Craig’s – guests would describe it as updated old-school, intimate, clubby, warm. A nightly mixture of regular clientele who are part of the Craig’s family and visitors from around the globe, refined comfort food inspired by familiar favorites, and guests’ culinary cravings executed at an elevated level.
Some restaurants try to educate; some try to push the envelope. Craig Susser and Executive Chef Kursten Kizer (formerly of the Post Ranch Inn) just want you to sit back, relax and enjoy.
Craig’s goal is to provide a memorable dining experience. The restaurant embraces a culture of “yes” – which means satisfying a variety of tastes and dietary parameters from vegan to carnivore. These efforts are reflected in the menu’s range, from retro favorites such pigs-in-a-blanket and meatloaf to cioppino, steaks, and vegan options, such as perennial customer favorite, Craig’s Warm Quinoa Salad.
Replete with a variety of textures and flavors, vegans and carnivores alike agree that this dish is one of substance: quinoa, black rice, sautéed spinach, white beans, kabocha squash, cashews, dried cranberries and hummus.
Craig’s Warm Quinoa Salad
One of the most popular dishes offered at Craig’s is Meldman’s Honey Truffle Chicken – a unique take on fried chicken. A boneless chicken breast is battered and fried to golden perfection, perfectly seasoned, and then finished with a generous drizzle of truffle-infused honey. Served with mashed potatoes and sautéed spinach, this dish summarily exemplifies what “elevated comfort food” means at Craig’s.
Meldman’s Honey Truffle Chicken
Craig’s is a favorite place to meet up for a drink and to break bread (the bread basket is irresistible!). For those who just want a quick bite at the bar, Craig’s offers its full menu to bar patrons, where people love to catch up with friends, chat with the friendly bartenders, and satisfy whatever their taste buds are craving. The pizzas at Craig’s are another customer favorite – they will agree, hands down, that the crust is one of the best in town. A favorite, the Mushroom Truffle Pizza, is perfectly crisp, with three different types of cheese, a mixture of caramelized mushrooms, shallots, basil, and a hint of white truffle.
Craig’s Mushroom Truffle Pizza
No dinner experience is complete without a homemade libation. Made with George Clooney, Rande Gerber and Mike Meldman’s ever-popular tequila, our Skinny Margarita combines Casamigos Blanco, fresh lime juice, agave nectar and pomegranate juice.
Craig’s Skinny Margarita
For a variety of dining experiences, follow the advice on the Craig’s restaurant matches: ” Meet me at Craig’s!” Open nightly, stop by the restaurant in the design district at 8826 Melrose Avenue, or follow them on Instagram.
Photo credit: Tracy Lopez; Photo courtesy of Craig Susser
