The Craftsman Cocktails & Kitchen is an American Restaurant and distillery located in North Scottsdale Arizona. If you were a fan of the now closed fine dining Italian restaurant called Sassi then you should be a fan of The Craftsman because the chef is the same. This restaurant offers lunch and dinner menus and a new brunch menu will start up sometime fall 2021. The patio is large and wraps around the restaurant and also is dog friendly.
They also have garage door windows that open during nice weather that expand the patio even more. It so airy and comfortable here….I think this is the most comfortable restaurant I ever dined in…..The air conditioner is blowing and the garage doors are open. It just feels great here.
There is a variety of indoor seating, a bar area and the distillery.
The dinner menu is made of small plates like AZ chicken lollipops, charcuterie curated by chef Chris, and the popular chips and dip or dips that I noticed every table ordering. So I came back after a few visits and tried it.
The chips are really great….So crisp and seem free of oil….really great chips. The dips are different. The dips aren’t bad at all but not my favorite thing here….(but others might disagree since this is the popular dish from what I observed dining here several visits)
I thought the shipwright ahi salad was very good and was made with exceptional produce.
It was made of togarashi coated ahi, local greens, three colors of carrots, watermelon radishes, marinated shiitakes, wasabi peas, yuzu aioli, and ginger, passionfruit, sesame, dressing. (FANTABULOUS)
There’s the tomato and melon burrata.
It’s made with DELICIOUS fresh sweet heirloom tomatoes, creamy burrata, arugula and sweet watermelon….It was so light and delicious! I really LOVE this one! (FANTABULOUS)
Sandwiches like the distillers porcini crusted burger (ground in house) is on the menu. (the salads here are unusually good)
A wagyu pastrami on pretzel bun is also a sandwich that is offered.
There is (or was?) also a porchetta sandwich called hammer and advil.
The last brunch menu offered a dish called short rib hash.
My husband really enjoyed the Craftsman muffuletta.
The sand was made with delicious house made bread, capicola, cabernet salami, prosciutto, fontina, and olive salad. (FANTABULOUS)
Some of the dinners offered are the desert branzino..
It was prepared to perfection with some chimichurri and a very fresh high quality salad made with arugula, watermelon radish and farm fresh heirloom tomatoes. (FANTABULOUS)
According to my husband the volcano pork is a FORKING FANTABULOUS Dish!
It’s basically a southwest style osso buco. It falling off the bone tender as can be shank of pork that was slow braised with incredible flavors in a mild hatch green chili jus. There is also this amazing dreamy cheesy cilantro lime queso and spiced black beans. Tortillas and jalapeño slaw are on the side. (FANTABULOUS)
Sadly I haven’t saved room for desert yet but maybe next time.
The Craftsman Cocktails and Kitchen is Worth a Fork! Some FANTABULOUS dishes can be found here.
wwwTheCraftsmanAZ.com
Everything is subject to change.
