Craftbar

11/14/09

A Birthday Celebration

by MaddyL at Citysearch

When my friend decided to take me to one of Tom Colicchio's restaurants we both thought for sure that the cuisine would be of a delight to the palate. It started that way the wonderfully long breadsticks with a hint of rosemary were scrumptious

We of course ordered the well known pecorino fondue which was delectable and the spanish octopus another joy to the palate and from here it went downhill.

We chose for our entree's the scallops that were served with pancetta in a smoked orange sauce

The scallops where cooked only on the one side and one could hardly note the pancetta but for certain you could taste that something had been smoked. Our other entree was the beef short ribs which had absolutely no flavor simple as that

To our delight the manager or whomever he was was walking around and had come over during appetizers but now is when we surely wished to speak with him and he did sway by again when he noted we had stopped eating and so very apologetically we expressed our disappointment with the flavoring of our entree's and as in most restaurants he offered to replace it. We felt bad doing so but the food was just such a let down from the beginning of our meals that we decided to go ahead and take him up on his offer. We went with his suggestion and ordered the field mushroom bruschetta and the Celery root ravioli. It was a bit of a surprise that we received the the bruschetta and mussels and not the ravioli's but we left it alone because by now you know your food might truly get tainted and both the mussels and bruschetta were okay but nothing to return to the restaurant for. NOW comes the real sign of a loss to details and lack of paying attention my friend had told them that it was my birthday and requested it be acknowledged during the dessert.

Well if you peak their dessert menu you will see that though they be fun and quirky there truly is a lack of elegance to them

We ordered the cranberry and pear sorbets which were very tasty but one would think they might place a little biscotti with them but nothing and no candles or recognition of it being a birthday celebration.

So this was our evening at craftbar a true disappointment from one so famous.

• Pros: Fondue
• Cons: All the rest

08/18/08

Mediocrity shouldn't be mistaken for good

by nybapfood at Citysearch

This place is just alright--if even that. The only entree that was good out of the three people I was with was the meaty pasta, but even that was ordinary. Disappointed with how the chicken was prepared: well-done. Not a lot of charm to this restaurant during the day, in fact, eerily empty when I went. Service was rude, also obnoxious. He ignored requests and it took a long time to receive the essential bread and water we asked for 3 times. Not even close to very casual Craft 'wichcraft.

• Pros: the flatiron district location
• Cons: service, food, and overall experience

07/14/08

BIG Let down...

by Godzuki24 at Citysearch

I admit it, I LOVE Top Chef. So, I had to try this place. Maybe my expectations were too high. Maybe, what everyone else is saying here is true. I'll just stick to my guns and lay it out for you...

The meatballs were no better than your Italian friends grandmother could/would make. I was sorely disappointed. The sausage in sage leaves were interesting, but not great. The donuts were a bit dense, but the highlight of the meal (I was in for Brunch). Polenta fries were soggy and thus didn't hold their shape. The brunch items were lacking and the brioche was good, but thats not saying a lot. The Chatham Cod was nicely prepared, but was overpowered by the accompanying vege/stock. Some of the other dishes at my table were underseasoned. The meal just seemed to lack balance. Considering TC's insistence on simplicity and good ingredients, his menu comes across as pretentious. There were only a few "simple" dishes on the menu and those were almost great. Dessert was probably the best course of the day. Brown Sugar cake with peach preserves and vanilla/honey ice cream was out of this world. Sundae with coffee crunch was delectable and the chocolate cake with mint chip ice cream was good too.

Drinks were spectacular, but that has more to do with a good barkeep than a chef. Service was indeed attentive, but was never around when you needed something. The space is cool, but too noisy- I shudder to think what it sounds like on a Friday night. The bill was not ridiculously expensive, but more than what I felt the meal was worth. For my money in NYC there are several better options. Whether you are looking Celebri-chef or just a better meal, the options abound in the big city, so I would stay away from TC's places. So sad, as I really wanted to like this place.

• Pros: Location, dessert, reservation process is amazingly professional
• Cons: $$$'s, service, food wasn't great.