craftbar
900 Broadway (between 19th & 20th)

As readers of my blog knows, I tend to avoid places that have some form of "super chef" persona, especially those with multiple restaurants. Many of them (such as the ones of Jean-Georges Vongerichten -- see my previous review of Perry St.) are disappointing across the board. But nevertheless, I went into craftbar last night quite happily with a friend of mine for a late supper.

The place is quite relaxed, which was the ultimate design of the restaurant -- maybe a bit too lax for my taste (one guy walked up to me as I was waiting to be seated thinking I was the coat-check guy...). The music selection is a little too "Ruby Tuesday" for my taste while eating (though classic rock is certainly my favourite genre, just not while dining in a nice place!); it made me feel like a beer rather than the nice bottle of Beckman syrah we had ordered. But the relaxed nature of the place kept everything loose, which has its advantages.

Decor is pretty minimal, with a bar-centric style -- which I do like for a small, relaxed place. We were given one of the larger seats, which was nice. I like places that can accommodate romantic couples, lone diners, and groups. That is a sign of a good restaurant set-up.

For starters we split two dishes. The grilled octopus with chorizo was quite nice, as were the salted cod fritters. Done well and without too much intrusiveness (no foam!), they complemented the experience perfectly. The main course I enjoyed was the braised pork belly...I know not the healthiest thing, but it's worth it when done well. And this time it was done well. Fantastic, without too much intrusivness. I like this philosophy of using the flavours of the main ingredients, not the Jean-Georges method of masking and adulterating. Sorry, just venting for that horrible meal the other day...

We ended up having some cheese to end the meal, and that did complement things to near perfection. I was very impressed with the food and atmosphere of this place (even if the music made me want to grab a beer after we finished the syrah). Maybe a little lax, but the food certainly made up for any shortcomings. I'm sold on this place.

Food: A-
Atmosphere: B
For Lone Diners: B+ (*)