‘Wichcraft

 
Unfortunately, it appears Top Chef judge Tom Colicchio has bottomed out with his dinner menu at ’wichcraft in the Flatiron District—although it is economically sound, most of what sounds good is disappointingly executed.
 
We liked the wine: a white Chilean Amayna Sauvignon Blanc ($14/half-bottle) resonating with melon and apple also struck me as vaguely tropical; the Italian red Gianfranco Alessandria Barbera d’Alba ($15/half-bottle) was served chilled, with a light body and a peppery finish.
 
On grilled slices of sturdy, excellent bread, the Ricotta & Fingerling Potato ($7) arrived with a frilly Parmesan fringe, a tinge of rosemary and slight heat from chili flakes; Poached Pears & Gorgonzola ($8) was a fragrant pouch, redolent of wintry holidays, but the pears were overly sweetened, and the bacon-walnut vinaigrette with thyme too salty, leaving the sharp Gorgonzola with nothing to do. The slough of Chopped Liver ($6.50) was metallic with slivers of little gherkins and pickled mustard seeds, a rough sort of poor man’s caviar.


Sweet Potato & Goat Cheese Gratin ($7.50) was an erratic preparation with a black olive pesto and I didn’t understand the Avocado & Radish Salad ($8), also with black olives.
 
From the list of vegetables, sides for our mains included underdone Shaved Brussels Sprouts ($7), which further missed the mark by defying any composition with raw pine nuts and currants. Roasted Beets & Dandelion ($7) was beautifully structured as if Frank Lloyd Wright was the chef but the yogurt-and-poppy-seed dressing was so salty that all was lost. Meatballs ($11) were good (although a little veal-heavy in the mix) with buttery garlic bread on the side to dip in the sauce, but Roasted Beef Short Ribs ($12) with a pointless romesco red pepper sauce weren’t cooked long enough to achieve that fork-tender, meat-defeating conclusion.
 
The delightful Lemon Poppy Cookie ($1) with strawberry preserves was a natural pairing for the Peanut Butter Cookie ($1) sprinkled with a little salt. Our very own PB&J!
 
Perhaps we showed up on a bad night because I hardly left ’Wichcraft feeling bewitched—merely bothered and bewildered.    N