Luxury Life & Style

Craft Craft charcuterie, sautéed, roasted, braised, roasted and braised or gratin – rather than as complete plated dishes with sides. I think the idea is to provide a sort-of cheeky faux-collaborative tone to dinner while simultaneously driving check averages into the stratosphere. Craft was jumping at 5 p.m. on a Thursday and, yes, there was a TV camera in the room filming something or other. Thankfully, it wasn’t filming me or the Curator, as we were both really tired from traveling and were just plain hungry, too. I was hungry enough to contemplate a second order of the sensational corn agnolotti with speck, which would have been a mistake based on the sheer size of the lamb main course that followed. A quick survey of the wine list confirmed what I suspected: someone there knows wine, thank goodness. Wine Director David Lusby is a newcomer to the L.A. wine scene by way of Colorado, and after learning of his post-shift commute back to Irvine, I was ready to buy him a glass of wine. David’s list is a prototype of where the wine program is heading, and with harbingers like Bugey Cerdon Rosé bythe-glass, it’s going good places. David himself was a darling, and I watched as he calmly and warmly handled two wine worms harassing him at a nearby table. I hate the “it’s corked” controversy, in which perfectly fine wine is returned by tiny, balding imperious men who need to bully the dining room staff. I believe the clinical term is “cork dork.” My dining guest, the Curator, made a really intelligent observation during dinner at Craft, as making really intelligent observations about everything is rather her trademark. She commented that everyone on the staff at Craft not only “answers, but also offers.” She noted that an inquiry about a glass of wine resulted in a taste, that directions to the ladies’ room resulted in being offered an escort there, that a question about the valet resulted in an offer to bring the car around for us as we were pressed for time. I can only agree; the service at Craft is spot-on and very New Yorky. Our attentive server Adam was certainly handsome enough to be an actor, but he was clearly passionate about food, wine and making sure we had a good time. Clone him, Chef Colicchio, as your empirebuilding continues. Craft is going to be a huge success, no doubt about it. I saw Chef chatting with super agent Rick Nicita on the way out. With the big agencies defecting to Century City, Craft will be their playground. I fear for Beverly Hills lunch-time cover counts as they’re poised to plummet faster than the necklines of the ingénues already out en masse at Craft. I will be seeing you there, my fellow mere mortals, for another five o’clock dinner some time soon, you can be sure. Still dreaming of those mushrooms… Craft 10110 Constellation Boulevard Century City 310-279-4180, craftrestaurant.com Divine Providence When asked what my favorite restaurant is, I never know exactly how to respond. After working in the business for a long time, it’s easy to feel as if you’re cheating on one restaurant when recommending another. I tend to dodge and weave in these awkward moments of culinary infidelity: Most scenic setting ever? (The Wauwinet, Nantucket) My favorite place for take-out tacos in Los Angeles? (Tito’s) My favorite inexpensive New York greasy spoon for bottomless coffee when we were all too poor to order anything except grilled cheese? (Moonstruck on 23rd) That nameless wine bar in Dublin we wandered into and adored? (still unknown) Favorite place where I personally have worked in the trenches? (Union Square Café, both times around). But if I answered more carelessly, I confess my off-the-cuff response would be to blurt out simply: Providence. Because I live in the Los Angeles area, I am fortunate to have watched the evolution of this exceptional restaurant since its opening in 2005. In thinking about all the elements that converge to make a restaurant work in the way that Providence works, I realize how ultimately undecipherable such a winning formula is. Providence has a great chef. Providence has a great GM. Providence has a great bartender. Providence has great servers. Providence has great décor. But how these elements synthesize into a sum greater than the whole of their parts is what stymies many other restaurateurs. Providence simply does it better. Over the past year, I have had several spectacular meals prepared by Chef Michael Cimarusti and his team. That I don’t know Chef Cimarusti personally September/October 2007 Luxury Life & Style 71 craftrestaurant.com

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