SIV Hearts Craft with 3.5 Stars; J.Gold Digs Tinga

1) Craft: Wow, three and a half bright stars for Tom Colicchio's Craft in Century City. SIV absolutely can not stop gushing about the restaurant, "it didn't take Madame Solange and a crystal ball to predict that the glossy, high-end restaurant would become a power-lunch spot. It had the right look — sumptuous, with generously spaced tables, and a menu showcasing great American cooking and top-notch local products." What is Craft and Colicchio NOT doing according to Sher? Fooling around: "Craft didn't have to be great, just good enough. But the restaurant is much more than that. Colicchio doesn't fool around." Aha, right. She continues to to write, "The surprise for me is that the L.A. Craft has such a sense of authenticity. The menu offers a master class in contemporary American cuisine. You won't find recipes with 17 ingredients or unnecessary frills. Each dish relies on simplicity and elegance, superb ingredients and expert execution to make its point...And the food? I'd go back on my own money (rather than the paper's) in a heartbeat." [LAT]

2) Tinga: What say The Goldster on La Brea newcomer Tinga? Thumbs up: "The quesadilla, for example, may be stuffed with something very close to a Mexican version of duxelles, mushrooms cooked down until they become almost a puree. The cochinita pibil, pork traditionally wrapped with Seville orange and spices in a banana leaf and cooked in a pit, is crisp and delicious, served with the proper pickled onions, but clearly spice-rubbed and slow-roasted, as if the recipe might have come out of Gourmet. And unlike most street taquerias, Tinga very much takes the garnish of the taco as seriously as it does the meat, so that the crunchy bits of blackened steak are sluiced with avocado and juicy tomato salsa, while the pork loin is layered with roast poblano chiles and melted cheese, and the short ribs sing with tomatillo...Is it possible to enjoy both the pricey Tinga tacos and the cheap, heartfelt al pastor tacos carved to order at the truck that parks nearby on La Brea near Olympic? I submit that it is." [LAW]

The Elsewhere: The Find hits Red Chili Pakistani and Red Chili Express, LAmag dines at Darioush, The Minty files thinkage on Supper Liberation Front, Diana Takes A Bite at Reservoir, Food GPS tries Salt's Cure, Exile Kiss samples Celestino, Deep End Dining eats a burger at 8 oz., and Mattatouille tries The Manila Machine.