Feb 18 2009
“Recession Reviews” by 89th and Broke: Halfsteak at Craftsteak
With all the Recession Specials, Happy Hour Specials and Dining Deals out there these days, and with many restaurants extending their Restaurant Week offerings indefinitely, it would be nearly impossible for Jill and I to cover them all and report back to you. That’s why we we’re excited to announce the launch of a special section on W&D called “Recession Reviews” in partnership with the blog 89th and Broke. 89th and Broke is run by Laura and Caryn, a budget-conscious duo of young professionals residing on the UES and Gramercy whose M.O. is to seek out the best places to grab a drink and dinner at an affordable price around the city and then write about their experiences. Some of their recent reviews caught our eye. Their first “Recession Review” couldn’t be more timely. We learned yesterday on Grub Street that Tom Colicchio and the current season Top Chef cheftestants are having dinner at Halfsteak tonight and staying to watch the Top Chef episode. The pair headed out last Wednesday for a test-run. Here’s their take on the Halfsteak.
Posted by Laura and Caryn (Laura’s thoughts in italics):
After hitting up Craft’s Thrifty Thursday (the one-time Thursday installment of Frugal Friday), I was thrilled to see that Craftsteak was going to offer something similar. According to a post on Eater, Craftsteak now has “Halfsteak” on Wednesday, where they have half a steak, small plates, half pints of beer, half cocktails and sandwiches all under $15. Laura and I immediately made plans to go to dinner together Wednesday night, and we perused the menu in advance so we knew what our top choices were upon entering.
We walked in with the grand hopes of trying maybe four dishes or so, but we didn’t make it past two. We knew we wanted to try the Wagyu Nachos and Meatball, Gnocchi and Smoked Mozzarella Casserole, and after our waiter mentioned those as two of the best on the menu, we knew we were set. We thought we’d order as we go so we didn’t get too full, and it’s a good thing we did that. We really wanted to try the Fried Mac and Cheese (another recommendation from our waiter) and the Coullette Steak with Bacon, Mashed Potatoes and Spinach, but we couldn’t bear the thought of trying to work our way through either dish. We finally gave up and just went straight to dessert – Cinnamon Ice Cream Sandwiches with Oatmeal Raisin Cookies.
Wagyu nachos: Sooo good. Maybe it seems like a cop-out to get the nachos and gnocchi dish, but they’re old favorites. The Wagyu beef chili was so tasty, and the avocado crème fraiche and Béchamel sauce were perfect complements. I completely agree with Caryn, the nachos were delicious, even though I’m embarrassed I got them at Craftsteak when there were many other options on the menu. Regardless, I’m a sucker for nachos and these were fantastic – the pefect amount of toppings and no soggy chips.
Meatball, gnocchi and smoked mozzarella casserole: There was something a bit off about the sauce – Laura thought there was too much tomato paste. I liked it more than Laura and thought the meatballs were pretty good, and I was surprised with how many came in the dish (maybe 9?). The cheese was standard and good, as were the gnocchi. Not the best gnocchi dish I’ve ever had, but then again I was dining in a steakhouse. What’d I expect? The sauce definitely was too thick and the meatballs were just okay, the bright spot of the dish being the smokey flavor of the mozzarella cheese. It wasn’t bad but as someone who has high standards for Italian food, I could do without this dish next time.
The best part of the meal was the ice cream sandwich made with cinnamon ice cream and oatmeal raisin cookies. The cookies were soft, but sturdy enough to keep the sandwich together, and flavored with orange zest and plump, golden raisins. The ice cream really surprised me. Typically I can’t taste the cinnamon in cinnamon ice cream, but the spice really stood out this time and it was delicious. Unfortunately the ice cream sandwich served for dessert can change, so there’s no guarantee you’ll get to enjoy this one.
The surprise of the evening? Definitely the free scone with white chocolate and raspberries that every diner received in a nice little plastic bag on their way out. We saved ours for snacks the next day and they were outstanding. I love a to-go treat from a restaurant, especially when it’s unexpected. I was really surprised to leave with a scone, and even more surprised how great it tasted the next afternoon.
We also loved our waiter. Unlike a recent report of poor service at L’Absinthe after diners opted to order off the Restaurant Week menu, our waiter couldn’t have been more attentive or friendlier, even answering all of our ridiculous questions about Tom Colicchio (and yes, they played Top Chef in the bar on Wednesday night!), working at Craft and CraftSteak, his favorite restaurants in the city, etc. Our waiter also mentioned that during the Halfsteak special, waiters are encouraged to be a little more informal and more conversational with patrons. Caryn and I may haven taken that a little too far – Elliott, when are you planning on writing your guest post?
All in all I was very pleased with my dining experience, but then again, it could have just been my good company.
I was pleased with my dining experience as well, even though I wasn’t a big fan of the gnocchi dish. Several people I’ve told about CraftSteak asked if the meal was out of our price range. For $26 (including tip), I left feeling completely stuffed – and drank a half pint of a “classier” beer, as well as enjoyed dessert – so a much better deal than some of the mediocre meals I had during Restaurant Week. According to our waiter, Halfsteak will be offered indefinitely, so if interested in trying the meal, we encourage you to call before you go. If you do decide to go, from our experience it makes the most sense to go with a bigger group. If we had a group of three to four, we would have definitely had the opportunity to try several more dishes without feeling too full.
The Basics Name: Craftsteak Location: 85 10th Avenue (Near 15th – we know, it’s a hike) Who to take: Friends, Date Price: One less drink at the bar next week. $$$. Overall: Put it in the rotation on Wednesdays – or try to go at least once. 4 stars.
called up yesterday and they aren’t taking reservations for tonight in the bar area. they told me i’d have to get there early to get a seat or table. would love to sit at a table near tom with friends and pretend to be judges critiquing the food as it comes out. had the fried mac n’ cheese last week and it was awesome.
Impressive that the 2 “half”-dishes and dessert was enough for 2 people. I thought the portions would be micro-sized. Gonna have to check it out for sure.
Lesider – We were surprised too how large the portion were – but keep in mind we did get heavy dishes. I’m sure if we went for a lighter dish, we may have been able to squeeze in three plates and dessert.
helpful review. thanks. it all sounds good to me except this idea of the $4 half-pint of beer. i mean c’mon. that’s only 8oz. they should just make it a pint for half-price. at least there are good beer choices.