UPDATE - 'wichcraft no longer serves dinner. So...remember the whole point of this post? Well, scratch that. Wah waaah.
So by now we all probably know about Tom Colicchio and his many culinary endeavors. He is one of the head judges on Bravo's "Top Chef," and his restaurants in and beyond Manhattan include - but are not limited to - Craft, Craftbar, Craftsteak (though no longer open in NYC), Colicchio & Sons (that which replaced NYC's Craftsteak), and 'wichcraft. What some may not know, however, is that of the twelve Manhattan 'wichcraft locations to date, the one in the Flatiron District is currently the only outpost that serves dinner.
'wichcraft is Colicchio's (and partners') more casual eatery focused predominantly on sandwiches (get it? sandwiches? 'wiches? 'wichcraft? yeah, you get it) and salads and soups and general lunchtime fare. The location on East 20th Street additionally offers...(anticlimactic drumroll)...dinner. So what is it like? Well, eager reader, allow me to explain.
When you enter, you are greeted by a host/hostess at the base of a flight of stairs. To your left is a counter, and well beyond that is the bathroom. We're not here for counter service tonight, and we just used the bathroom before we left our office, so up the stairs we go.
The second floor is lined with tables - most along a banquette to the right, and some by the south facing windows at the back. The decor is sparse with exposed brick walls, dark wood floors, and a huge ass canvas of a huge ass knife. During my several visits, the room, though small, was never packed with patrons. The noise level is therefore typically low, unless you are lucky enough to be dining at the same time as a party of shrill talkers with grating laughs. Side note - those are always the ones that find everything funny.
So what's on the dinner menu? Open face sandwiches (a hearty slice of grilled bread topped with generous portions of varying delicious toppings...chopped liver with sliced gherkins and whole mustard seeds? Yes, please), salads, miscellaneous vegetable side dishes, and relatively small entrees. The portion sizes vary from plate to plate, but the friendly waitstaff can guide you in ordering the appropriate amount for your appetite. A wine and beer list is also available at reasonable prices with decent red and white house wines for only $5 a glass. Oh, you wanted delicious desserts? They have those too.
This is a great spot for a relatively inexpensive meal proximate to Union Square. Dining is casual but refined, making it a lovely choice for catching up with a friend, meeting your brother's new girlfriend, or the sixth date with that nice girl from Brooklyn - hey, you're going to the movie theater on 19th & Broadway anyway, so why not? 'wichcraft does not take reservations, but I am yet to have to wait for a table. Fingers crossed that's the story going forward as well.
'wichcraft - 11 East 20th Street, between 5th & Broadway
UPDATE - 'wichcraft no longer serves dinner. So...remember the whole point of this post? Well, scratch that. Wah waaah.
So by now we all probably know about Tom Colicchio and his many culinary endeavors. He is one of the head judges on Bravo's "Top Chef," and his restaurants in and beyond Manhattan include - but are not limited to - Craft, Craftbar, Craftsteak (though no longer open in NYC), Colicchio & Sons (that which replaced NYC's Craftsteak), and 'wichcraft. What some may not know, however, is that of the twelve Manhattan 'wichcraft locations to date, the one in the Flatiron District is currently the only outpost that serves dinner.
'wichcraft is Colicchio's (and partners') more casual eatery focused predominantly on sandwiches (get it? sandwiches? 'wiches? 'wichcraft? yeah, you get it) and salads and soups and general lunchtime fare. The location on East 20th Street additionally offers...(anticlimactic drumroll)...dinner. So what is it like? Well, eager reader, allow me to explain.
When you enter, you are greeted by a host/hostess at the base of a flight of stairs. To your left is a counter, and well beyond that is the bathroom. We're not here for counter service tonight, and we just used the bathroom before we left our office, so up the stairs we go.
The second floor is lined with tables - most along a banquette to the right, and some by the south facing windows at the back. The decor is sparse with exposed brick walls, dark wood floors, and a huge ass canvas of a huge ass knife. During my several visits, the room, though small, was never packed with patrons. The noise level is therefore typically low, unless you are lucky enough to be dining at the same time as a party of shrill talkers with grating laughs. Side note - those are always the ones that find everything funny.
So what's on the dinner menu? Open face sandwiches (a hearty slice of grilled bread topped with generous portions of varying delicious toppings...chopped liver with sliced gherkins and whole mustard seeds? Yes, please), salads, miscellaneous vegetable side dishes, and relatively small entrees. The portion sizes vary from plate to plate, but the friendly waitstaff can guide you in ordering the appropriate amount for your appetite. A wine and beer list is also available at reasonable prices with decent red and white house wines for only $5 a glass. Oh, you wanted delicious desserts? They have those too.
This is a great spot for a relatively inexpensive meal proximate to Union Square. Dining is casual but refined, making it a lovely choice for catching up with a friend, meeting your brother's new girlfriend, or the sixth date with that nice girl from Brooklyn - hey, you're going to the movie theater on 19th & Broadway anyway, so why not? 'wichcraft does not take reservations, but I am yet to have to wait for a table. Fingers crossed that's the story going forward as well.
'wichcraft - 11 East 20th Street, between 5th & Broadway
UPDATE - 'wichcraft no longer serves dinner. So...remember the whole point of this post? Well, scratch that. Wah waaah.
I went to Wichcraft on a lunch date once. I found the entire place confusing. They didn't have normal sodas (hello, no Coke?), and all their breads were slightly weird. Sorry, I like normal rolls. That's a standard request.
ReplyDeleteThen they make you put some weird sign on your table if I remember correctly to let the "waiter" know where to deliver the food. Seriously, it's a glorified deli. Let me just get my (very lil) sandwich and go upstairs and eat it.
Also, the date was lousy.