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Random Thought on Craft Dallas

Posted on March 9th, 2009 10:31am by Nancy Nichols
Filed under Chefs, Restaurant News

I know lots of you have strong feelings about Craft Dallas. It’s expensive, you hate the location, and the parking sucks. However, I beg to differ on all counts–you can’t judge a restaurant solely on its valet parking. I’ve been there and the overall experience isn’t that painful. I love the food. Anywhoo, I digress. Here’s something to ponder: what if Tom Colicchio hired Tre Wilcox as chef? I bet you’d all change your tune. Mind you, I haven’t talked to either Tom or Tre, it’s just something to think about.

16 Comments to “Random Thought on Craft Dallas”

Pot Net @ March 9th, 2009 at 11:40 am

Wilcox is smart enough to pass on a catering gig on the Titanic.
educate yourself @ March 9th, 2009 at 11:55 am

If anyone cares to know… Chef Anthony Zappola has been with craft dallas from the begining after being move from the craft NYC.
Tre doesn’t fit the mold to work in a craft kitchen. Not many smoked puree dishes there. Also Anthony doesn’t need to troll the town wearing a tee shirt that says CHEF as if he (Tre) needed to showcasing his skills or lack there of… Nice guy but seriously you people in Dallas have to get over your local chefs and venture outside of the bubble. The restaurant is damn good… But the location is not!!!!!
Puddin'Tane @ March 9th, 2009 at 12:16 pm

Tre should have his own place. We just need to find some backing for him.
Kirk @ March 9th, 2009 at 12:18 pm

Beyond the valet parking, it’s just not a nice place to go to for a dinner ( Victory that is) a bit of a concrete wasteland. Craft would thrive in a neighborhood. “educate yourself” has a point in that new chefs have a difficult time here, many foodies can’t get by the old boys club (Dean, Stephan and Kent) not that we should “get over” them, but embrace some newbies with a little more enthusiasm
luniz @ March 9th, 2009 at 12:31 pm

It’s not a question of the chef but rather, what am I missing out on by not going. Unlike a lot of posters I can’t afford to spend $200 on a dinner every week, when I do it has to be something particularly interesting, that’s worth driving all the way from Plano. I don’t care if the chef is somebody who’s been on TV or not. But you don’t hear much about the food at Craft, or at least I don’t. What’s interesting/unusual about it?
tinkerbell @ March 9th, 2009 at 12:36 pm

STill wouldn’t go…creepy people hang out down there. Move the restaurant and I would go in a heartbeat.
allison @ March 9th, 2009 at 1:25 pm

In Craft’s defense, I’ve never had a bad meal there EVER. Everything I’ve had has been great.

Don’t like the price? Go during the $45 dinner deal. They send out emails about them all the time. r try Restaurant Week. Or split something. Carpool with a couple/friends and split valet.

I go to brunch regularly and the prices aren’t that much different from any other place in Dallas. Hell, I paid $10 for 3 pancakes at The Grape. $16 for a short rib sandwich sounds like a deal compared to that.

The crafty ones, no pun intended, can find a way to work around all the non-food complaints listed above.
Savant @ March 9th, 2009 at 1:35 pm

Now this seems to be more on point than ever – considering at first posting it was soooo taboo to say anything negative about Craft.

http://sidedish.dmagazine.com/2008/08/19/disher-review-craft/
Roberta @ March 9th, 2009 at 1:41 pm

That’s a great way to describe a high-end restaurant: I’ve been there and the overall experience isn’t that painful. How do you describe the places you don’t like?
Tre would be a fool to work that graveyard.
KRM @ March 9th, 2009 at 1:59 pm

Craft has a NY sophistication that I love, but will polarize in Big D. Note the reviewer who ordered Lone Star. Wonderful menu, food, presentation, and decor. Not so wonderful location.
Fred @ March 9th, 2009 at 3:02 pm

KRM = Kevin Robert Maxey???
liz @ March 9th, 2009 at 3:54 pm

Allison, I get your comment that if you want to go, you can figure out how to make it affordable. However, with so many really good restaurants around Dallas, I’d rather spend my money at a place where I can just go, rather than have to be “crafty” to be able to afford it.

And Nancy, yes, I do hate Victory Park and the parking enough not to patronize a restaurant there. Given the number of places that have closed there recently, it’s obvious that I’m not alone. Tre Wilcox isn’t going to change that impression just because he was on TV. Get Tom Colicchio to actually cook there sometimes, rather than just complain, and I might pay attention. Meanwhile, I will continue to eat local.
Pot Net @ March 9th, 2009 at 5:03 pm

Fearing’s has a worse location than Craft. No self-parking. A worse valet. No visibility from the street. Confusing layout for the entry. No retail or AAC to drive foot traffic. A smaller hotel. Higher prices. Though Fearing is sort of a celebrity, he doesn’t have a show on Bravo and doesn’t turn up in Diet Coke ads during the Super Bowl. But somehow, three blocks away from Colicchio’s empty dining room, Fearing’s is succeeding.

Team Craft never wants to accept responsibility for their fate. They blame the customers, the press, and the location. Until they hear and respond to what the market is telling them, they will continue to suffer. It doesn’t matter if their food is good. What matters is whether people are interested in going there to buy it. They’re not. Colicchio should be having Craft Dallas apply for Ramsey’s Kitchen Nightmares, not doubling down on the failed menu, pricing, and format of the past.
Nancy Nichols @ March 9th, 2009 at 5:10 pm

Pot Net- interesting thoughts. Like it.
Puddin'Tane @ March 9th, 2009 at 6:11 pm

Craft? I spell that Kraft. Fearing’s? Don’t get the crab cakes.
TreWilcox Client @ March 10th, 2009 at 11:02 pm

Wow… “educate yourself”. I’m sure
Chef Anthony Zappola wears a chef coat while working,cooking at Craft…in the Craft kitchen. It’s his uniform.

Did you ever think that maybe Chef Tre wears a CHEF tee shirt as a uniform?? He is still a chef you know…and he has skills.

Not fair to shoot him down over his choice of uniform.