Craft (Century City)

It's all about showmanship here at Craft. That's what happens when most of your customers are Hollywood power agents. So in lieu of chips and salsa, the amuse-bouche of the day was a sliver of cured fish with a pinch of garnish. It was placed on a fancy spoon that literally bent over backwards for me. Sadly, I had no clue how to eat it. I needed a bowl of rice.

What brought Mikey and I here was a story on honey desserts in the LA Times' Food Section. This photo of Craft's wildflower honey shortcake sent Mikey's little heart racing and so we made a pact to start saving our pennies. Three months later we made it over there.

Mikey had to try the raw oysters ($3 each). They were certainly fresh, he said. Don't ask me what I thought. I don't like squishy foods:


There was a section on the menu just for farm eggs. I was intrigued by the one called Duck Egg, Duck Ham and Spiced Waffle ($16). And that's what literally came out, drizzled with syrup. The waffle seemed a little too crispy but everything was good otherwise. You figure it's hard to mess up bacon and eggs. I also had the watercress, duck ham and pistachio salad ($17). Again good, but nothing to write home about.

Then came the fancy palate cleanser -- fruit sorbet. Come to think of it, I had more fun eating the free stuff.

Then came dessert. And wouldn't ya know, the wildflower honey shortcake was no more. Craft's menu frequently changes and honey desserts were already out of the rotation. So we settled on a Pink Lady apple crisp with vanilla ice cream ($12) and a blueberry crumb cake ($12).

!DING! DING! DING!, we finally have a winner:


If there's anything to be had here at Craft it's the apple crisp. Mikey ordered it but I finished it. The crunchy brown-sugar shell nicely insulated the warm stewed apples. Pair it with the vanilla-speckled ice cream and you've got a party in your mouth.

After we paid, our server sent us home with muffins, individually packaged and tied with a ribbon. Fancy. Though when I ate it the next day for breakfast I found it too sweet to get past the first bite.

So did I enjoy myself at Craft? Overall, yes. From doubtful celebrity sightings to simply admiring the architecture, the atmosphere provided stimulating conversation. And the small samplings of dishes were good. Though in the balance of style and substance, I'd have to say Craft comes out a little uneven. Personally, I'm a bigger fan of substance. So if I'm ever going to pay $160 for dinner again it better be not just good but hella good.

Craft
10100 Constellation Blvd
Century City, CA 90067
(310) 279-4180