(page 30) NOVEMBER 2015
A TASTE OF SARCASM BY DENISE DEPAOLO
CRAFT ITALIAN AMERICAN FUSION 610 M E DA RY AV E . // B RO O K I N G S , S D 5 70 0 6 // 6 0 5) 6 9 2 - 2 5 5 5 // C R A F T F U S I O N S D.C O M
“Clam chowder is one of those subjects, like politics or religion, that can never be discussed lightly. Bring it up even incidentally, and all the innumerable factions of the clam bake regions raise their heads and begin to yammer.”- Louis P. De Gouy, The Soup Book (1949) After finding myself in Brookings several times on Mondays - Craft’s only closed day - I finally got a chance to try one of the newest additions to the city’s dining scene on a recent Friday. The scant signage and understated exterior gave few clues to the dining experience my friend and I were about to have. My first thought upon entering was, ‘Wow, this is pretty nice.” It took a moment for my eyes to adjust to the dim lighting, which was honestly a nice break from the early autumn sun. The interior was decorated tastefully in a restrained combination of industrial, yet modern, brick and wood with metal finishes. One thing that was very striking was the professional demeanor and appearance of all of the front-of-thehouse staff. This thought was driven home when our tie-clad server, Tyler, greeted us and went through the day’s features. He left to grab our drinks, and as we looked through the menu, the next striking thing was the pricing. It was like the words on the menu and the prices just didn’t add up. Perhaps we’re used to being gouged, but half the menu was under $10, with the most expensive item being the $12 Prime Rib French Dip. So, we ordered the aforementioned French Dip, plus the Crab Cake Burger, and the Crispy Pasta Rosa. Both of our sandwiches came with salad or soup, so we ordered both soups of the day (French Onion and Clam Chowder), which were delivered promptly. Let’s talk about these soups. Holy crap. First of all, this was legit French Onion. The top was covered with blistered, gooey cheese, and once that layer was traversed, we found the next layer of broth-saturated croutons. Beneath the croutons was a pitch black treasure trove of caramelized onions and as much salty, oniony flavor as one could ever imagine packing into a mere broth. Onto the Clam Chowder. To be honest, I was expecting a bowl of standard white, punctuated with a few clams and potatoes. That is not what we received. The creamy terra cotta-colored joy set in front of us would be
described as New England/Manhattan hybrid. It was by no means a vegetable soup, yet was full of bits of carrot, potatoes, peppers, and fresh herbs - in addition to fat, tender, delicious clams. Fresh black pepper gave it a tiny kick, but nothing a standard Midwestern palate couldn’t handle. We liked it so much, we asked Tyler about it. He sent a chef named Mike out, who graciously told us all about his rather complicated process of making the soup, and the bit of marinara that gives it the enigmatic orangey-pink color. We were just finishing up our soups when the entrees arrived. We started with the Prime Rib French Dip, which was loaded with tender, flavorful beef. The bun was super-soft, but maintained its integrity when dunked into the generously-sized ramekin of savory jus. Next, we tried the Crab Cake burger. I liked that there was more crab than filler in the patty, which is a problem many seafood lovers have had to contend with. It was well-seasoned, and the spinach and tomato added a necessary brightness to the overall composition. My only issue with this dish was the lack of any crunch. The patty didn’t have any sear on it, which caused a lot of monotonous texture with the bun (which was top notch). Even changing out the spinach for a crispier lettuce, or adding some fresh red onion might have made a big difference. The flavors were spot on, but texture is a big thing with me. Finally, we dug into the Crispy Pasta Rosa. This was breaded chicken atop perfectly al dente pasta, with a mixture of marinara and creamy Parmesan sauce, lightly dusted with Romano cheese. Now, let’s talk about texture. Everything happening under the chicken was very, very good. However, the chicken was the star of this show. No, the star of this meal. Think about the most flavor-packed, wonderful fried chicken. Now, take away the grease and make it twice as crunchy. The breading was on point. Seriously, I am having a Pavlovian response to the memory of this chicken. B O T T O M L I N E : Damn, Brookings!
[AT M O S P H E R E ] It was tasteful and warm. We could have been in any major city. [ S E RV I C E ] Tyler was on it. When dining out in a college town, one sort of expects a level of almost-annoying informality, but he was friendly, while maintaining total professional decorum. [ TA S T E ] This was a pretty fantastic meal. [ I T ’ S T H E FAC T S ]
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Craft’s chefs try to locally source as much of their menu as possible. There are even a few gardens in Brookings that provide the restaurant’s produce.
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Craft views itself as a part of the community. Every member of the partnership group that owns the restaurant either goes to or graduated from SDSU, and 90 percent of the staff is currently in school.
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This holiday season, look for a special menu featuring craft beers, and handcrafted cocktails, plus a special offer on Craft gift cards.