Colicchio and Sons – The triumphant return of Tom the Top Chef?

No, not quite.

The block of 10th Ave., between 15th and 16th Street, is a foodie’s utopia. You’d be hard pressed to find another block with so much culinary fun and star power. Here you have the Chelsea Market, Food Network studios (including Kitchen Stadium), and restaurants from 3 celebrity chefs: Morimoto, Batali, and Colicchio. There’s bound to be some friendly competition at these locations.

Now while Morimoto and Del Posto has thrived, Tom Colicchio’s first effort, Craft Steak, failed to impress critics and diners alike and was shuttered at the end of 2009. The space was re-imagined as Colicchio and Sons (whatever that name means), features a more rustic concept from the higher end “craft” series, and reopened earlier this year. Colicchio mentioned that this was an opportunity for him to refocus on cooking, and that he’ll frequently be in the kitchen.

For the size of the restaurant, I was surprised how difficult it was to secure a reservation. His ever expanding Top Chef franchise of television shows is probably the reason, not to mention some fairly favorable reviews from Sam Sifton.

We decided to have dinner in the “Tap Room”, the casual-er part of a supposedly casual restaurant.  We quickly ordered our dishes and imagined a quickfire challenge taking place in the kitchen.

The food came with nice sized portions, but everything was on the salty side. Some of the appetizers had a curious mix of flavors. My beets with a hint of curry in particular drew a few raised eyebrows.

Colorful beets with curry and cheese, weird?

Prosciutto and beans, another unexpected combo

Bone marrow, topped with half a fish.

Entree was less exciting, but much better tasting. My soft shell crab sandwich was excellent, but the chips tasted almost identical to Lays. Jessie’s broiled chunk of meat had a very Asian influence.

Pizza by Colicchio

Soft shell crab sandwich

Mussels, finally a "normal" looking dish

A tower of beef

As much as I wanted to like the restaurant, it was ultimately a disappointment. We expected so much from Tom Colicchio after his very public statement about his return to the kitchen. The food simply didn’t taste like something from a chef who’s so extremely vocal and critical on the judge’s table.

Luckily as diners we determine our own fate. Please pack your wallet and eat elsewhere. Across the street, or to the left, your options are plentiful.

CS Hsia

Rating:  

Colicchio and Sons (Make a Reservation)
85 10th Ave.
New York, NY 10011d