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Even "Top Chef" star Tom Colicchio isn’t immune from the recession. While plenty of folks still had hankerings for slabs of beef at his Meatpacking District outpost Craftsteak, no one had the hankering to pay for it. Colicchio shut down the steak house, moved around the furniture and gave birth to a son. Colicchio & Sons, to be precise, with a menu that focuses on the American fare he honed at Craft. While red-meat lovers might be dismayed, drinkers come away the winners as the TV chef relaunched the front space of this massive resto as the Tap Room.
Space: It’s grand, largely left intact from the Craftsteak days, with lofty ceilings and a towering wine vault. If they cleared the tables out, we could picture the room playing host to a cocktail party in Gotham City from "The Dark Night." A new oven sits where the raw bar once stood, and lots of new beer taps hover over the slate bar. The other tap rooms we can think of aren’t so Batman. Hit nearby Blind Tiger Ale House or The Spotted Pig if you want stellar selections in a more intimate setting.
Crowd: The Tap Room caters to those who want the Colicchio experience—without having to pony up for entry into the back space. On pizza night (every Sunday), the egalitarian vibe drew in one element that you don’t normally see in upscale city spots: children. Don’t misunderstand, this isn’t Chuck E. Cheese. These kids could probably eat their weight in fennel and have a healthy debate about last season’s “Top Chef.” The other bar-goers—a collection of older professor types and chic middle-aged couples—seemed down for a relaxing night away from the scene. No one blinked at paying $13 for a pint, though there are plenty of $7 options available.
Drinks: While the words “cinnamon” and “sidecar” together on the menu provoked a wince, the combo of cinnamon-infused cognac, Cointreau and fresh lemon juice was a potent winner. The zest of the citrus balanced out the spice, and the cinnamon sugar rim didn’t overpower. Even so, skip the mixed drinks. The real reason to hit the Tap Room is the brew. They offer over 25 well-curated beer and cider selections on draft, with more available by the bottle. The Green Flash IPA, developed by surfer dudes in San Diego, was a hoppy dream. The Two Brother’s French Country Ale was a lighter amber selection with luscious notes of caramel. It would be easy to down three of these in a row, but then we wouldn’t have room for the vintage beer selections. They’ve got two J.W. Lees labels on the menu. These Vintage Harvest Ales, which aren’t easy to come by in New York, bring out the drool in beer geeks everywhere.
Soundtrack: We couldn’t quite place the music, probably because our iPod is lacking a country or modern-interpretation-of-Big-Band mix. We guessed they got the CD for free when they donated to a PBS pledge drive.
Food: Food wise, the real action is in the back. The Tap Room offers a limited menu that focuses on salads and a smattering of entrée adaptations from the main menu. While bone marrow with egg and white anchovies make for a succulent bar snack, the fact that they don’t let you order off the full dinner menu at the bar is frustrating. Even as you eat your braised rabbit leg with grits and soffrito, it’s easy to become jealous at the sounds of delight coming from the main dining room.
On Sundays, it’s pizza time, but we found that the artichoke, ham and goat cheese pie lacked sufficient amounts of the three toppings. When it comes to food, the best thing going on here is the cheese. There are 14 selections, and the staff will provide pairing suggestions for your beer. Who knew that buffalos can make such a tangy blue?
Bottom line: Where’s the beef at this former steak house? It’s in the suds. The Tap Room at Colicchio & Sons gets a gold star for its beer selection, with lower ratings for the limited menu and ambience. If we were to head back, we’d probably skip the front and scrape together the money for the $125 tasting menu in the back. It might take a lot of scraping, but Tom has got you covered. Anxiety about spending so much can quickly be drowned out with beer.
Photo by Daniel Krieger
