We popped in to talk with Craft owner Tom Colicchio (stay tuned for full interview), and just as we suspected, it's the place to be for happy hour. No specials or bar menu, but no matter: Almost all the cabanas near the lounge were filled by 5pm. We saw heaping plates of oysters, ice-cold beers in frosted pilsner glasses, and strawberry mojitos pass by, while we sipped a nice dry rose and noshed on olives at the bar. There was a live jazz band playing in the park outside, which we're told takes place every Thursday from 5pm to 8pm for all the worker bees in the area. With the lush green lawn---really, there's a drought and they have green grass?---leafy trees, and music bouncing off of tall glass buildings, it all felt very New York to us. To Tom, too: He liked Century City for Craft because it reminded him "of home."
By the by, we watched Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa swagger in with a small security detail and two other men. And swagger he did, saying hello to everyone he passed, big smile---especially the ladies. Colicchio came out of the kitchen to say hello, shook hands, cards were exchanged. It was about that moment that Jar chef and owner Suzanne Tracht came by and said hello to us. The busy chef had to good fortune to take a night off and see what the new kid in town is up to.
Looking down the dining room from the front
Looking from the back
The bar
All photos by Lesley Balla for Eater LA
· Eater Inside: Craft [~ELA~]
