Dinner at Craft

Last night we decided to try Top Chef Judge Tom Colecchio's restaurant, Craft. In addition to amazing food, the whole dining experience was very enjoyable. The restaurant has a very modern vibe but the intimate booths and tables make it feel like you are in your own little world. Craft serves all of its items family style. Not the norm for an upscale restaurant. It was so fun to be able to try everything. We had dinner with two friends so that gave us the opportunity to try lots of things. I have some new favorites that I would probably never have ordered on my own-short ribs and Panna Cotta. I'm definitely going to try to make Panna Cotta for my next dinner party. I highly recommend Craft and can't wait to go back again.

Here is the menu of what we sampled:

Appetizers:
Salad with Gorgonzola and Roasted Figs-I love figs so we were already off to a good start. The lettuce was the freshest most pure tasting lettuce I have ever had.
Heirloom Tomato Salad-Beautifully presented and flavorful.
Baby Shrimp Salad-Simple in concept but the flavors melded beautifully and the shrimp melted in our mouths.

Entrees
Braised Short Ribs-Another melt in the mouth dish. The meat was so flavorful and tender. Presentation was cute-all entrees were served in miniature Staub pots.
Pork Tenderloin with Soy Dressing and Japanese Peppers-very tender, lots of flavor.
Scottish Salmon-The Salmon was very delicate and mild.
Halibut with Cherry Tomatoes-also very delicate and mild.

Sides
Roasted Broccolini, asparagus, carrots and snap peas.
Sauteed mushrooms-really earthy tasting and an interesting hint of nutmeg.
Fingerling Potatoes in garlic butter sauce.

Dessert-
Dessert was phenomenal. Lots of restaurants end a meal with a dessert that is okay but these were above and beyond. We contemplated whether it would be wrong to lick our plates or order another dessert course!

Panna Cotta with currants, fresh berries and lemon cookies-I've never had Panna Cotta before and this one was amazing. It was creamy and had a flavor almost like cheesecake. Hints of vanilla bean were also noticeable. The addition of the fruit and delicious cookies put it over the top. It was definitely a favorite of all of us at the table.

Chocolate Torte with espresso sauce-This dessert was so decadent. It had a deep dark chocolate flavor that was enhanced by the delicious espresso sauce. It was a chocolate lover's dream.

Tri0 of House Made Gelatos-vanilla bean, apricot and blueberry-very good and complimented the other desserts well.

At the end of the meal we also received chocolate covered sunflower seeds and caramel popcorn. It was a cute way to end the meal.