes your dinner. I will really miss TTD.

[oakapple]

With Colicchio & Sons offering a tasting menu featuring similar dishes, I am not sure what would be the point of reinstating TTD.

Having done both, I think the point would be that TTD was a MUCH higher level of cooking. Add to that the facts that it was a much smaller/quieter room, a much more personal menu and Tom himself was actually at the pass touching every dish and you have a pretty compelling case for reinstating it. There's a big difference between good food in a huge/bustling room being brought to you by competent but green staff, and sitting at one of six or so tables and chatting with Tom as he makes your dinner. I will really miss TTD.

I think it's doubtful that Colicchio sees it that way. When he charges $78 for three courses and $125 for a tasting menu, it means that in his own mind Colicchio & Sons is a three-star restaurant. Now, I don't think it is even close to that, and I don't think this week's smackdown from Adam Platt is the last we'll see. But in terms of his own ambitions, I think he sees Colicchio & Sons as a TTD that he can do every day.

Colicchio has long understood that he is as much a manager as a chef. Before Colicchio & Sons opened, TTD offered a style of cooking that was not on offer at any of his other places. Obviously there was a premium in the perception that "Celebrity-chef Tom Colicchio personally cooked and plated my food." But Colicchio would tell you that he thinks his team is capable of executing his dishes to his standards, and that if the serving staff is green now, they won't be for long.

Again, I am not saying that he is necessarily realistic in his views, only that I am sure that is how he wants things to turn out.

[LPShanet]

With Colicchio & Sons offering a tasting menu featuring similar dishes, I am not sure what would be the point of reinstating TTD.

Having done both, I think the point would be that TTD was a MUCH higher level of cooking. Add to that the facts that it was a much smaller/quieter room, a much more personal menu and Tom himself was actually at the pass touching every dish and you have a pretty compelling case for reinstating it. There's a big difference between good food in a huge/bustling room being brought to you by competent but green staff, and sitting at one of six or so tables and chatting with Tom as he makes your dinner. I will really miss TTD.

I think it's doubtful that Colicchio sees it that way. When he charges $78 for three courses and $125 for a tasting menu, it means that in his own mind Colicchio & Sons is a three-star restaurant. Now, I don't think it is even close to that, and I don't think this week's smackdown from Adam Platt is the last we'll see. But in terms of his own ambitions, I think he sees Colicchio & Sons as a TTD that he can do every day.

Colicchio has long understood that he is as much a manager as a chef. Before Colicchio & Sons opened, TTD offered a style of cooking that was not on offer at any of his other places. Obviously there was a premium in the perception that "Celebrity-chef Tom Colicchio personally cooked and plated my food." But Colicchio would tell you that he thinks his team is capable of executing his dishes to his standards, and that if the serving staff is green now, they won't be for long.

Again, I am not saying that he is necessarily realistic in his views, only that I am sure that is how he wants things to turn out.

Based on everything I've read, I totally agree with you. Colicchio has said as much multiple times in the press. And even in more intimate discussions, he's suggested that his aim at Colicchio & Sons was to do the type of composed food he used to do. Sadly, saying that doesn't make it so. Even if they were operating at a higher level, and the food was more transcendent, I still think there is still no way to make a place with Colicchio & Sons physical parameters do that. I think it's just too big a room, with too many covers to do the kind of cooking in question at the level we're talking about. Not to mention the noise and raucousness that the C&S/Craftsteak room creates, which is inconsistent with 3-star aspirations. That makes Colicchio & Sons a pale substitute for the really special things he was doing at TTD (which were arguably close to 4-star). Personally, I think he'd be better off making it the Ssam Bar to TTD's Ko, and keeping both up, but I'm sure that would put too much on his plate, no pun intended. I believe the TTD and Colicchio & Sons customer are two different people. As is, everyone gets a watered down version of what they really want.

[LPShanet]

Wow, just got a chance to read Sifton's 3-star review for Colicchio & Sons. What restaurant did he go to? I guess this should really have been a new thread...