Review: Craft
February 9th, 2009 by Besha Rodell in Restaurants, review
HOW SWEET IT IS: The sweetbreads with kumquats at Craft
In June of last year, I ate at the original Craft during a trip to New York City. To say it was the best meal of my year doesn’t really do the experience justice. Everything was exceptional, from the imposing old windows overlooking 19th Street, to the pleasingly understated masculine décor, to the expansive wine list that still had room for quirks, to the simple, perfect food.
I’m not planning to do a compare and contrast essay here, although it is tempting (the hen of the woods mushrooms in New York — a juicy hedge of crispy and soft flavor; the hen of the woods mushrooms in Atlanta — a desiccated scattering of yummy oily bits). But many have questioned whether upscale restaurants can work as chain operations. Chefs who leave primary kitchens in the hands of staff members and set out to create empires do so with a fair amount of skepticism following them, and rightly so. Quality is often diluted, and the focus becomes celebrity and the money that follows it. Just ask anyone who dined at the recently deposed Atlanta Emeril’s, and you’ll hear just how bad the translation can taste.
But after my meal in New York, I had high hopes for Atlanta’s outpost of Craft. If chef/restaurateur Tom Colicchio could bring even a part of New York’s feel, precision in cooking, and quality wine list to Atlanta, then I figured we were in for something pretty damn good.
Colicchio hasn’t disappointed. Craft Atlanta breathes beauty into its spanking new building in front of the Mansion on Peachtree hotel with the same warm masculinity that’s so pleasing in New York. Stepping in through the huge double doors, the space is instantly soothing. Up the staircase in the dining room (the first floor is home to Craftbar), caramel wood accents and rows of the restaurant’s signature glowing-filament light bulbs create the feel of a modern Japanese lodge, if there is such a thing.
To handle the kitchen, Colicchio brought in chef Kevin Maxey, who oversaw Craft in Dallas. The menu is a la carte and broken up into type of ingredient and cooking technique. Colicchio’s and Maxey’s signature style comes from seeking out the best ingredients, and cooking them simply with one, sometimes two, contrasting flavors. When the kitchen and the minds behind it hit the sweet spot, the results can be breathtaking.
Sweetbreads are roasted, creating just the right amount of crust with the perfect amount of crunch, and accompanied by sticky, sweet and sour kumquats — the freshness of the fruit bursting alongside the rich meat.
A scattering of sea trout on a plate with hard-boiled eggs (displaying the most outrageous orange yolks imaginable) played with texture and composition. It looks like a gorgeous train wreck, but there’s an unexpected logic to its scattershot presentation: fish, coriander, rich egg and crunchy croutons were all expertly proportioned. A torchon of Wagyu beef tongue exhibits silky, buttery meat dazzling with texture and flavor, complimented by a few pickled vegetables.
Colicchio has been justifiably praised for his preference for roasting. From the sweetbreads to a beguiling duck breast and confit leg roasted with apricots, to dusky, sweet Jerusalem artichokes, the method brings out the best in the ingredients, folding their flavors back in on themselves for maximum intensity.
When the alchemy of freshness combined with perfect seasoning combined with one counter-flavor works (as it usually does), food this simple is magical. But, especially for the adept home cook, a couple of things on the menu can seem like no big deal, and expensive to boot. The $21 price tag on that Waygu beef appetizer seems totally justified — who among us could make that at home? On the other hand, a side of Brussels sprouts, as delicious as they are simply roasted in butter, seems expensive at $8. Anyone worth her sea salt can cook a Brussels sprout this way.
The other trouble with simplicity is there’s nowhere to hide when food isn’t cooked perfectly, and very little to distract if something is missing. The one huge disappointment I encountered was monkfish wrapped in bacon. The flavor was off, the fish was mushy, and the pop of the bacon when I bit into it was disconcerting. Another night, a waiter sold us on the skate wing by lovingly describing the mustard oil used to offset the fish. When the skate arrived with no hint of mustard oil, naked on the plate apart from a scattering of diced squash, it was hard to get over.
Desserts showcase the skill Colicchio’s built his reputation on. Order the straightforward-sounding pine nut tart and get an astoundingly meticulous rendering of buttery crust, not-too-sweet and yet sugary filling, nutty undertones, and candied cranberries for counterpoint. Baking this expert cannot be faked. Spiced pear cake offers warm, musky flavors with sticky pears in every bite, and a lovingly composed cardamom ice milk for the perfect combination of palate cleanser and compliment.
The wine list is broad and well-planned, but not playful or unexpected. There’s no difficulty in finding a glorious bottle of wine, whatever your tastes, but I’d love to see some weirdness in the corners of the cellar — a hint of personality that distinguishes the truly great lists in town.
Craft certainly isn’t for everybody. It can be prohibitively expensive, and yet it isn’t really a special occasion restaurant. If you’re looking for architectural or precious cooking, you won’t find it here. I joked with a friend of mine (when she asked if it would be appropriate to wear jeans) that Craft aims to be the most expensive casual restaurant in town. That’s not exactly the case. Service is both doting and crisp, and while the dining room manages to be approachable and un-stuffy, there’s a definite fine dining aura about the place.
There’s also a solid foundation of technique, balance and beauty. Colicchio and his team bring the core elements of that exceptional Craft experience to Atlanta — an equation that, when it adds up, is elegant enough to build an empire on. Simplicity plus flavor equals greatness.
Craft 4 stars
3376 Peachtree Road. 404-995-7580. www.craftatlanta.com. Sun.-Thurs.,
5:30-10 p.m.; Fri.-Sat., 5:30-11 p.m. Full bar. Valet parking.
(Photo by James Camp)
February 9th, 2009 at 2:24 pm
We all know it’s expensive. But can you provide an example of how a night at Craft might be for two – cocktails, an average bottle of wine, app, main, side(s), dessert? For the money you spent, does it rank with/above Bacchanalia, Dining Room, etc. You may not think about meals this way as its your job to review all the top newcomers, but regular folks must apply this approach, esp. in “these times.” Thanks, great review.
February 9th, 2009 at 2:31 pm
$200. That’s with the cheapest bottle of wine in the joint @ $45. 2 drinks; 1 app; 2 entrees; 2 sides; comped dessert. Not cheap, but also not as good as Baccanalia.
February 9th, 2009 at 2:58 pm
Yeah, $200 is about right for two people, before tip, if you buy a bottle of wine and get things like sides and desserts.
I don’t think it’s on par with Bacchanalia or the Dining Room. But to be fair, it’s quite a bit cheaper than the Dining Room (I’ve never made it out of there for less than $350). Like I said, it’s not exactly a special occasion place, which is strange for the price point, but a lovely experience nonetheless.
February 11th, 2009 at 2:02 am
What a great review, I’m not sure if it fits in my budget right now but I’m definitely looking forward to checking this place out someday
February 13th, 2009 at 8:31 pm
Speaking as someone who spent $500 for 2 people for a tasting menu with Bruno Menard at The Dining Room, I honestly don’t think that this place sounds like it’s worth a $200 meal, under most people’s current budgets.
From what I’ve heard, service can be downright rude and inhospitable, and the food is certainly not what I’d expect at this price range. I’d rather spend my money on a local chef like Linton Hopkins and know that I’ll get a good meal.
March 3rd, 2009 at 11:30 pm
I was not happy to hear that Colicchio dismissed Laurend Abraham as the GM after they used him to set up the restaurant until they brought someone in from NY. Laurend was the only personality going for CRAFT. He will now be where he will be most appreciated as the GM at resaurant and bar opening at The St Regis in April. Other than seeing Laurend at CRAFT I wa not impressed. Too much hype not enough comfort.
May 24th, 2009 at 5:53 pm
I just ate at Craft Atlanta three weeks ago. To say I was unimpressed would be a complete understatement. My dining companion and I shared appetizers and entrees so I had the opportunity to taste five dishes. Here is the rundown:
Sweetbreads and kumquat: The only acceptable dish of the evening. The citrus wonderfully complemented the perfectly cooked sweetbreads. I would give this appetizer an “A”.
Pork Belly: I was so excited to try the pork belly, as it had been recommended. It was the single most disppointing dish of the evening. We were served five rectangular strips of “pork belly”. From the outside they looked perfect: perfectly bronzed and carmelized. Unfortunately, they were inedible because there was no trace of pork. We were served five rectangles of nicely browned fat. There was not a trace of pork. I understand that pork belly by definition is mostly fat. It can’t be ALL fat.
Caesar salad: Not much to say here except that it was totally unremarkable and unseasoned. I’ve had better at the past 30 restaurants where I have ordered a caesar salad.
Diver scallops: Not bad, but again, what happened to nicely seasoned, Tom?
Beef short ribs: OK, so I get the concept that this is sort of comfort food, so I wasn’t expecting some glorious piece of beef here. But it tasted like beef stew you’d get at a covered dish supper. It wasn’t awful, but it was far from extraordinary.
Our meal was almost $300 for two (granted we had a $130 bottle of wine) but please. $14 for a Caesar salad with anchovies that tasted so devoid of flavor it was almost as if they had rinsed the anchovies in water just to make sure the salad was ultra bland. $16 for strips of pure fat with absolutely NO pork? No way I would return to this restaurant. I will say that our service was fabulous and we were treated perfectly.