Omnivore Atlanta

CRAFTBAR: If justifying the cost of dining at the upper level of this two-story New York transplant is downright ridiculous in your book, the restaurant on the lower level has prices that are relatively cheaper for dishes that — for the most part — are just as exceptional. Chef Adam Evans finely minces a mix of grass-fed/grain-fed Harris Ranch tenderloin and sirloin before seasoning it with chives, Dijon mustard, minced shallot, lemon juice, extra virgin olive oil and a drop of Worcestershire sauce. The three-ounce portion is served in a tiny, round Staub cast-iron pot, topped with a sunshine yellow raw quail egg and a mound of deep golden gaufrette potatoes fried in peanut oil and seasoned with an in-house BBQ seasoning mix. 3376 Peachtree Road. 404-995-7580. www.craftrestaurant.com.

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(Photo by Jennifer Zyman)

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The idea of tuna in a jar hits a kind of conceptual sweet spot in my mind. Somewhere between fresh and canned, just between highbrow and lowbrow, tuna in a jar makes me happy before I even get to eat it. And then it makes me happier.

At Craftbar, Craft’s less-formal downstairs neighbor, Tom Colicchio’s more casual sensibilities shine. Familiar ingredients and preparations make for simple, nibbly fun, but are executed with less pretension and more thought than you might see elsewhere. The tuna, lightly cured in oil, sits in its jar atop a mush of delicious, gooey roasted red peppers, and is sprinkled with shards of salty black olives. Heaped onto rustic grilled bread, it’s the perfect snack — a small bite of oily perfection to accompany a glass of rich white or light red wine.

Continue reading the review of Craftbar.

(Photo by James Camp)

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It’s always something. There we were at Shaun’s (1029 Edgewood Ave., 404-577-4358), enjoying a three-course meal for $12, when the Most Obnoxious Human Being on the Face of the Earth presented himself to his friends at a nearby table.

He was about 100 years old trying to look 25 – the approximate age of the companion he had in tow. Inebriated, he was a high-volume, seething mass of contradictions. One moment he was whining about the recession and then, as if trying to practice positive thinking in the next moment, he boasted about a new client. A woman rushed over and, gazing at the whiner’s young companion, gasped, “You’re just stunning…..stunning. You’re just…”

I looked at Wayne. “You’re stunning,” I said. “Give me one of those meatballs.”

So it always seems to go when I visit Shaun’s. I love the food and hate the people. Actually, I always run into people I do like, along with fugitives from the photo sections of magazines like Jezebel. Are you going? Wear black, dental veneers and hair gel. Drink lots.

As far as I can figure, Shaun Doty must be depending on wine sales to make money at his new Sunday pasta night. At $12 per person, for a big plate of pasta with salad and dessert, it’s the best recession-busting meal I’ve encountered in our city. And this ain’t the spaghetti supper you ate in the church basement cafeteria on Wednesday nights as a kid. (more…)

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Brad Lapin and I had our regular Friday lunch today at Craftbar. This is the more casual (less expensive) operation downstairs from Craft, in the Mansion on Peachtree.

We had a good lunch but I feel as mystified by the hoopla over this restaurant, part of celebrity chef Tom Collichio’s empire, as I am by the raves about the upstairs operation. The food reflects all the recent trends — organic, local, comfort-oriented — but I don’t think it has the panache of the cuisine at La Pietra Cucina, Bacchanalia, Aria or Holeman and Finch, just to name a few.

We started with a beet and pear salad with some crumbles of feta. The beets and pears didn’t have a drop of sweetness about them and the feta tasted more like fresh goat cheese. In all honesty we had difficulty distinguishing the ingredients. Even slices of the recently ubiquitous radish were virtually flavorless.

Our entrees were far better. Brad ordered the fish stew (above), which our server said was inspired by the cioppino popular in San Francisco. The broth, whose making begins with a very piquant soffritto, was full of mussels, swordfish, escolar, tilapia and seabass. I could eat it every Friday.

I ordered a panino made with braised short ribs, blue cheese and grilled onions. It’s a recent menu addition and substituted for my original order of the panino made with house-cured duck ham and fontina. The restaurant had sold out of that sandwich, but I was quite happy with the short ribs.

For dessert we split an order of two smores (above, left) by Pastry Chef Pamela Moxley. The dessert features her version of graham crackers sprinkled with a bit of salt to complement the chocolate ganache melted over grilled marshmallows. Next time, I won’t share. They’re only $5.

Honestly, the food is good, if a bit pricey (except for the smores), and we were surprised to see the dining room nearly empty at 1 p.m. on a Friday. But I can’t summon the great enthusiasm everyone else seems to have for this or its upstairs neighbor. I should say, though, that the service was spectacular.

(Photos by Cliff Bostock)

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CASUAL CHARACTER: Craftbar — the more casual little brother of Tom Colicchio’s Craft located on the building’s first floor — is a nice alternative for something low-key and less expensive. The restaurant’s decor has an organic yet refined feel: Wood walls meet industrial accents such as dangling lightbulb clusters and dark metal. The open kitchen placed near the entrance of the restaurant makes for an entrancing dinner show.

CRAFTY COCKTAILS: A drink binder houses a wide selection of wines from around the world, an impressive list of spirits such as grappa, eau-de-vie, scotch, rum, tequila, and a handful of original cocktails. Favorite drinks included the Sunshine Squeeze #1 — fresh ginger, Ketel One vodka, Depaz cane syrup and lemon and lime juice — and the herbaceous and playfully named Tom’s Collins made with Hendrick’s gin, Fever Tree Bitter Lemon and a fresh slice of cucumber.

COMFORT CUISINE: A tiny cast-iron pot filled with perfectly diced steak tartare crowned with a raw egg comes with golden brown gaufrette potato chips. Large ricotta meatballs are packed into a cozy bowl alongside wide ribbons of fresh pappardelle enrobed in a deep red tomato sauce and topped with snowflakes of Parmesan cheese. S’mores made with homemade salted graham crackers, marshmallows and dark chocolate are almost too pretty to eat.

Craftbar, the Mansion on Peachtree, 3376 Peachtree Road. 404-995-7580. Sun.-Thurs., 5:30-10 p.m.; Fri.-Sat., 5:30-11 p.m. www.craftrestaurant.com/craftbar.html.

(Photo courtesy Photos.com)

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Tom Colicchio, Top Chef judge and owner of Craft restaurants, is battling the courts for allegedly violating the federal Fair Labors Act and the New York Labor Law by withholding tips from servers, ignoring overtime compensation for hourly employees, and refusing to pay the standard minimum wage.

The suit was filed by former Craftbar service worker, Nessa Rapone, taking the case against Mr. Colicchio and Craft Worldwide Holdings straight to federal court. Rapone states that in addition to unfair employee treatment at Craftbar, she was quickly terminated in response to her complaint in May 2007. More details about the case in this article from International Business Times.

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