Okay, I’ve changed my mind. I like Craft Century City more at night than at lunch. We went for dinner when they first opened. It was quite the scene. Not tonight. The atmosphere was laid back and quiet… for an L.A. restaurant anyway.
(Dark lighting for pictures)
Amuse-bouche was Gazpacho - Puréed, slightly creamy, lightly chilled w/a crumble of croutons on top. A perfect bite.
Bread service included a very good multigrain w/yellow raisins, baked by The Larder, served w/soft butter sprinkled w/a touch of sea salt.
Avocado Salad w/little bursts of marinated, sweet cherry tomatoes on avocado purée w/sprigs of micro-basil & chips w/black sesame seeds.
And a plate of Smokey Summer Sausage w/Mostarda.
Refreshing Yellow Tail w/Melon & Cucumber Relish.
Family Style:
Mugifuji Pork w/Heirloom Bean Sofritto. There was some fat on this… but oh boy was it tender, and the beans in the Sofritto were cooked perfectly w/a little Moroccan spice.
Fried Quail w/Grits - Like a perfectly delicate & refined fried chicken, also with a slight touch of cinnamon or allspice. Nice touch was including a little earthy dark meat. Grits were what I expected… not southern.
Can an after dinner sweet also be called an amuse-bouche? We were served a couple of tasty, sugar cube sized dark chocolate brownies (no picture).
Seasonal Fruits! These Profiteroles w/Peach Melba Ice Cream and a schmear of strawberry jam inside were a perfect treat.
Olive Oil Cake is one of my favorites.
And for the finale… Blueberry Muffins to take home for breakfast.
The service was very good. Each table has a server, a waiter, wine server (possibly steward) and busboy. The servers knew as much about each dish as the waiter.
Like @Bookwich, on occasion I enjoy weekday lunch at the bar or patio. But this was unexpected and much different than the business lunch crowd.
Very enjoyable evening.