Times They Are A Changin'

Late in December, Tom Colicchio announced he was closing Craftsteak, and re-opening it as Colicchio & Sons. The time for high-flying steakhouses was over Tom explained and he was excited to get back to his culinary roots from way back when he used to run things over at GramTav.

Craftsteak holds a special place for me, mostly because my brother slaved away as maitre'd there for 18 months. The service has always been impeccable and the staff makes you feel welcome in what could be considered a very intimidating restaurant.

My brother's erstwhile maitre'd status earned us a coveted invitation to the friends and family preview of the restaurant. After a near crisis situation, we showed up last night to try Tom's new place.

The menu is simple, concise, and well-balanced. The biggest departure from the Craft-empire establishments is the lack of sides. The dishes here are complete thoughts, as opposed to fragments the diner can assemble any which way he/she wants. I opted for the gnocchi with marrow, truffles, and chestnuts while my bro decided on some white bean agnolotti (which he raved about). The gnocchi were like little down pillows and the richness of the marrow and chestnut oozed its way deep inside the potato dumpling to give it a bold, warm flavor. Really great way to start.

Entreewise nothing was screaming at my name, so I let the server do the deciding. I opted for the pancetta-wrapped monkfish. The execution on this dish was flawless--the fish was perfectly cooked and pancetta armor was not too crispy nor too flabby. Sometimes the flavor of the pancetta overwhelmed the fish a little, but I was on board with this. The dish came surrounded by beets cooked in cider, creating a makeshift sauerkraut (I think I read Tom borrowed this from a Top Chef contestant). It added a nice acidity to it all.

At the behest of one of the managers, we order a cheese course and two desserts. I ordered coconut cream donuts with lime jelly and caramel ice cream. The flavors were spot on, though a little out of place for the season I'd say. The donuts were long, tubular pastries with ample filing. The ice cream at Chef Tom's establishment has always been revelatory--this was no different. My brother opted for a peanut butter parfait, which looked like it had been created straight out of a dream of mine. The cheese course was a nice way to finish the meal and nice to see a cheese trolley rolling around a restaurant floor these days.

I enjoyed Colicchio & Sons immensely. It definitely is much more low-key than its opulent predecessor which I think is a shrewd move on Mr. Colicchio's part. I'm not sure anything I ate was really revolutionary, but everything was really delicious. The front half of the restaurant will be more casual and I think that section might become part of my normal rotation.