RW lunch #4 - Craftbar

Since practically all I do is talk about food, it should come as no surprise that I'm a big fan of the tv show Top Chef.  I haven't missed a season and even though sometimes I don't always love all the edited/manufactured drama, I love watching chefs create dishes and trying to understand how their minds work.  I've long wanted to try one of Tom Colicchio's restaurants (he's a host and producer of Top Chef) and finally found the chance this Restaurant Week.  This afternoon, I had one of the best lunches ever at Craftbar...

I've probably passed Craftbar a million times walking around Union Square, but had never really looked inside.  It's a nice spot, very big and airy.  It's also a little loud, but that didn't really bother me since I was a solo diner.  Maybe if I were trying to talk to a friend, it would've bothered me more.  There's lots of wood and chrome, with a very sleek bar that takes up a lot of the front of the room.  Everyone there, from my water glass filler, to the server and the host, were very pleasant.  They were attentive, but not overbearing.  My server was especially charming.

I ordered the ginger mint lemonade and it was so good.  I could pick out all of the flavors - tart lemon, warm ginger and cool mint.  Very refreshing.  The water guy also put a container of cheese straws on the table and they were quite tasty as well.  Very cheesy.  For my appetizer, it took me a few minutes to decide since there were lots of dishes that looked interesting.  I finally opted for the pecorino risotto balls in a spicy tomato sauce.  What a good choice!  They were delicious!  Very rich and creamy, with lots of cheese, and a crispy deep fried crust.  The tomato sauce was thankfully not that spicy, it just had a little warmth in it.  I probably could've eaten another two or three plates of the risotto balls.

When I looked at the RW website and perused the Craftbar menu beforehand, my eyes zoomed in on one dish and I hoped hoped hoped it would be available today.  And it was!!  I was so excited to order the soft-shell crab sandwich!  Soft-shell crab is one of those things I'll always order if I see it on a menu - it's rather rare to see anymore.  The sandwich was served with bacon, arugula, tomato jam and a clam aioli.  Jeepers, it was SO GOOD!!  The bun was nice and soft and the crab was nicely fried and crunchy.  The bacon was incredible, much more bacon-y than I get at my local bodega, and the clam aioli was just briny, salty and rich, creamy deliciousness.  Even the housemade pickle and chips on the side were great!  I thought the pickle was dill, but when I bit into it, it was a bread and butter pickle, which went so well with the crab.  And there was some seasoning on the chips that I wasn't sure was Old Bay or not, so I asked my server.  He said he wasn't sure, so he went back to ask.  Then he confirmed I was right and said I had a good palate.  Hee.  Flattery will get you anywhere...

Another dish that always grabs my attention and I generally order it if I see it on a menu is a pavlova.  So when one of the dessert offerings was a berry pavlova with corn custard, stewed strawberries and a balsamic drizzle, I was all about ordering that.  Good golly miss molly, that was definitely one of the best desserts I've ever had.  It was sweet and savory, crunchy and creamy, acidic and earthy.  So so SO good.  I know I'm going to be dreaming about that dessert for a while.  I have half a mind to go back to Craftbar next week for another delicious lunch trio for RW, but instead I'm hitting up another celebrity chef establishment.  I had told myself four lunches were enough, but no.  I didn't listen to myself.  So one more RW lunch to go - it sure has a lot to live up to after the deliciousness I experienced at Craftbar!