For our first review, we wanted to find a place that summed up what we’re all about, and The Craftsman Restaurant and Bar definitely qualifies. Their menu features both upscale fare and new interpretations of bar food classics, like burgers and pizzas. The restaurant is located in the Longfellow neighborhood, about five blocks from the river on Lake Street. We easily found street parking about a block away.
The first thing you should know about The Craftsman is that reservations are definitely recommended. As we walked in the door, we overheard two couples without reservations discussing whether or not they wanted to wait, and one of the couples decided to head for greener pastures. We had reservations, though, and were seated immediately. The hostess gave us great seats, in a very low traffic area right against the windows. Of course, the view on East Lake isn’t really that great—the only thing to look at was a chow mein place across the street—but I still appreciated it.
We started off with wine—my glass of Pinot Gris was excellent, but Sarah was a little bit disappointed with her Malbec, which was slightly thin and not as fruit-forward as other Malbecs we’ve had. Still, I was very impressed with the wine list overall. You know a restaurant is on your side when they offer a lot of by-the-glass options, which allows you to explore new varietals without spending too much money. Compared to the wine list, the beer list was merely adequate. I was impressed enough with their tap offerings, which were all local or midwestern microbrews, but if they’re interested in pairing beers with their dishes, they should really include some Belgians on their bottle list. But now I’m just nitpicking.
Both Sarah and I started out with the mixed greens salad. We were both impressed by how much attention and care went into a pretty standard salad: it was barely kissed by the shallot vinaigrette dressing, and seasoned with salt and pepper, a nice touch. For our main dish, I ordered the confit of rabbit leg with kale and polenta, and Sarah went for the potato gnocchi with root vegetables and a creme fraiche sauce.
This was my first time having rabbit. It sounds cliche, but the first thing I though after taking my first bite was “tastes like chicken,” but a little richer and darker. My understanding is that “confit” refers to a method of treatment that both seasons and preserves meat, but I’m not sure exactly of the combination of seasonings that are used. The polenta came out looking like cottage cheese, which wasn’t what I had expected. I should have read the menu more carefully—it specified “creamy polenta.” Whether it was what I expected or not, it tasted great, and the kale was good, too.
Sarah, meanwhile, liked her gnocchi, which she jokingly referred to as “little pillows of heaven.” It came with a rich and slightly cheesy creme fraiche sauce, and a few sauteed carrots and parsnips. The thing Sarah was most impressed by was the portion control: she told me that any more, given the richness of the sauce, would have been too much. She gave me a taste and I have to say that it didn’t quite measure up to the gnocchi we had at Meritage a few weeks earlier, but maybe I’m being too picky.
We toyed for a while with getting desert. They offered an Izzy’s Ice Cream sampler, which was tempting, but ultimately we decided that we were too full for dessert.
Sarah and Andrew’s verdict: B+. The Craftsman is a great choice for dinner if you want something a little upscale but don’t want to dress up or spend your life savings. Their wine and beer lists are impressive, the cocktails look interesting (pickle juice martinis, anyone?), and the menu offers a good combination of gourmet dishes and new takes on burgers and pizzas.
