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Category: American (New) [Edit]
Neighborhood: BuckheadBuckhead (North-South, Northeast-South, East-West, Proctor Creek)
Mon-Thu. 11:30 a.m. - 10:00 p.m.
Fri-Sat. 11:30 a.m. - 11:00 p.m.
Sun. 11:30 a.m. - 10:00 p.m.
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Craft is a good restaurant - I can see it being very consistent and reliable in terms of service and quality of food. That being said, I would never call it a GREAT restaurant.
Granted, I'm more of a neighborhood bistro and hidden gem type of diner, so the sleek, elegant dining room gave me the overall vibe of a place where you go to wine and dine clients or impress a high-maintenance date.
What's with the individual cast iron skillets? I was constantly on burn alert. I have to say that the sauces on each individual dish were more impressive to me than most of the dishes themselves - incredibly rich and tasty. Don't get me wrong - we enjoyed our entrees - but some of the meat was on the dry side and the succotash was a little too crunchy.
Like I said - good, but not great.
Focus here. However much you like Top Chef should have no bearing on how much you enjoy this restaurant. Even if (like myself) you don't care if the name is famous, just whether the food is good, it is hard to focus here because everyone else keeps reminding you, or you have to keep reminding family and friends when you tell them you're taking your wife there for her birthday. "Yeah, that's Tom Colicchio's Atlanta restaurant; he's that bald judge on Top Chef with the soul patch." Read: "I don't just go to regular restaurants; I go to famous ones. So I'm like you, I'm just a *little bit* better."
So despite my best efforts to be wowed - and trust me, when you lighten your wallet to the tune of $220, before tip and without a bottle of wine, you desperately want to be wowed - it just wasn't happening for me. Complaining about this place is a little bit like saying your Armani suit doesn't breathe properly: undoubtedly it is one of the nicer suits in your closet, but for that kind of money it should be the sort of thing you want to sleep in.
As for the things I don't really care much about: the service was serviceable (very knowledgeable and attentive), and the space itself was delightful.
As for the things I do care about, however: the food was all hits with no absolute home runs. My beet salad was workmanlike, but uninspired, while the squab with nectarines scored more points for originality than execution. Wife had the lobster tortellini to start, which was probably the finest dish of the night, followed by the wagyu skirt steak, which I'm sorry to say wasn't all that different from skirt steaks I've eaten for a quarter of the price. Sides (the sweet corn and the mushroom assortment) were fine, if unspectacular.
So here is the basic problem: I can find the same quality of food at about a dozen (or more) restaurants around town for about half the price. Although I didn't fundamentally care about the name behind the restaurant, I certainly paid for it. I felt the food would have received at best middling praise had it been up for review on Top Chef. There were plenty of unnecessary flourishes in place of good, basic flavor. (For example: the nectarine was a brilliant idea with the squab, but in the final product I could barely taste it.)
As a side note, I should mention that I loved the shared plating concept (everything arrived in cast iron skillets, ready to be plated and shared at your discretion). The only problem was that nothing was really so incredible that we absolutely needed to split it 50/50.
Good, but not great.
Service was excellent, from teh valet on to the hostess and the multiple waiters.
The decor compliments the style of food.
I can't say that anything was bad, just nothing wowed me.
We had a fun night at Craft. After going to Aja, I was a little worried about where our evening would go. Luckily Craft saved my night and my appetite. We sat at the bar (imagine that) and had great service all night.
Right when we got there, the bartender realized he had made too many shots for another customer and decided we should have the extras for free. That started the night out rather well. They had some good deals on beer, and some interesting mixed drinks and shots as well.
We ordered the pork shoulder and pork belly. Mmm it was some of the best I have ever had in my life. Definitely melted in my mouth. I definitely need to go back here for a full course meal or date one night, it was amazing.
We stayed until about closing time and were feeling pretty good by then. All the bartenders were great and definitely took care of us. Would have been perfect if not for the mandatory valet.
I really have nothing to add to this one. As for celebrity chefs...I could care less, a good chef is a good chef, a bad one is a bad one.
I went for lunch and had a short rib panini. It was amazing, tender and flavorful, although on the small side. Worth $16? Hell no...but damn good.
The chips were average.
My tap water was out of this world.
Service was good and the space was inviting. I'll be back for dinner to test a larger menu.
A definite surprise... but not the in the way you might think.
I'll start by saying what I said to my co-diners last night: Tom Colicchio should not put his name behind a restaurant that is missing many of the very elements he urges his contestants on "Top Chef" to have. Has he overextended this brand?
Overall message: Don't serve average food and then ask astronomical prices. I don't care if the restaurant sits at the foot of the Taj Mahal (in this case, it's called "The Mansion on Peachtree") - high prices ought to indicate exceptional food. The swordfish was overcooked, sparse and ordinary; the grits too salty; the short ribs too fatty and difficult to fork onto your plate. There were other problems, too, with plating, preparation and presentation.
The main-dish portion of the evening was poor enough to overshadow other, more successful dishes, like a briskly flavored arugula salad and tender, savory tortellini.
More than the average nature of the food, though, was the portion size. I was *shocked* by how little there was to everything. Lacking substance, even light on style, too. (I'm sure margins are tight in the restaurant business, but hey Tom, don't make your Atlanta diners pay the price to serve your celebrity. I can think of no better example of a restaurant at this price point that left me feeling so unsatisfied.)
That led to a pointed frustration, though... fully fomented by Craft's wait staff -- which was organized "gangland" style, with affected, smug waiters who couldn't care less about our orders, enjoyment or food choices. They were clumsy (dropped flatware, plates hitting wine glasses) and thoughtless, self-impressed, and phony.
One of my co-diners nearly had to stand on his head and speak Chinese in order to get his water glass refilled. Seriously?
Very important note to diners considering this restaurant: you do not get a single server, and it didn't work at all. We were informed that "you'll see a lot of faces this evening" which, as we found out later, was a foreboding of scattered, amateurish service that never allowed us to connect to a single person.
We ended up flagging down random servers whizzing by to try and get things we needed... much like a family with a flat tire trying to hail help on the highway. We had some tidiness issues in the bathroom, too, with a mold horror show that scared a few of my friends.
I'm as queer for ambient lighting as the next guy, but when the one memorable item about your meal is the unique filament in the exposed antique bulbs (the restaurant design was truly spectacular), it doesn't say much about the success of the establishment.
Sorry, swing and a miss for me. We were literally giggling on the way out of the restaurant - for the spectacular amount of scratch we dropped and how "Twilight Zone-y" the wait team was.
Colicchio always harps on the memorability of food, and yet Craft had very little of that.
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.
I am a fan of Top Chef and Tom Colicchio. So, naturally I've been wanting to eat at Craft Atlanta. I had high expectations and overall I wasn't that impressed.
My friends and I recently dined at Craft Atlanta. You enter through Craft Bar on the lower level and it's really nice. The open kitchen is attractive, the hostess are super nice and the atmosphere is upbeat, modern and trendy. I was excited to see what the upstairs dining room had in store. Our table wasn't ready so we went to the bar for a cocktail. We each had wine, which was extremely good. About 5 minutes later the hostess found us and escorted us upstairs. She placed on our cocktails on a tray and carried them up the stairs for us. I was impressed by this.
We sat down at our table and was greeted by our waiter. I had to request a black napkin though, but he did bring it right away. He recommend that we each order one item from the first course, main course and sides. And he also insisted that we order all 3 courses at once. I felt very rushed through this process and didn't really feel like we could enjoy the food/dining experience on our own time table.
The food arrived and it was good. We started off with the beet salad, shrimp & pancetta risotto and yellowfin tuna & avocado. I personally don't care for beets, but these were pretty good. The risotto was average and the tuna was good.
For our main course, we had the monkfish and scallops. The monkfish was too dry and overcooked. The scallops were the best thing there. However, they were only cooked on one side. They were large though and had nice flavor. For the sides, we had the mushrooms and two other dishes that I can't remember. The mushrooms were really good and had excellent taste and texture. We also had a bottle of their house Pino Grigio, which was excellent.
Overall, I wasn't that impressed. I don't think the value of service and food is worth the cost. I am afraid that Tom is opening too many places at once and forgetting about quality.
I'd have to say this meal ranks in my top 5 ever. I was visiting my future sister-in-law and her hubbie and knowing how obsessed with food I am, they decided to treat me to Craft! I've never been to the NY outposts, so have nothing to compare it to. The decor is cool and sleek, kind of woodsy almost. But let's just get to the food. We started with an arugula salad with pinenuts and pecorino, super simple and super delicious. The vinaigrette was amazing. Then we shared a spring rissoto with rock shrimp and peas- I was nervous that it would be super rich and too heavy for a starter- not so! It was light, springy and yummy.
Then on to the main courses- I got the Georgia trout and pecans, when in Rome right? The trout was perfect, crispy skin, super moist fish with a few sweet crunch pecans. YUM! The others had the scallops- some of the most beautiful scallops I've ever seen and tasted, and I've had lots of scallops! The other dish was the pork tenderloin- WOW it had that thick bacon on it and was served in a gorgeous copper serving dish. It was a huge portion and done perfectly.
Then for the grand finale- we ordered the fresh donuts with ginger ice cream- they were fluffy and sugary and the fresh ginger in the icecream helped cut right through the sweetness. We also ordered a chocolate cake thing- it was good, but the STAR was the roasted bananas. O..M..G. seriously orgasmic. They were roasted to a carmelized perfection with caramel sauce, I stole the malt icecream from the chocolate cake and had it with the bananas. I could barely breathe when I left, but it was utterly amazing. Then I went to Table 52 in Chicago the next night. Food coma two nights in a row!!
Craft definitely lived up to my expectations, but my boyfriend and I both left feeling like it wasn't our most favorite restaurant in Atlanta.
I was a little nervous about what to expect from our service after reading some of the yelp reviews, but we had impeccable service and our waitress was incredibly knowledgeable about the menu and made great recommendations; especially given we were completely unfamiliar with the menu and style, so it was helpful to have her make recommendations.
We started off with the mushroom risotto and quail, and while the portion of the quail was tiny, the taste was unreal and left me wanting more. The risotto was a larger portion and delicious as well.
Then we tried the salmon and the monkfish wrapped in prosciutto. Both were really good, but the salmon was just a really good piece of salmon, nothing special. The monkfish was amazing though and I couldn't get enough of the lemon buttery sauce it came with. We decided to pass on the side dishes and we both left feeling full without them.
We decided to splurge and split a dessert - the chocolate tart with tangerine sorbet, which was super yummy, but kind of like a glorified brownie. The sorbet would be perfect in the summer months.
Overall, this was a pleasurable and relaxing dining experience and worth the price, especially with all the little extras they provide (i.e. granola to go, a little taster at the beginning of the meal, and shortbread cookies after dessert) but I would probably try Craftbar next before coming back here (mainly because it is only in my "special occasion budget").
It is 11:26 on Sunday morning, and I just ate my leftover Wagyu strip steak from our Friday night dinner at Craft. Maybe I was just craving meat for breakfast today - or maybe the siren call of the steak's deliciousness (even two days later) was irresistible. Read on and decide for yourselves . . .
Our dinner at Craft was, quite simply, the most impeccable restaurant experience I have had in recent memory. The food: outstanding. The service: exemplary. The atmosphere: utterly inviting. All four of us, out to dinner to celebrate the birthdays of my boyfriend and his sister, were in agreement - everything about the evening, the meal and Craft was top-notch.
Our servers, Lee and Jonathan, did an exceptional job as a team and patiently answered every one of our many questions. We put them through their paces a bit, especially the Boy and me, because we eat out a lot and enjoy food so we were curious about a ton of things on their extensive and interesting menu. They also smoothly and happily served the very nice bottle of wine we had brought with us and left with the hostess upon arrival; it was waiting at our table when we sat down after a quick drink at the bar downstairs.
We went along with the suggested "Thanksgiving-style" dining and each ordered from every section of the menu so we could try all sorts of treats (though with some bartering over certain items each of us did or did not want to share!). We picked several of the new additions to the menu and thought that all of our choices were excellent, several stand-outs:
For starters, the fettucine with duck confit and egg was simply divine, and a hands-down group favorite, with the light and delicate gnocchi not far behind. In the entree category, opinions were split two-ways on first place but went by a nose to the previously mentioned Wagyu steak, with second to the luscious scallops and a close third to the duck. Among the sides, the mushroom assortment was the biggest hit (I particularly liked the Hen of the Woods and the bellas) with the brussel sprouts a tasty contender. The spaghetti squash gets honorable mention because half of our group really liked it; I am not a huge fan of vegetables done "sweet" or of currant, so I took a pass.
A very nice touch, about midway through our meal, was when manager Marc stopped by to see how everything was and visit with us a minute. While this seems like something that should always happen in fine dining establishments, we all know that it doesn't and it was definitely noticed and appreciated by all of us.
All of this brings me to dessert. I must preface what I'm about to say by admitting that I am not usually a dessert person. That should tell you how divine what we had at Craft really was. Jonathan painstakenly walked us through the well-thought out and extensive dessert menu (all of the ice creams are made in house, and the selection of fresh and cooked fruits is impressive), and I was somehow nominated to pick for all of us. The chocolate donuts others have mentioned are no longer on the menu, but they've been replaced by the lightest, most fabulous cinnamon and sugar ones you can imagine. We had those, which come served with a ginger ice cream. Along with that, I couldn't resist trying something that was totally new to me, the toasted banana; with vanilla ice cream, it was unbelievable. I had no idea bananas could be so delicious! We were all very impressed.
The finishing touches? Since we had a little of the steak and the duck left over and decided to take it home, when it was packed up for us, Lee brought us a little "coat check" tag for our to-go bag! Then, just as we were finished with dessert, the little plate of mini-Madelines and brownies was delivered, along with individual bags of granola with a Craft label . . . for our breakfast the next day. Now that is attention to detail.
A class act, all the way around.
So I'm a pretty huge Top Chef fan, so when I saw that Craft was next door to where I was to have dinner (Dante's), I pretty much flipped out. Imagine Tigger bouncing around on his tail. Now replace Tigger with a college Asian girl, and you have me standing in front of Craft on a Saturday night probably freaking out all the patrons trying to enjoy their dinner inside.
I'm typically not a big breakfast person (as in I love breakfast food, just not for breakfast), but I made an exception for Craft and brunched here. I wouldn't know what the ambiance of this place is like at night, nor speak for their dinner menu, but during the day, Craft is bright and cheery due to the sunshine from its floor to ceiling windows despite the dark wood interior, and their brunch was awesome. They didn't have a very extensive menu, but everything was done well. I ordered their French toast and it was light, fluffy, and came with really yummy maple syrup and a bourbon-y whipped cream.
The waiters were very attentive (maybe because there was only one other table at the time), and brunch was astoundingly cheap compared to what I was expecting. I think overall, for two people (plus orange juice and coffee), it all came out to around $30.
Next time I pass Atlanta, I'm definitely going back for their dinner!
Was so compelled to update this review when I realized that Craft has a strict company policy that their servers NOT smile. Wait, I wasn't clear - no one is supposed to smile. No one should even remotely seem genuinely happy that you are there. Okay, were getting borderline rude now.
But, I can't complain about the food. It was good. Not over-the-top memorable (except for the prices), but good.
Corkage fee, corkage fee, corkage fee. It's a pet peeve of mine. Sure, charge a corkage fee when someone brings their own wine. It's and industry standard and totally expected. But use some f*cking judgment people! Someone walks into your restaurant with a bottle of Beringer White Zinafandel and shares a salad. They are cheap bastards, charge them that corkage fee (double if you can get away with it!) Sure, I'm exaggerating. But when a group of six people come in with a couple of bottles of wine that you wouldn't be able to findif your life depended on it, are ordering everything on the menu, and INSIST on tassting your staff and chef on the wine that THEY brought in.... you do NOT insult them with a $30 per bottle corkage fee! $30 is outrageous to begin with - c'mon its PURE PROFIT. And at the very least considering the circumstances, waive the corkage fee for the first bottle as a courtesy. I vent and digress.
Finally, the bathrooms. You have to know this before you go. They were designed to make their guests feel like complete idiots. DO NOT pull on the handle that looks like the obvious sink faucet handle. Nope! That's not it! You are supposed to wave your hand around the obscure disc on the other side. One of the guys in our party actually pulled the wring handle off the wall. When I walked into the restroom for the second time as we were leaving, a poor girl pracitically begged me to explain to her how the faucets worked.
Okay, I get it. It takes some "Craft" to make me feel stupid and insulted.
I wanted to be wow'ed - but can't seem to convince myself that this was more than just another good… Read more »
Watch out, Bacchanalia, there's a new kid in town, and he's giving you a run for your money.
Top Chef judge extraordinaire Tom Colicchio opens the latest in his dining empire, Craft Atlanta, in The Mansion on Peachtree in Buckhead. You know you're in for a treat from the moment you pull in to the motor courtyard, and an army of valets directs you in, and even offers your car a hand-wash while you're dining.
You enter through Craftbar, Craft's silghtly more casual sibling on the lower level, with a trendy-looking bar, and open kitchen cooking over a true wood-burning fire. You ascend the stairs into the tastefully modern dining room of Craft.
I dined here on opening night with a part of 6 friends/fellow Yelpers, and we got to experience a good chunk of the menu, and I can say everything I tasted exceeded my expectations.
Some thoughts on individual items:
- from the first courses, the butternut squash tortellini was amazing. quite possibly my favorite thing all evening.
- the beet salad was also really, really good.
- of the second courses, the seared scallops were my favorite. I respect any chef that properly cooks a scallop -- not even a hint of being over-done, yet still had a nice seared crust on it.
- we ordered about 8 side dishes to share amongst the group, and pretty much everything was wonderful. some highlights for me: the gnocchi, fingerling potatoes, and the parsnips were all top-notch
- from the deserts, the chocolate donuts were my favorite, but the valrhona chocolate cake was excellent as well. they've got a variety of creative ice cream flavors that were very nice, and a great fruit selection.
All in all, it was a great experience -- the environment, the service, and definitely the cuisine.
It's rare that I give a full five stars, it's reserved for places that really impress me, and I can give Craft a full five without hesitation. Get thee to Opentable and make a reservation!
"Hey Tom! Over here!" Yes, we stalked Tom Colicchio and have the pictures to prove it. We're not proud.
But Tom should be proud. For the first night of "real" service, this was a great dining experience. Sure they didn't seem to know who ordered what and they mixed up all our ice creams and sorbets at the end, but that really seems like nit picking when you consider the delicious meal.
There were 6 of us so we ordered and tasted about 20 items. Stand outs included the beet salad, gnocchi, tortelloni, red cabbage with bacon, parsnips (i know, right?), brussels sprouts, braised short rib (YUM), duck, and the awesome doughnut dessert. They put the dishes in the middle of the table and anywhere else there's room and provide you with plates for sharing. So that's what we did. I highly encourage this - the flavors are too good not to try as many as possible.
You enter the restaurant from the (free) valet into Craftbar. It's a bit more casual in look than upstairs with a big open kitchen and adjacent bar. The menu there is different - we took a look and it's less expensive but equally interesting. I am looking forward to trying it and would guess that it will be the spot I frequent more often.
The main restaurant upstairs is great looking and not stuffy at all. The lighting is fab and, despite a very crowded room, it wasn't loud. I sat on the banquette and it was very comfy, although I had to get rid of the annoying throw pillows interior designers love to put in restaurants!
The staff is very well trained although not perfect yet. We were a little dismayed to see one guy getting reprimanded a short distance away from us. But perfection is clearly a goal and I have no doubt they will come very close in the next few weeks.
So, yes, we were hoping for a glimpse at Tom. And we got one. But there is way more reason to go to Craft than that.
I had a feeling I'd be leaving Craft with a much lighter wallet than when I entered, but sometimes you've just gotta splurge. And while the experience set me back a few greenbacks, I have no regrets. In a word -- fantastic.
I joined a few other Yelpers to try Craft Atlanta on its opening night. From the moment I walked in I knew we were in for a fun evening. Read Chris W's review for a great description of the ambiance and classy service.
Now for the food: the menu allows you to create your own meal with selections for different courses -- first course, main course, then sides. Everything is grouped by method of prep, from raw (seafood starters) to braised, and everything in between. We each ordered what we craved individually for firsts and mains, then loaded up on a bunch of sides for the table to share. The best part was that we all decided to go full-in family style, so we all were able to sample nearly every dish ordered.
A few standouts for me: the mushroom risotto was delicious, rich and flavorful with a hint of tarragon. The braised beef short ribs were like butter and practically melted in my mouth (how can you go wrong with something cooked in its own juices for 12+ hours?). Roasted parsnips -- crispy on the outside, nicely seasoned. Yum! I seem to recall dessert being spot-on as well, although after a few glasses of wine it got kinda fuzzy at the end there. =)
I'll probably be choosing less pricey venues (like Top Ramen in my own kitchen!) for a week or so to make up for my Amex charge at Craft, but it was well worth it.
PS: Tom Colicchio's shorter than I imagined. hehe
PPS: Lest you wonder why I didn't give 5 stars, since I'm new to Yelp I figured I'd go more conservative. I don't wanna be passing out 5 stars like an excited school girl. =)
MARKET ain't got nuthin' on Craft...
Two words: Fwee Valet.
Celebrity chefs never impress me and their food even less. Their focus is on conquering as many locations as possible... AKA selling out. Hero worship has been at an all time high with this new-fangled widget called television and Top Chef is the Bible. Their followers are like ravenous zombie dogs that would eat shit on a shingle and declare it the best thing in their pieholes since the foie gras milkshake.
Our group of savvy snackers ventured out on the opening night to see what the fuss was all about and see how Tom Colicchio measured up... I say about 3 apples high. Family style group dining is totally the way to go. You can order basically everything on the menu to sample. Hell, my plate looked like Jackson Pollock's #1 with 6 different apps, mains and sides... This could very well be Craft's shit on a shingle. Let me tell you what, it was better than a liver smoothie which made me do a #2.
Some highlights include...
Pork Belly- Like a warm stick of butta that melts down your throat... Tila Tequila would approve. Yum.
Beet Salad- This is one smear I have no problem putting in my mouth. Slurp.
Braised Short Ribs- Fork you! And I sure did... Fork tender and rich in flavor. Mmm.
Prosciutto Wrapped Monkfish- This is my kinda surf and turf. Ain't no poor man's lobster around here... Not at that price!
Tortellini- Not overly rich or heavy. Just the perfect balance of bite vs sauce.
Shroom Risotto- My low carb diet went outta the winda, didn't even have to think twice.
The gratin, fingerlings, gnocchi, parsnips, sprouts, swordfish, cod, scallops, peppers, cabbage, spinach and peekytoe "poquito" crab were all well prepared and seasoned. The only thing that annoyed me was the over use of chives sprinkled on most of the dishes. The duck looked great but a tad bit overcooked but it doesn't mean it ain't going in my pouch! The musical desserts were as comical as finding "Chef" during service.
The place is gorgeous and not cookie cutter like all the other trendy joints with craptastic food around town. This place means business and the warm wood accents all around got me more excited than Pinocchio telling a lie. You don't have to be a venture capitalist to afford to eat here... Well, mebbe just a lil Financier.
This may put Atlanta one step closer to becoming a true culinary destination.
To be continued...
BURP!
As a surprise to help combat the hectic week of holiday this and holiday that, Shelli took me to Craft to get away from it all.
I had peeked in just a few days prior as I bought a gift card for Mickey, but hadn't gotten the full experience of seeing the space. Overall it's quite warm and inviting. As we were just a bit early for our reservation, we were sat in the downstairs (ground level area) and proceeded to order drinks, as we were assured it would be just a moment before we were seated. I started with a Kumkwat Mojito, while Shelli sipped on a Prosecco. We watched the diners around us as they drank and ate, and before we knew it, 30 minutes had passed. Not quite sure what the hold up was (granted the diners we were replacing were taking their sweet ass time), but I attribute it to the newness of the place... So beware, if you're eating upstairs, don't come starving in case you have to sit around...
Walking up the stairs, we were transplanted to a space that was a little more "serious". Something about the vibe was just more "put-together" compared to the relaxed atmosphere we had just come from.
We were seated and introduced to the menu. Here was what came to my plate:
Frisse salad with bacon and gorgonzola
Braised short ribs
Roasted parsnips
Roasted brussel sprouts
Sauteed escarole
Rosemary ice cream
Cardamom ice milk
The frisse salad was quite nice, and a large portion. The bacon added a nice texture and flavor interjection in an otherwise creamy-ish salad. Shelli had ordered the endive salad with pecans and white cheddar. Quite nice as well. I enjoy the "sharing" nature that they invoke here with "family-style" plating. Makes for a pleasant "tasting" experience. We're off to a good start.
Up next was the main, and I had chosen the short ribs. I enjoyed this dish quite a bit as it was just so succulent. It was served in a cast iron pot, accompanied by some root vegetables, and an amazing sauce. The only complaint I have is that this didn't seem to be a "sharing" portion (1 piece) and didn't quite understand it's lack of "plating". Nonetheless, a wonderful entree.
On the side, we had chosen to share a few items. The roasted parsnips were nicely crisped on one side... Very tasty. The brussel sprouts were treated the same way, sliced down the center with a nice burnt layer. The escarole was quite flavorful as well.
My favorite part of any meal such as this is looking over the dessert menu. I am a sucker for sorbets. I am not sure where that started, but I look at this menu with great anticipation. As I fast-forwarded to the sorbets, I was a little disappointed. Fairly standard fare when it comes to flavors, though I am sure that they're quite nice as they're all made in house. But my attention was immediately diverted as I spotted a rosemary ice cream. I have to try this I thought. and then a couple of lines below, a cardamom ice milk. Ice milk? I have to try this one too...
The rosemary ice cream was quite nice. It wasn't overpowering, but it was certainly there. The ice milk however was just divine. It really isn't the easiest thing to explain, but I would have it be a close kin to a sorbet. Not quite a sherbet, but not quite a sorbet... Somewhere there is a fine line, and it delicately balances on it. Ice milk... I am now on the look out.
We left quite late, and now I understand why the table before us was just sitting around. It's a nice experience, and the food is great. Nothing overly complicated, just nicely prepared solid dishes with great ingredients.
I was in such amazement when I left, I apparently I forgot to turn my headlights on in the car. Less than a couple of blocks away from the restaurant, I was pulled over by a cop. I was sucked back into the outside world, and thus ended the wonderful escape from reality.
I expected something phenomenal - the amous bouche was alright, a bit creamy for me and it wasn't described to us at the table.
The marinated hamachi appetizer I began with was alright - but the fish was just a-ok in terms of freshness and the marinade was mediocre, a bit on the sour side with not much flavor.
Chicken entree came in a pot, looked almost tasted liek coq-qu-vin but was a little bit too buttery and not very flavorful or me.
Dessert was good on the other hand, I had the chocolate tart with the mandarin orange sorbet.
Service was pretty good but overall for the prices and everything considered, I don't really think it was worth it.
I was excited for Craft Atlanta to open- the NY outpost is a must-hit when I go to Manhattan. I thought our version lived up to NY for the most part, it lacks a bit in the service-- kind of inexperienced and way over-attentive, it was hard to have a conversation without being interrupted constantly.
The yellowtail was divine-- half tartare, half sliced, with avocado and orange. Roasted mushroom assortment was fab. Short ribs melted apart. Risotto was nice without being overly heavy. Braised escarole was a disappointment-- overcooked and way too mushy and without much flavor.
The pineapple and tarragon sorbet was a great flavor combo and the malt ice cream was nice, without being cloyingly sweet. The cardamom ice milk was a disappointment-- would have been better as a palate cleanser.
Overall, the space is nice- I can't wait to go back!
Despite the incredibly busy holiday season, I was able to make my first visit to Craft last week with much anticipation. Craft and Craftbar are located in a stand-alone structure in the Mansion on Peachtree complex on Peachtree Rd. near Lenox. Craft and its various incarnations (Craftbar, Craftsteak and Wichcraft) are the babies of Chef Tom Colicchio and has locations in NYC, LA, Vegas, Foxwoods, Dallas and now Atlanta. Its location in the super high-end Mansion hotel and condominiums, where condo prices start at $2.5 million and go up from there. The prices at Craft aren't quite as outrageous, but this is no cheap night out either. In fact, Steakhead was even priced out of the two steaks on the menu.
As I mentioned, Craft is housed in its own building, where Craftbar (which has its own menu) occupies the ground floor and Craft lays claim to the 2nd floor. One step inside and you know you are at one of the more formal restaurants in town. The decor is elegant, the dress was predominantly coat and tie, and the service was top notch.
The menu changes nightly, but on this night I found it to be somewhat limited. For the first course there were a handful of raw oysters and one dish of hamachi sashimi. There were also a couple of non-Steakhead like starters like Country Terrine and Roasted Sweetbreads with Boiled Peanuts. My Dad went with the Sweetbreads and said they were excellent. And since this is the man who would bring home things like calf's brain when I was a kid, I'll just take his word for it.
For the main courses, there were 6 fish/shellfish entrees and 6 meats. However, two of the meats were $50+ steaks (including a Waygu skirt steak). But I just can't see paying $50+ for a steak, at least not in Atlanta, so I went with a braised Sea Bass with Horseradish. This was very good, and at $27, was easier to stomach. Dad had the braised short rib, which he liked but thought the size of the portion could have been a little larger. I told him that's what happens when you order the cheapest meat dish on the menu ($28).
I mentioned the great service here and it is worth calling out that they were absolutely fantastic about not rushing the meal. The appetizers came out without much of a long wait, but they really let us enjoy that and gave us some time before bringing out the main course. I hate it when the main courses come immediately upon clearing the soup bowls. By the time our meal was over, it was 11:30 and we were the last folks to leave, and even with that, I never felt rushed.
Craft is definitely a fine dining experience, and in Atlanta, it may well rate amongst the best of them. The menu tends to be a grade-level higher than this Steakhead can appreciate. I may well be back, though it may have to be an expense account meal the next time.
NOTE: This review is for CRAFT.
I dined at craftbar in New York last fall, and was impatiently anticipating the opening of Craft in Atlanta. Okay, so maybe I am a little bit of a Colicchio/Top Chef fan, but so what? His food really is fantastic.
craftbar in NYC completely blew me away, in terms of service, ambiance, and food food food. So naturally, I was expecting the same (and then some) at craft here in town.
Unfortunately, I was left wanting more.
Even though we'd made reservations for a table for 2 way in advance, my boyfriend and I still had to wait about 20 minutes to be seated. It wasn't too bad of a wait; we entertained ourselves with a couple of drinks and giggled at the sight of Jon Barry (retired NBA player) just down the other end of the bar. Atmosphere was nice, very natural and organic looking, albeit underwhelming.
Finally, we were seated, where bread and water service was prompt, but our own personal server was lagging a bit. When he showed up, he was nice, but relatively stand-offish. It put me off, but whatever.
Onto the food. Boyfie tried each of the 3 types of oysters and loved them, said they tasted super fresh... but they're definitely on the pricey side. I chose the endive salad, and while I enjoyed the flavors, the goat cheese completely overtook the salad.
For our mains, I had the seared snapper, and the boy had the lamb (loin and braised shoulder). Both were cooked to absolute perfection and seasoned amazingly. The only (and biggest) complaint we had was about the sauteed spinach side we ordered... there was so much sand and grit in it, it was completely inedible! You'd think they'd have taken extra care to wash the spinach leaves a little better...
All in all, I loved my experience here, because, well, that's just what it was -- an experience. I don't think I'd give it a second try... but I would drop in at craftbar in a heartbeat. You'll get more bang for your buck, and if you're a 20-something like me, you'll enjoy the ambiance and crowd a bit better.
I'm rarely the type to say I have to go to someone as SOON as it opens, but with CRAFT, I was mesmerized and had to go ASAP.
Reservations do seem impossible to get -- our options 2 weeks out were 6p or 9p on a Thursday.
Before I went I read that the wait staff was overly attentive, but I would say they're just a little unsure of themselves still. Our waiter seemed to test the waters with us... would we be stiff and lifeless or fun? With a bit of bacon talk and interest in the food other people aren't so sure of we became instant buddies. I was relieved to see that there were no lack of personality.
When talking about food, there is a must to address first... you HAVE to try the sweetbread with boiled peanuts. Don't google it... just try it. I knew what it was before I ate it and it still amazed me. Other highlights included the braised short rib, risotto (though not a typical risotto) and icemilk.
Food is served family style and they recommend a starter, main dish and side for each person. While portions were not overly large, we still found that there was ample food if we left off a dish here or there (waste not, want not).
I came away from it all impressed by the little things that took a perfectly wonderful meal and made it just that much better-- a flavor packed amuse bouche, several dishes with bacon (and not just the same bacon chopped on different dishes), great wine selection, a to go munchy bag, and the entire wait staff having a good time.
Highly recommended... get in line.
I have been to a few of Collichios places (especially NY and Dallas). This location is slightly pretentious for Atlanta but the wait staff is superb, We went with a large table of folks.
I preferred the scallops, quail and pork belly. The steak was overpriced with limited flavor as was the yellowtail appetizer. The wine menu has something for everyone. (the Qupe was fantastic)
I think the location will develop over time. If asked for an ideal scenario-- Show up at he bar-- have a few appetizers and desserts. And people watch,
A
I feel it necessary to start this review by explaining my negative concerns with Craft before listing the few positives experienced so as not to mislead you into thinking that this is a restaurant that I'd recommend...
The NEGATIVES:
First, I simply can't overlook the 1ft diameter of mold found around each sink. I verified this by wiping it with a white hand towel -- GROSS!!!
By not assigning individual waitstaff to each table, we were bombarded by three & four staff members at one moment while bumping into one another and while shortly after running dry on water and wine having to flag someone down to pay attention to us. The service team was persuasive and pushy making our ordering experience very awkward similar to the way you feel when a car salesmen is using strong closing techniques on you.
The food was substandard in general and the portion size similar to that of tapas for the price of $30-$50 each. After a $300 bill for 4 people (including only one bottle of $50 wine) I really don't think that it is reasonable that upon returning home all four of us reached into the kitchen refrigerator for a snack!!!
The POSITIVES:
The ambiance is beautiful.
The decor is elegant.
The valet is aesthetically appealing to the eye.
Other than that -- take you business somewhere else. There are FAR too many excellent restaurants in this city to waste it on an evening at Craft Restaurant.
true to my word, I made it back here. in the snow.
but I think it was worth it. I'll go ahead and give them 5 stars, I mean between the solid food, and the service, why not. at least for brunch when there's only 5 of us in the place. dunno what it's like for dinner.
anyway, had the eggs benedict. jesus h. this was probably one of the richest dishes I have ever eaten. between the country ham, the cheese, the biscuits, eggs, hollandaise... and the other magic pig fat they sprinkled on top. wow. I shit you not, I had a harder time eating this on Sunday than I did with the ghetto burger on Friday.
I also had a side of doughnuts - which were nice and warm, not too greasy. excellent. not like Sublime, but just a good simple donut.
Tried a bite of the french toast. beautiful. they actually give you the filet of the french toast. no crust! with a side of whipped cream and syrup. simply beautiful. and tasty.
um let's see.. had the side breads again. also good.
anyway, they do a nice brunch, I'd have to say. and it's very reasonable. my only gripe is the valet. unfortunately I wasn't going to park at the mall and walk over in a fucking snow storm. apparently there is a limit to my hatred for valet.
craftbar for brunch! shit somebody had to do it.
So, I took it upon myself to drag my raggedy ass…
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Fiance's birthday is this week, so I took him to Craft. The atmosphere as a whole is lovely--lots of wood, warm lighting, and a vibe that is inviting in an accessible yet luxurious way. My only minor complaint is that the tables are a little close together, but we ended up sitting next to some great folks, so it was a minor offense.
We arrived about 20 minutes early and decided to have a cocktail at the bar. A "Tom's Collins" (oh, that clever Colicchio), consisting of Hendricks gin, bitter lemon soda, and cucumber, was refreshing and tasty. Jason's "Sunshine Squeeze," which had vodka, citrus, and ginger, was sweet and tart and well-balanced. The bartendress was very friendly and knew her stuff.
Our server greeted us fairly quickly and gave us the menu rundown. Bread arrived, and it was okay, but the butter was rich, flavorful, AND served at the proper temperature. I asked for a bottle of Sancerre, but that prompted the server to make a different recommendation in the same flavor and price range; we trusted him and were quite happy with the result, an Italian white that was dry and acidic while still maintaining a fruity quality. I wish I could remember what it was. I also wish that hadn't been the height of the server's usefulness.
When he returned to take our appetizer orders, we opted for sweetbreads and Wagyu tongue torchon. I also asked for one each of the three oysters available that night. The oysters came out first, with a lovely mignonette, a few lemon slices, and an adorably teensy tiny bottle of Tabasco. The hot appetizers came next, and I recognized the Wagyu, but on the other plate were a few fried dumpling-esque bites and a gelatinous mass. Thinking that I had maybe misunderstood the preparation of the sweetbreads, I took a bite of the jelly. DEFINITELY not sweetbreads--somehow, the waiter heard me order "head cheese." Even though the mistake gave us a chuckle and enabled us to bond with our neighboring table, it really was an awful error. I mean, I am STILL talking about how nasty that one bite was. In terms of the other appetizers, the Wagyu was good but not terribly memorable. The sweetbreads, however, were quite possibly the best I've ever had. The outside was perfectly caramelized, and the inside was firm yet tender. And the flavor? Out of this world delicious.
For entrees, Jason ordered the roasted swordfish. He expressed some concern about its preparation to the server, since he wanted to make sure the fish would keep its firm texture without drying out. The server said that they were actually poaching it in olive oil, which sounded like the perfect way to get the desired result. Unfortunately, the server must have misled us a bit, because the dish was quite dry and really didn't seem like it had been poached. It still tasted fine, but I could tell that Jason was a bit disappointed. I opted for the braised beef short ribs with root vegetables, which were absolutely delicious. The meat was tender and flavorful, and it reminded us of the best pot roast we've ever had. We also ordered side dishes of cauliflower gratin and roasted Jerusalem artichokes, both of which were superb.
For dessert, we ordered glazed chocolate cake donuts, roasted bananas, and brown sugar ice cream. The individual items were amazing, but the combination just knocked everything out of the park. It was insanely good, and it managed to be rich and decadent without feeling oppressively so. Jason had a glass of 20-year tawny port, and I had coffee with a shot (read: magnum) of Bailey's. Sadly, our server had pretty much abandoned us by then, so when I needed a refill on the coffee he was nowhere to be found. Jason actually had to get up and find a servers assistant to fill my cup.
The server did eventually return to present the check, which I perused only to find that the head cheese was still on the bill. I flagged our server down to alert him to the error, and he fixed it when asked, but I thought it was a pretty careless mistake. It was as if that disgusting stuff was destined to stay in my memory forever, as it just kept inserting itself into our experience. After all was said and done, the total dinner tab, with tip, was $290. So, with our previous rounds at the bar, the whole evening rounded out for just under $350.
I knew Craft was going to be expensive. I have paid similar amounts for other dinners, and I truly believe that an amazing meal is worth that kind of money, as it is an experience for all of the senses. But did Craft live up to its billing? There were some incredibly high points, but there were also some significant flaws, specifically with the service. Craft touts itself as specializing in simple food, but forming an overall opinion has been anything but simple. I think, in the end, that I liked Craft--but I didn't love it. Perhaps with a different waiter, I could have loved it. Unfortunately, without a hefty expense account, I don't plan on finding out anytime soon.
The reason I give Craft two stars is that is overpriced. I think I could name at least 25 different restaurants with food of the same quality for half the price. My food was good, the service was good, I like the interior, but now that I have been there and done that, I would not go back. Our check ended up being $225.00 with no alcohol, and for that price I have had meals blow me away, and at Craft, it just was nothing special.
If you are looking to spend a lot of money on an average meal, this is the place for you.
I was delighted to join some fellow Yelpers for Craft's first official night last evening. We had a lovely time and I very much enjoyed the experience. I do really, really like this place and I am waffling between giving it four or five stars - for me, it's a solid 4.5. But, I'm going with four simply because it's a quite pricey restaurant and, all things considered, that does tip the scale down a bit. I am not saying that the food and the overall experience are not worth it (I think they are) but I needed to make this decision somehow. Here is a breakdown of my scorecard (not including price considerations):
Five Stars:
* Valet parkers called me by name, were exceedingly polite and gave me discount coupons when I left. And, it was complimentary valet.
* All the staff members were uber-friendly
* They have an extensive wine list and we had a very lovely Malbec
* They have an extensive list of ports, dessert wines and aperitifs
* There were many fish or veggie options for those of us who are not so carnivorous
* The food:
o Starters like the squash tortellini, mushroom risotto, beet salad - these were excellent
o The monkfish was excellent. The cod and scallops were very good, too.
o Side dishes like the gnocchi, spinach, Brussels sprouts, fingerling potatoes, braised red cabbage, potatoes au gratin, and parsnips (fried not mashed) - all were excellent. What a mean veggie plate I could create from all these.
o The desserts were overall delicious. I loved the chocolate donuts and, eventually, the hazelnut financier.
* The space: very modern, nice lighting, loud fun music that you can still talk over, nice bathrooms (although there was a bit of a lineup at times because there are only two single unisex bathrooms upstairs)
* They gave us a nice little bag of granola when we left
Four Stars:
* The food:
o My entrée, the swordfish: It was very good but did not wow me like some of the others did. It had a slightly citrus-y flavor and I tasted fennel, as well (which I really like), and it was served with olives and capers. It was good and seemed light and well-cooked but I felt like I ordered the wrong thing.
o I know it was the first night and I will allow for some confusion but my dessert (the hazelnut with something else financier with pears) was delicious but served with the wrong ice cream. It was supposed to come with cardamom ice milk but it was served with Kit's Meyer lemon sorbet instead which was a truly dreadful combination (and we couldn't tell the difference until we tasted each thing and did our own matching up). Once we all switched our ice creams around, it was fine, but this would be really bad if we were diners who are not sharers and tasters like we are. The financier with cardamom ice milk was delicious, BTW.
I would love to return (and I just bought five lottery tickets so that I can afford to after I win!). I get the feeling that my next visit could bump it up to a five-star rating.
Since the wife is working on 2/14, we needed a good spot for an early Valentines dinner. I've been to Craft NYC, loved it, and thought it would be right up her alley. Not too fussy, but perfectly executed. Craft Atlanta rockets up to being on my list of ATL's finest dining destinations.
At first, the menu seems daunting. On the appetizers side, you have about ten seafood selections, with sourced oysters on up to crudo of various kinds, then a few small pastas and a series of amazing salads for sharing. Then fish, and meats, and more veggie options than you can shake a stick at, each prepared to perfection. I even managed to get my wife to agree to the Brussel sprouts - which were tasty as heck and not b
We had the beet salad (divine), then the waygu skirt steak with chimichurri, scallops with mushroom jus, roasted brussel sprouts, the pillow-like gnocchi, and the mixed wild shrooms. Roasted bosc pear and toasted almond ice cream to finish. Simple, pure and amazing food. Rockets up to being quite high on my list of ATL fine dining establishments.
We started the night with a good platter of oysters and enjoyed slurping the cool and briny flesh out of the shell. It's so wonderful to have these things that taste like the ocean in a mouthful in the cold winter months. The lovely 1998 Pol Roger Brut Chardonnay supplied some vigorously refreshing bubbles to send the oysters down in style. (Photos of the food may be seen at http://livetonibble.bl...)
Uncomplicated and well seasoned, the scallop satisfied and comforted. Although I am still not sure about paying almost ten dollars for a single scallop. I guess four years away from New York has made me more resistant to such price scale.
I almost always order sweetbread when it's on the menu. Craft's version is less disguised with breading than most other places. The creamy whiteness of this protein foretold a soft and supple center. This was a large appetizer portion at less than half of the price of the scallop, which considering its richness, was quite economical. :)
The husband was in the mood for duck and it came out beautifully arranged in the largest shinny copper coated pan. Cooked quite precisely from medium to medium rare, its decadence was further enhanced by the ample duck confit underneath. In my book, anything with duck confit is good. Others seemed to agree.
The mixed mushrooms side was, in many ways, the best dish of the night. Embodying the simplicity that unifies the menu, the array of mushroom varieties were pan fried in plenty of sizzling butter and came to the table still sizzling. Salty and fragrant, my favorite was the meaty hen of the woods.
We also asked for the apple pie, because, well, I can't live without some ice cream. The ice cream didn't disappoint and had a wonderful mouth feel. The apple pie looked adorable in its own shinny pan and tasted just like butter, of which it is saturated in a good way. :)
Just before our bill came the cookies, which is always a nice touch in my book. After all, we all need something to ease the shock, especial when one realizes that the restaurant practice of doubling retail wine prices also applies to the bottle of champagne husband picked out (not so shocking when the wine is supermarket price, but much more so when it's a few rungs up...)
Craft is upscale self-described family style eating that passes the brussels sprouts test. This should be self-explanatory, but for those of you who don't know, brussels sprouts are superb when done well, and downright terrible otherwise. I'm always scared to order brussels sprouts unless I trust a place, but I was sort of in the mood, so I took the risk here and was not disappointed.
Nor was I disappointed with ANYTHING ELSE here, save a teensy weensy bit of disappointment with the chocolate cake which was one step below the exquisite heavenliness that was everything else. And that may just be because I only like a certain type of chocolate cake (either molten or flourless).
The server advised us that a recommended meal consisted of at least one of each course, including a first course, salad, second course, and side - then everyone could taste. I enjoy this style of eating but was with two non-vegetarian friends. Ordinarily this would be difficult but the "side" items were pretty much all vegetarian, as were most of the salads. The server also explained that you'll get what you expect - it's just good food.
And it was. I'm so used to seeing lots and lots about the preparation on the menu, like what sauce it is, what various ingredients are combined with each other, etc., but Craft is able to make one simple ingredient come to life through skilled cooking and use of flavor. Here is a list of the dishes that, in addition to the brussels sprouts, amounted to perfection:
-endive salad with toasted pecans
-various mushrooms, from teeny tiny LITERALLY button-sized to big meaty pieces
-potatoes au gratin
-tortelloni
-pine nut tart (dessert)
I also tried the baby bok choy which was a teeny bit less amazing than the others, but still quite excellent. The apple crisp for dessert was a teeny step down from the list above as well, but still delicious. And the chocolate cake and malt ice cream one teeny step below those two things. Still good.
Service was strong. Very sophisticated and knowledgeable servers. If anything, I could have used a stronger preference when I asked which type of potato to get. One slight issue is that there were multiple servers paying attention to our table and so there was some duplication of effort. We got asked for our orders twice, our desserts were brought twice, and we got two rounds of little packets of granola for the morning (this is an adorable idea, btw). Of course, I think anyone would agree that overattentiveness is the best service problem to have and we certainly weren't complaining. Everything was correct, there was just sometimes too much of it. The manager stopped by to ask our opinion, and was quite classy about it. Because it's new, I mentioned Yelp and in my typical unfiltered fashion, blurted out that I thought everything was great and that he was DEFINITELY getting a good review from me.
Digression - they did take our white wine bottle away from the table in between pours and we had to wait a tad longer to get it poured. This was probably for our own good. But just thought I'd note it in the interest of full disclosure.
As for atmosphere, Craft has a warm feel, with its ample round but dim orange light bouncing off sharp mahogany edges all over the place. We sat against the windows upstairs on a bench side with poofy cushions and pillows. Everyone is friendly. It exudes great comfort, something much needed this particular evening, and manages to keep the inevitable pretentiousness to a minimum.
I've saved the price for last. Yes, it's expensive. Yes, the portions are small and you need to order quite a bit more than you would think based on the numbers you see on the menu. I would not say it was worth it if I didn't mean it. But it's a special occasion type of place.
I went to Craft for a New Years Eve dinner, and there were definitely some high points to the evening.
First off, it is unusually common in Atlanta to have reservations and still end up waiting for a table, but on an extremely busy night for Craft, we were pleased to be seated immediately upon arrival. Although be warned, they did call about four times to confirm reservations and even threatened to drop the reservation if we didn't call back to confirm.
The Food: The gnocchi was the best gnocchi I have ever had (and that is saying something). It was like eating fluffy little clouds - truly a must have. The rest of the food was ok, but I honestly expected more. They were simplistic dishes, well cooked and nicely seasoned but nothing (besides the gnocchi and chocolate donuts for dessert) that I couldn't live without.
Possibly some of the best service I've ever had at a restaurant. Our server James was helpful, honest and always kept the best interest of the restaurant in mind. The wine suggestions were great, he let us taste 2 wines so that we could choose. The cheese plate was fantastic, followed by the beet salad that was good, not great, and the lamb ravioli that was divine although it could have been cooked 1-2 minutes longer. The carrot cake was the best I have ever had. Hands down. Moist cake, fresh frosting and a good cake to frosting ratio. Absolutely a great evening.
I have been to Craft in NYC and was wowed. But I was underwhelmed by Craft in Atlanta. First, the hostess seemed not to have command of her job and her friendliness came across as fake or forced. The restaurant seemed very understaffed. Our waiter was in the weeds and someone in a suit jumped in and helped cover. The Pork belly is worth the trip. The food was great. The wine list was good but expensive, it looks like a triple mark up. Too expensive for this economy, would drink more if better prices. Go and be seen in the latest restaurant to hit B-head.
After watching top Chef for years, I couldn't wait to try this place. I don't claim to be a foodie and did have to ask the server a number of times what menu items were in layman's terms. But I do enjoy and appreciate great food, and I loved the presentations. Here is where it fell apart.
Our table split everything.
the high point the salad
after that it went downhill
Oysters had a smell
Scallops - very salty
34 oz for two - ribeye fatty and chewy
I did like the interior and service was great, but we spend $300 for three guests plus tip with out wine and would have been better off going most anywhere else. I really wanted to love it, and now I definately won't go back... :(
Visited a number of Colicchio's locations and this is a treat. Lots of unique options here, including some gorgeous "umami" experiences like roasted "hen of the woods" mushrooms, rich meats, and brilliant salad creations.
This is my fourth (yes fourth) visit to Craft since it opened; as you can see I am doing my part for the economy in Atlanta. I am huge fan of Top Chef and after visiting Craft I understand why Tom has earned the right to sit at the judges table. The service at Craft is amazing. The wait staff is attentive, knowledgeable and eager to please. I think they have done a great job in hiring and training their staff. The Hostesses probably need to go through training again, once you get past their attitude and ignorance, when you first walk in, the ambiance and wait staff get much better. The food is fresh and local, which makes for a perfect meal. The 'chef surprises' are also great, from the amuse bouche to the take home granola; this restaurant delivers on the goods. The wine list is quite expansive and offers are wide range of selections. Also, don't miss out on the dessert, the donuts are phenomenal. They are worth the extra 30 minutes on the treadmill. The only thing I do not like about Craft is the unisex bathrooms on the main dining room floor. As a southern lady, I do not have any desire to share a bathroom with a man (my husband is well trained thank you and the seat stays down!). I would much rather wait in line for the ladies room than share a filthy bathroom. There are separate bathrooms in the basement, but who wants to walk two flights of stairs or wait for an elevator? Regardless, all 4 visits to Craft I decided to bypass the restrooms completely. If that's the biggest complaint, then it's not so bad, but I suggested to Marc, man in charge at Craft, to please fix this as is an unnecessary annoyance, to an otherwise pleasant experience. If they fix the restroom situation and get rid of some of the unqualified Hostesses, I would have to say that Craft is well worth the money. Enjoy!
Neighborhood: Buckhead
Category: Bars
Neighborhood: Buckhead
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Neighborhood: Buckhead
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Neighborhood: Buckhead
Category: Asian Fusion
Neighborhood: Buckhead
Category: American (New)
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