THIS RESTAURANT IS CLOSED Craftsteak

THIS RESTAURANT IS CLOSED Craftsteak Restaurant Review:

"Top Chef" chef Tom Colicchio imports his meaty Las Vegas concept to the appropriate Downtown equivalent: Meatpacking, where the restaurants get bigger and flashier by the month. This formulaically imposing offshoot features an airy, mahogany-toned front room with lounge, raw bar and liquor bar, and a clamorous dining room marked by ivory banquettes and a Manhattan-by-night mural. Starters span from a ho-hum shrimp cocktail to a clunky, under-seasoned tuna tartare to terrific, buttery scallops slightly sweetened with yellow tomatoes---definitely the best way to add some surf to the turf that inevitably will follow. Study up on steak beforehand to increase the cost-to-satisfaction odds of various cuts either corn- or grass-fed; aged 28, 42 and 56 days; or of regular or “platinum” Wagyu quality. Luckily, whether the beef is of the fattier, more-marbled corn-fed, leaner grass-fed, or of the super-expensive Wagyu variety, and no matter how long it is aged, it’s hard to go wrong in terms of flavor. The roasting method, however, may leave some wanting for char and sizzle, as steaks tend to arrive lukewarm. Still, wealthy steak geeks may find Craftsteak to be their meaty mecca, but for others it’s a tasty but strong pinch in the purse. And the problem with experiencing it in NYC is you can’t rack up winnings at Texas Hold ’Em to offset the significant bill.