Colicchio and Sons, NYC

As super-chefs go, Tom Colicchio has gained celebrity status on the order of that enjoyed by actors or politicians. As recipient of five James Beard Foundation medals, recipient of yet another AAA Four Diamond Award , former co-owner of Gramercy Tavern , head judge on Bravo’s “Top Che ” and founder of the Craft Restaurant empire – which includes Craftsteak at MGM Grand at Foxwoods – his celeb status reaches great heights. With a resumé like that, you’d think we were talking about a corporation rather than a mere mortal. And while Colicchio is enjoying great fame in his super-chef role, his latest role is to step back into the kitchens to man the stoves at his latest darling, Colicchio & Sons.

Colicchio shuttered Craftsteak, and with a quick turnaround re-opened the space as Colicchio & Sons , somewhat of an expansion of his Tom: Tuesday Dinner but with a menu that leans toward Craft Bar ‘s offering. At Colicchio & Sons , if you can secure a reservation, it’s advance knowledge to expect a fair bit of improvisation – a la Tom: Tuesday Dinner – with small-plate fare using farm-fresh ingredients.

The front area – which was halfsteak – is now a lounge area dubbed Tap Room which aggressively stock artisanal beers, wines by the glass, and a bar menu of items prepared over a wood-burning oven. In the dining room, soaring ceilings and steel columns echo the nearby High Line ethos, while Craft’s bare-bones food aesthetic has been eschewed in favor of a more rustic and relaxed style of cooking. The menu features the likes of rabbit with Carolina red beans and white bean agnolotti with pork belly, with a woodburning hearth as the main artery where local produce is roasted in a farm-to-table approach, with creative takes on seasonal ingredients and using a cooking style he pioneered at Gramercy Tavern.