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| - You want to be hypercritical of the place, given the scathing remarks Colicchio throws at the Top Chef contestants. But then you realize he's the head judge for a reason. Craftsteak was a precision performance, reminiscent of the Blue Angels, executed expertly from beginning to end.
The hostess was able to accommodate our last second switch from party of two to party of four. No problem. No delay. It was as if they were expecting it. The table had already been set for four.
Our waiter and his assistant (Eric and Franciscio--how often do you remember the names?) were top notch, ensuring us a well timed courses. Our water glasses never approached empty. Details.
Our group decided on the special prix-fixe/tasting menu they happened to be offering. For $75 per person ($105 with three wine pairings), we were treated to family style service of a variety of fantastic dishes.
The starter was a lobster bisque, which was superb. I'm not exactly sure what the seasoning was, but it might have been saffron, and just enough of a hint at that. There were just enough pieces of lobster so that it was not too heavy as a starter. Delicious.
The next course included Caesar salad, roasted peppers, and prosciutto. Yum, yum, and yum. We knew by then that we were in for something special.
Main dishes: Sliced Kobe sirloins, a marinated skirt steak, seared scallops, with sides of sweet potato puree, fried artichokes, and creamed spinach. This is where we turned into savages, ate with our hands, and communicated in snorts and groans. Everything was cooked perfectly, seasoned perfectly, portioned perfectly.
I cannot tell you what the four dessert samplings were. I remember them being brought to the table. I remember they looked nice. I remember spoons. Chocolates, creams, fruits. It's all a dream to me now. Colicchio mentioned the importance of a good dessert on last night's episode (restaurant wars) and I now know that he is a man of his word.
You might balk at spending $210 for two people for a "tasting" menu, but you definitely get your money's worth with this menu. There was more than enough food to go around.
This will go down as one of the great dining experiences of my life. As I lay in bed later that night, the best kind of indigestion interrupting my sleep, I thought about how difficult it must be to achieve this level of perfection. And I thought, you poor, poor Top Chef contestants--good luck to you!
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