Craft Los Angeles

Friday Night Dinner

Craft is the main restaurant of Tom Colicchio. The head judge on Top Chef. The hot bald chef!

I didn't have any real idea on what kind of food Craft was about. I don't know why but I thought it was going to be Italian. I learned actually he has more French cooking roots and Craft displayed that.

The most memoriable thing of the night was that it was the first time I had truffles. Not just a truffle oil infused dish, no I actual truffle slices on a dish. Wow!

They served all the dishes family style. I'm not used to seeing fancy places serve this way. The other nice thing they did was serve us complimentary little things inbetween the courses we ordered. It was a nice unexpected surprise. Here are what we ate....

Amuse Buoche

Prawns on Cracker

(Sorry...no pic )

I don't like prawns. The texture and fishy smell usually creeps me out. They brought out this small plate with 2 water crackers topped with 3 chunks prawn slices that was tossed in some oil, seasoning and chives. Soung is veggie too so she wasn't going to eat it. I wasn't going to eat it but we didn't want to be rude so I said I would take a bite. Wow...it didn't taste like any prawns I've had before. No fishiness at all. Light, savory, crisp. Yum.

First Course

Heirloom Tomato Salad

Sweet as honey yellow, red, and pink heirloom tomatoes. The plate was dressed in a small pool of green olive oil and aged balsamic, where the thinly sliced tomatoes were laid, it was topped with little bit of salt and microgreens. I would have to say this was my favorite dish of the night hands down. The simpliest ways are the best ways to prepare highest quality ingredients.

Wild Arugula & Parmesan

Nice slight bitter greens with aged parm cheese.

Main Course

Roasted Halibut

This fish was the most decadent white steak of fish I had seen, it had this nice seared golden crust. The sauce was roasted red pepper sauce with golden raisins in this buttery sauce. It was amazing subtle flavors, but the fish was slightly over cooked and not as moist as I had hope.

Ricotta Cavatelli & Black Truffle Pasta

Homemade pasta filled with ricotta, light buttery sauce, and topped with shaved black truffles. Prior to this I think the only truffle item I've had was the truffle fries at Baguette box.

Sides

Potato Gratin

Wow...best gratin I've had. Perfectly thinly sliced potatos, cooked just right to a velvethy texture in a rich cream sauce that was so good. It had a nice baked golden crust at the top. This was my 2nd favorite dish of the night. I've tried to make this dish but yet to make this right. Maybe I'll have to get his cookbook for this.

Assorted Wild Mushrooms

This was okay...different mushrooms sauteed in some herbs and some kind of fat. I like my mushrooms carmalized and moist, this was again a little dry.

Roasted Asparagus

I didn't have any of this, Soung said it was good but not the best.

Palate Cleanser

Stawberry something rose water something "gelayeee". In another word..fancy jello. :) It was good, beautiful.

Dessert

Peach Crisp with Peach Ice Cream

Good seasonal peach with lot of crunchy oat buttery topping. We ordered a side of peach ice

cream which I'm sure was freshly made had nice chunks of peaches. The only thing is it had more topping than peaches and I like lot of fruit in my crips or cobblers.

Beignets

Light as air dough fried and covered in sugar/cinnamon, served with a salty chocolate sauce and citrusy honey.

After we ate our dessert, they gave us a small plate of lavendar shortbread, chocolate bark or toffee, and dice size brownies. I hate it when anyone puts lavendar in food. It tastes like soap in my mouth. I was relunctant to try this one but I have to say, it was the first time the lavendar didn't over powered the food. It was very subtle.

After the check, they gave us a take home gift of pecan biscotti. They just had really nice touches, services was superb, and beautiful ambience at the restaurnt. We had some leftover dessert that they boxed up. They don't just bring the leftovers boxed to your table, no they give you a number like a coat check. When you are ready to leave, you take the number to the front and they give you the leftover in a bag. How classy is that. I know I can't eat like this all the time but boy it was memorable. We need one in Seattle. I'm going to write him a letter.

The one thing I felt good about is that I think I could make all the dessert and sweets we had. They were simple things but refined. I'm more about rustic than refine thus prob want to do it my way. I read that the pastry chef Shannon Swindle actually has type I diabetes. Interesting...I can't wait to become a pastry chef!