Craft

Despite the manifold imitations, Tom Colicchio’s contemporary American restaurant Craft is unlike any other restaurant in New York. Sure, there are other restaurants that share the same devotion to purity of flavors, fresh ingredients, and simplicity in cooking. There are other restaurants that serve high-end food in a casual, family-style fashion. And there are now other restaurants that allow diners to customize and build their own meals one piece at a time. But none execute it all with the same level of panache and skill as Craft.

The restaurant is housed in a large, handsome room with brick and leather walls and glowing reproduction Tesla bulbs hung from the ceiling. The build-it-yourself philosophy has been refined and improved dramatically over time. We endorse wholeheartedly William Grimes' statement in the New York Times in 2001: “In the abstract, freedom of choice is desirable. But the arts, including the culinary arts, function more efficiently as dictatorships.” Colicchio has tightened the process so as to still provide diners latitude without giving them enough rope to hang themselves. Now one can choose between first courses, main courses, and side dishes or a tasting menu option. Some dishes are more successful than others, so we recommend that you weight your orders with many of the classic dishes that we highlight below.