Its location across the street from quaff Maxfield's and walking distance to Robertson make it prime restaurant real estate even by West Hollywood standards. From the longtime manager of infamous Dan Tana's, Craig Susser, comes Craig's located in a glamorous dining space long home to restaurants that never quite seems to make it. But that has certainly changed following an exclusive soft opening that didn't even generate a press release and series of A-List star sights that has expunged the idea that this was just another 6-month restaurant. Under the regency striped awning and through the ebonized black door, a dapper dinner space with a Musso and Frank meets Ceeconi's joie de'vivre is presided over by Susser himself on most nights. Brick walls are lined in series of Tiffany-blue leather booths with dignified wood paneling and old school Hollywood service that knows certain guests by name, "Hello Ms. Hilton," as well as who to sit in a middle four-top and who to give the coveted booths.
The Food
Indicative of the classic American grills of the ‘30s and ‘40s dining that created such landmark LA eateries as Dominick’s, Craig’s comes to life via the 23-year long patriarch of West Hollywood’s Dan Tana’s. A Mad Men-inspired menu of classic chopped salads, mozzarella marinara and fried calamari are nostalgic reminders of dining in a pre-sushi Los Angeles. Pizzas stem from the in-house wood fire oven, a remnant of previous eateries, but with innovative toppings like buffalo wings or fig and prosciutto. Pasta course is meant as a main course here, classic linguine Bolognese or with clams with heaping of Parmesan. Main course includes no less than six chicken dishes including fried with truffle-infused honey, whitefish sautéed in lemon butter or meatloaf on mashed potatoes with gravy.
Last Word
Longtime host of Dan Tana’s opens branded America bar and grill in well-known West Hollywood space and they don’t do Opentable.
