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Tom Colicchio is a fanatic for the integrity of fresh ingredients and simplicity in cooking, and this much-discussed, much-imitated restaurant is the extreme, almost priestly expression of his views. You may not like the conceit of building your meal one spare ingredient at a time (many food aristocrats actively hate it), but there’s no denying the quality of Colicchio’s sweet day-boat scallops or bluefoot mushrooms lovingly foraged in the piney forests of Oregon. Craft gets four stars for its huge influence on the way restaurant meals are conceived, presented, and eaten in this new Greenmarket era, and also for Jennifer McCoy’s impeccable desserts—toffee-steamed pudding bombed with fresh-made rum-raisin ice cream—which are the best in town.

Seven course tasting menu, $120

Roasted lamb loin, $38; roasted halibut, $32

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Best of New York Awards

• Best Place to Impress a Foodie (2004)
• Best Tart (2003)

Featured In

• Where to Eat 2008 (1/7/08)
• A Gno-Mistakes Pasta Primer (10/2/06)
• 101 Best New York Restaurants for 2006 (1/9/06)

Recipes at Craft

• Swedish Cuke (2011)
• Caramelized Fairy Tale Eggplant (2010)
• Peach Upside-Down Cake (2007)
• Bruschetta of Clam Ragout With Pancetta (2007)
• Baked Peach Tart (2005)
• Chocolate-Custard Tart (2003)
• Linzer Cookies (2002)
• Peanut Brittle (2002)
• Gingersnaps (2002)
• Lemon Steamed Pudding With Berry Compote (2002)