Craft

[SobaAddict70]

Whatever you do while at Craft, please please please please please please please do have the mushrooms. ALL of them. When we were there (we being myself, Suzanne F, HWOE and the Perlows), the morels were amazing.

Soba

[Jason Perlow]

All of the tables at Craft are nice irregardless of where in the restaurant they are. Huge wooden tables with ample room for lots of side dishes and mains.

[Brad S]

Had a couple great meals at Craft,and yes,once had the Morels.They are unfortunatly only around in the spring,but it's chanteral season now.

[MHesse]

We had a very nice dinner at Craft for our anniversary. We sat downstairs and it was very comfortable. When going back upstairs to leave after dinner, I was happy that we were downstairs to dine.

-mh

[Fat Guy]

They have seating downstairs? Is this something new?

[MHesse]

Steven

I was only there once and it was in May, but I'm pretty sure that one enters the place at street level, then there is a short corridor, then a dining area, then stairs down to another dining area.

I could be remembering it all wrong. I need help from a more recent visitor. But if it wasn't downstairs, then it was the room farthest from the entrance.

--mh

[Rachel Perlow]

I think you may be thinking of a different place. As far as I know, there's only one large dining room at Craft. You enter through a vestibule, no corridor before the hostess station, which is adjacent to the bar. Soba, I think you are thinking of the time we went to Babbo, when we went to Craft, it was us, you and Bond Girl.

[Suzanne F]

Yes, Rachel. I may forget times I've drunk, but never times I've eaten, especially at Craft.

From what I remember about the geography of Craft as you enter: yes the vestibule; a seating area in front; the bar and wine storage, with more seating along the wall to the left; a connecting doorway to CraftBar on the right and the kitchen entrance on the left; and finally the room widens out. Access to the restrooms (downstairs) was kind of behind a screen along the back of the room? Maybe they've taken some space from some other function, such as storage, to make a downstairs dining room?

[MHesse]

You all are probably correct. Everyone, please regard anything I report about that is more than 2 weeks ago at your own risk!

--mh

[MHesse]

Eureka! The synapses lined up as I was taking a shower. As Rachel suggested, I was thinking of a different place. I was picturing March rather than Craft. So perhaps I remember rooms, just not names.

[Rachel Perlow]

Access to the restrooms (downstairs) was kind of behind a screen along the back of the room?

The restrooms are in the back left (I think that's where the mens room is) and right (ladies) corners of the dining room. I would change your request from a "corner" to "along the left wall," I like those tables best.

[SobaAddict70]

Yup, proof that my age is showing.

Soba

[Bux]

Eureka! The synapses lined up as I was taking a shower. As Rachel suggested, I was thinking of a different place. I was picturing March rather than Craft. So perhaps I remember rooms, just not names.

I never forget a face.

I've only been to Craft once, but the names/faces in the crowd were sitting along the back wall. Well not exactly, but two out of three. There was a sommelier along the side wall, but I think his table was the furthest to the back. The celebrity was in the back towards the right and the guy who could probably name his table seemed happy in the back towards the left. We were in the middle of the room and with people who knew the chef and the captain. As I recall the four tops were along the walls and the larger tables in the middle of the room. Everyone seemed pleased to be sitting wherever they were. In general, I'd be interested in not being right near the bar, otherwise it doesn't make a difference.

[Suzanne F]

Thanks again, Rachel. I remember what goes in better than where it came out.

[adegiulio]

We finally went to Craft last night. Living in NJ, the drive into NYC makes me pretty nuts, so we don't get to as many restaurants as we should. Anyway, we had an early table and were both hungry, so we were excited about the prospects. The food was quite good, but I can't see why this restaurant is so hyped up. Service was nice, decor was pleasant, and the food seemed very well made and presented. I can't complain about anything, but nothing really took my breath away. Nothing really compels me to go back. I think the prices are too high. Its a good concept, but we left hungry-ish after 260 dollars for the two of us, and everything on our plates was finished.

I don't know,maybe I am being overly critical because it seemed like Craft was so hyped. It is a nice restaurant for sure, just not worthy of the cult status, in my opinion...

Anthony

[Fat Guy]

The basic idea behind Craft is to put the spotlight on individual ingredients cooked to enhance their essential flavors rather than on combinations, sauces, etc. -- separating out the instruments from the symphony, as owner Tom Colicchio has put it. The ways in which this theoretical underpinning manifests itself to diners are as 1) an opportunity for unconventional extreme a la carte ordering, 2) a focus on ingredients of an unusually high level of quality, and 3) a minimalist approach to preparation.

I think the reason there aren't more restaurants like Craft is that the audience for such an experience is rather limited. Most people are not going to have a takes-my-breath-away reaction to Craft's presentation; that reaction is likely to be reserved for big flavors and combinations in other restaurants. If, however, you are a member of that audience you are going to be very happy with what Craft does.

So, what did you eat? Did you have any wine? How was the service? Did you enjoy the room? Tell all!

[Suzanne F]

The prices at almost all NYC restaurants are too high, if you're used to NJ prices. (I was shocked at how inexpensive the China 46 dinner was, compared to last year's New Year's dinner.)

AS FG said, tell us what you ate, and we will tell you who you are.

[adegiulio]

The prices at almost all NYC restaurants are too high, if you're used to NJ prices.

We are well acclimated to NYC prices, we just don't eat there as much as Fat Guy (whom I really envy, by the way). I love the idea of fully a la carte dining offered at Craft, its just that I didnt think there was anything there that wasnt being offered at other finer establishments in the city. To put it a different way, other than the a la carte ordering, in my opinion Craft doesn't differentiate itself from most other places. We started with Kumomoto oysters and a plate of sardines. Both were fine. For mains we had Roasted Halibut and Roasted Barramundi, with carrots and polenta on the side. All were prepared well, but no better than fish I've had at rm, Judson Grill, and certainly not le Bernadin. The carrots were so-so and the polenta, for my taste, needed some work, but they were by no means bad...

Wine list was excellent, I must say. We ordered a viognier, which they were out of, so we went with a Semillon from Australia. We were happy with that.

Service was good. The waiter ticked me off in the very beginning, but he settled down and turned out to be terrific, as were all the others...

Don't get me wrong, this is a nice restaurant serving quality food. I didn't leave feeling like they had pulled one over on me. I just don't think it lived up to my expectations of the hype. I also think that the check gets expensive in a hurry, compared to other NYC restaurants...

Oooh, I forgot dessert, which was very good. We had the Brioche pain perdu, with roasted apple and caramel ice cream. Stupendous...

Ant

[mags]

I have to say, I'm with Adeguilio. I've been to Craft a few times, most recently about 2 months ago, and though I certainly didn't dislike it, I'd be perfectly happy never to go again. The last time I went, I had grilled scallops, which were delicious, and split a three-way lamb dish (braised shank, roasted rack, grilled kidney) with Mom. That, too, was good. She had a wonderful potato gratin -- although I don't think I've ever tasted an un-wonderful potato gratin -- and I had some grilled mushrooms, which were underseasoned, and some roasted cauliflower, which was so boring that I put off trying the Egullet version for FAR too long as a result. En fin, much of our meal was good, some was not very good, and the only thing that was truly stunning was Mom's pumpkin panna cotta. It was a nice meal, and I was perfectly happy to go, but I can't imagine getting excited about it. Yes, I very much appreciate the structure, the ability to design my own meal, but the individual components didn't seem to me to be executed any better than...well, frankly, than I could manage. And I'm sure many of the members here could do a lot better.

Sure, it's perfectly possible that my palate has been dulled by too many intense flavors, that I'm unable to appreciate the exquisite subtlety of a perfectly grilled perfect mushroom that tastes of nothing more than bosky mushroom-ness. But basically, I like salt. Pepper, also, is a good thing.

[SobaAddict70]

At Craft, the ingredient is the point.

At other places, the relationship between ingredients is the point.

Now, it may be that perhaps you missed the forest for the trees. That's perfectly all right, sometimes it takes more than one visit to see things in perspective.

I recommend the morels (or for that matter, any of the mushrooms).

Soba

[tommy]

We are well acclimated to NYC prices,

how could you possibly know anything about NYC prices when you live in NJ.

[SobaAddict70]

Further to my post, a sampler of reactions. --Soba

Saturday dinner at Craft

Vienna's dinner at Craft

From Britain, With Love

Craft (with pictures)

Craft, Deconstructed

A Review From The Other End Of The Spectrum

[adegiulio]

Pointing out that "the ingredients is the point" further illustrates what I am saying. The ingredients were terrific, but they werent any better than any other fine restaurant...

[SobaAddict70]

Pointing out that "the ingredients is the point" further illustrates what I am saying. The ingredients were terrific, but they werent any better than any other fine restaurant...

Right, but how many other restaurants make the ingredient, to the extent that Craft does, the focus of their offerings?

Not very many, off the top of my head.

Soba

[adegiulio]

um, ok....but does that make Craft BETTER than the other restaurant because of it??