Wednesday, June 13, 2007

I HAVE A BEEF WITH THIS PLACE: Not merely because Top Chef 3 starts tonight, but out of general interest, I visited Tom Colicchio's New York outpost of CraftSteak tonight. Adam was quite fond of the Vegas location, and I was generally impressed as well. Gorgeous space (despite an ugly view of a carwash across Tenth Avenue), service that finds exactly the right balance between being attentive and knowing what they're doing (waiter gladly explained the differences and his preference between two identically priced New York Strip steaks from different farms), an impressive selection of not just cuts of meat, but varieties (corn-fed, grass-fed, different locales), and the desserts all looked astounding (I had a chocolate souffle with "banana chip" ice cream that was heavenly).

I'm still not 100% sold on the cooking method--steaks are briefly seared, then pan roasted, in an effort to prevent dryness. Certainly, the steak was not even remotely dry, but lacked a certain heat and sizzle. Also, there's no way to try and understand the different types of beef served. You must choose one. I'd be interested in a "tasting platter," which offered three different varieties of the same cut of beef (e.g., a corn-fed, grass-fed, and wagyu Strip), to allow someone to appreciate the differences. Still, I enjoyed my meal, and wouldn't hesitate to return, though more likely in Vegas, where prices are a bit more reasonable.

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