Recently, I was lucky enough to get to attend a media event for the opening of Tom Colicchio’s (of restaurant empire and ‘Top Chef’ fame) newest restaurant, Craft Atlanta. Craft is the latest dining experience to be added to the Rosewood’s most recent property, The Mansion on Peachtree. Though the Mansion currently offers an amazing fine-dining, Italian restaruant, NEO (full report to come!)… Craft adds an alternative, casual, upscale element while also delivering with its renowned, excellent food.
Chef Colicchio hosted the casual event, ducking questions about current Top Chef developments and entertaining the lunch crowd with antics from the dishwashing line a few nights before. Passed apps included samplings of what will appear on Craftbar’s menu (an already abbreviated version of Craft’s upstairs dining room). An array of flavors were set before us; hamachi sashimi with pickled daikon, braised pork shoulder, woodfire-grilled quail, wagyu tartare and roasted beets got my friend and I started, while brown sugar ice cream and a ginger ale, tangerine sorbet float finished us off.
We eagerly poured over the upstairs menu, planning our ‘attack’ on Craft in the weeks to come (right down to the ala carte apple tarte tartin with cardamom ice cream). A great event with a truly enthusiastic, humble and respected chef. I certainly welcome this “piece of New York… to The Mansion on Peachtree”.
Tom Colicchio’s Craft received the James Beard Award for the Best New Restaurant in 2002 for its unique marriage of the finest ingredients, haute cuisine and family-style service. Craft Atlanta is a 225-seat fine dining restaurant in Buckhead with an outdoor terrace that seats an additional 20 people and a 50-seat bar.
-bryan
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