Craft

December 14, 2014March 19, 2015 GastronamiChef Abby Swain, Chef Taylor Naples, Chef Tom Colicchio, Flatiron

Craft, how do I love thee? Let me count the ways. And by ways, I mean dishes. Super delicious dishes that fill my heart (and stomach) with happiness and keep me coming back for more! My family and I are the BIGGEST fans of Craft and we’re always excited to come back for another great meal. Tonight I’m here with my awesome hubs, sis, and bro-in-law. We are ready to stuff our faces until our plates are wiped clean. Literally. What a feast we had! Are you ready for it? Crispy Cacon, King Salmon Crudo, Wild Arugula Salad (the hubs loves this), not one but TWO bowls of Tagliatelle with Shaved White Truffles (say whaaaaat?!?), Braised Pork Shank, Roasted Amish Chicken, Orecchiette with Lamb Ragout, Gnocchi, Brussels Sprouts, AND the infamous Beef Short Ribs. Think we ordered enough?! Of course, the meal is not complete without the Sugar & Spice doughnuts (BEST EVER). My sis & her hubby never leave without devouring one order of doughnuts at the table and taking one order to go. It’s amazing. We were THRILLED that our favoritest person in the world was our server tonight, Mr. Cesar Caicedo! His genuine warmth and hospitality make every meal at Craft a truly memorable one. He’s got a great sense of humor, too! We love Cesar and the entire Craft family. Thank you for always treating us like family and feeding us the most delicious food ever!

Craft: 43 East 19th Street (between Park Avenue South and Broadway)

Amuse bouche: Scallop with creme fraiche & caviar

Crispy Bacon with kohlrabi & pickled cauliflower

King Salmon with dill & horseradish

Wild Arugula, lemon & parmesan

Tagliatelle (before truffles)

Cesar shaving those beautiful white truffles

Tagliatelle & white truffles

Tagliatelle & white truffles, round two

Orecchiette & lamb ragout

Braised Pork Shank topped with brussels sprouts & pears

Inside that gorgeous pork shank

Potato Gnocchi

Roasted Amish Chicken

Roasted Brussels Sprouts

Braised Beef Short Rib

Roasted Cauliflower

Sugar & Spice Doughnuts

Banana, Coffee, and Pumpkin Gelato

Craftbar

September 20, 2014October 27, 2014 GastronamiChef Abby Swain, Chef Luke Wallace, Chef Tom Colicchio, Flatiron

It’s so much fun to have dessert before dinner! Tonight I was in good company at Craftbar with some of my best high school and undergrad friends. We started off the night by ordering every dessert on the menu — I’m a big fan of Pastry Chef Abby Swain, who creates amazing desserts for both Craft and Craftbar. My absolute favorite was the PB & J Sundae — it was incredible! After a couple of hours of enjoying wine and desserts, we moved to the dining room where we sat down for a proper meal. All of those sweet got me craving something savory! The fried chicken and the veal ricotta meatballs with capellini satisfied those cravings and then some. YUM! We couldn’t resist ordering one more dessert at the end of the night — naturally, it was the PB & J Sundae. We had to bring it back for round two because it was THAT GOOD. Thanks to all of my awesome friends who came out to celebrate with me. Love you ladies!

Craftbar: 900 Broadway (between East 19th & 20th Street)

Loved this Sancerre!

Apple Crumb Tart, Oatmeal Streusel, Cardamom Ice Cream

PB & J Sundae (Vanilla Ice Cream, Concord Grape Jam, Peanut Butter Caramel, Honey Roasted Peanuts)

Assorted Sorbet

Chocolate Cheesecake, Brûléed Marshmallow, Smoked Cinnamon Ice Cream

Milk & Cookies

Pinot Noir makes me happy

Veal Ricotta Meatballs & Capellini with Basil and San Marzano Tomatoes

Buttermilk Fried Young Chicken with Cornbread, Anson Mills Grits, and Braised Greens

Round 2: PB & J Sundae (Vanilla Ice Cream, Concord Grape Jam, Peanut Butter Caramel, Honey Roasted Peanuts)

Craft

May 28, 2014January 4, 2015 GastronamiChef Abby Swain, Chef Ed Crochet, Chef Taylor Naples, Chef Tom Colicchio, Flatiron

In celebration of my fiancé’s birthday, I took him to dinner at one of our favorite restaurants of all time: Craft. We were thrilled that Cesar was our server once again — he always makes sure that we have an amazing experience. That night we were in luck because soft shell crabs were on the menu! Gotta have ’em. I tried the Wagyu carpaccio for the first time and it was mind-blowing. All of the pickled accompaniments (quail eggs & white shallots) along with the crispy shallots just made this dish sing with a perfect blend of flavors and textures. The soft shell crab, which was dusted with rice flour and pan fried, was superb. We also feasted on the cod (so tender with a luxurious potato purée cream sauce) and a few of our go-to favorites: wild arugula & lemon salad, braised beef short ribs, and the potato gnocchi. These are truly three of the best things I’ve ever had the pleasure of eating. To round out the night, we enjoyed our favorite sugar & spice doughnuts, a beautiful brown butter almond cake by Pastry Chef Abby Swain, and a variety of yummy ice cream flavors (the pistachio was to die for). A million thanks to Cesar and the Craft team for yet another phenomenal meal!

Craft: 43 East 19th Street (between Park Avenue South and Broadway)

American Wagyu Carpaccio with pickled quail eggs, pickled white shallots and crispy shallots

Soft Shell Crab from North Carolina (dusted with rice flour)

Wild Arugula, Lemon & Parmesan

Cod with crispy skin and a potato puree cream sauce

Spring Ale (fresh cucumber juice, lemon, agave, ginger ale)

Braised Beef Short Ribs

Close up of the amazing beef short ribs. Incredibly tender and fatty, just the way I like ’em!

Gnocchi

Rapini with fish fumet, garlic and arugula flowers

Sugar & Spice Doughnuts with apricot jam and chocolate fudge

Brown Butter Almond Cake with apricots, vermouth, and lavender ice cream

Vanilla Bean, Coffee Caramel Swirl, and Pistachio Ice Cream

The dining room

Craft

March 6, 2014October 27, 2014 GastronamiChef Abby Swain, Chef Ed Crochet, Chef Tom Colicchio, Flatiron

A foodie friend treated me to a spectacular birthday dinner at one of my favorite restaurants of all time. Craft, I’ve missed you! From start to finish, it was such a memorable night, and we owe it all to our amazing server, Cesar, who is the captain of the dining room. I first met Cesar back in 2010 in the private event space, and he has been so good to me and everyone that I dine with ever since. When we sat down, I was presented with a personalized menu with a birthday message — how thoughtful! Cesar poured us two glasses of a sparkling wine that was a collaboration between Lieb Cellars (in the North Fork of Long Island) and Craft restaurant. So lovely! My friend and I proceeded to enjoy a true feast over the next two hours: caramelized onion amuse bouche (we loved it so much that Cesar brought us a second round), wild arugula with lemon and parmesan (best salad ever), hamachi with miso and sea beans (I order this every single time), marinated octopus and six minute egg (so glad that Cesar suggested this dish to us, it was incredible!), Skuna Bay salmon (perfectly cooked with super crispy skin — I’m a huge fan of Skuna Bay), potato gratin (a pot of creamy deliciousness), and the braised beef short rib (one word: Heaven). These short ribs are true perfection. And perfection requires time — which is why it takes about three days to make them. Totally worth the wait! Just when we thought we couldn’t eat another bite… out came an assortment of tasty petits fours with a birthday candle and the sugar & spice doughnuts. OMG. BEST. DOUGHNUTS. EVER. I am so appreciative and grateful to Cesar and the Craft team for an unforgettable meal and dining experience! Thank you for making my birthday so special.

Craft: 43 East 19th Street (between Park Avenue South and Broadway)

Started off with a glass of sparkling wine — a collaboration between Lieb Cellars and Craft restaurant

Amuse bouche: Caramelized Onion Soup

Wild Arugula, Lemon, and Parmesan

Hamachi, Miso, and Sea Beans

Marinated Octopus and Six Minute Egg

Love that beautiful runny yolk!

Celery Root Agnolotti & Black Truffle

Skuna Bay Salmon

Potato Gratin

Braised Beef Short Rib

And the birthday celebrations continue!

Sugar & Spice doughnuts with hot fudge and espresso caramel. BEST. DOUGHNUTS. EVER.

The dining room

Craft

February 3, 2013October 27, 2014 GastronamiChef Abby Swain, Chef Ed Crochet, Chef Tom Colicchio, Flatiron

While everyone was busy watching the Superbowl, I was with my family at Craft enjoying a delicious meal in celebration of my mom’s birthday. We ordered all of the usual suspects (hamachi, arugula salad, roasted chicken, steelhead trout, potato gnocchi, baby carrots, crispy bacon, multiple orders of the doughnuts… the list goes on and on). Everything was perfect, except for the fact that one very important person was not there — my brother-in-law, who is a huge Craft fan. He texted us to let us know that he missed everyone — and by everyone, he meant “the dishes”. We had a good laugh. Happy Birthday, Mom!

Craft: 43 East 19th Street (between Park Avenue South and Broadway)

Amuse Bouche: Salmon & Fennel

Hamachi & Green Apple

Roasted Amish Chicken

Roasted Steelhead Trout

huckleberry spritz (huckleberries, fresh lime & ginger ale)

Craft

January 11, 2013October 27, 2014 GastronamiChef Abby Swain, Chef Ed Crochet, Chef Tom Colicchio, Flatiron

It has been a while since I’ve eaten at Craft, and I missed it. I couldn’t wait to order the hamachi (now paired with green apple instead of blood orange), the white truffle risotto (ahhhh-mazing) and the black truffle linguine (rich and delicious). I also planned on getting a few sides of vegetables (swiss chard, celery root puree, and baby carrots) — for health. 😉 Oh, and it wouldn’t be a complete meal at Craft without the doughnuts! We ended up ordering all of those dishes and more. Surprise delight of the evening: the tangerine prosecco sorbet (light, fruity, and bubbly). Yet another incredible dinner with fantastic service!

Craft: 43 East 19th Street (between Park Avenue South and Broadway)

Hamachi & Green Apple

Linguine & Black Truffle

White Truffle Risotto

Cookies & Coffee Ice Cream, Aperol-Grapefruit Sorbet, Tangerine Prosecco Sorbet

Craft

December 18, 2011October 27, 2014 GastronamiChef Abby Swain, Chef Ed Crochet, Chef Tom Colicchio, Flatiron

Craft is one of my favorite restaurants of all time. The food is straightforward, classic, and absolutely delicious. Sometimes simple dishes are the hardest to make because there is nothing to hide behind. Chef Tom Colicchio does a phenomenal job of creating elegant dishes and bringing out the best in each ingredient. I love the family-style presentation and cast iron and copper pots. Every time I come here, I have a few go-to dishes that I always order — the crispy bacon (thick cut pieces), baby carrots (best carrots I’ve had in any restaurant), beef short ribs (tender and fatty), and the doughnuts (by far, the tastiest doughnuts I have ever eaten). This time there was a special dish on the menu that I just had to have — ricotta gnocchi with white truffles. Amazing! The food at Craft is heart-warming and always consistent, which is why I love it.

Craft: 43 East 19th Street (between Park Avenue South and Broadway)

Crispy Bacon & Honeycrisp Apple

Hamachi & Blood Orange

Ricotta Gnocchi & White Truffles

Baby Carrots

Beef Short Rib & Root Vegetables

Sugar & Spice Doughnuts with Bittersweet Chocolate & Meyer Lemon Curd

The doughnuts were so good, we had to get some to go!

The dining room — love the tree!

Craft (Private Dining)

May 14, 2011October 27, 2014 GastronamiChef Abby Swain, Chef Ed Crochet, Chef Tom Colicchio, Flatiron

I threw a party in the private dining room at Craft for a very special person to celebrate a milestone birthday. It seemed perfect to share the occasion with family and friends at a restaurant that serves simple, elegant, and delicious food. The private dining room is a beautiful space with its own bar and an open kitchen. We enjoyed tasty passed hors d’oeuvres and drank amazing wines during the cocktail hour. As appetizers, we had an arugula salad (with lemon, pine nuts, and parmesan) and hamachi with blood orange (my absolute favorite). The entrees consisted of beef short ribs (nice and fatty), roasted organic chicken, gnocchi (so buttery), and baby carrots. Everything was served family-style. Finally, for dessert, we celebrated with the best doughnuts on the planet. It was truly an amazing evening!

Craft Private Dining: 47 East 19th Street (at Park Avenue South)