Chef's Table @ Craigie On Main

When the lady on the phone calling to confirm my reservation asked me if I was interested in sitting at the Chef's Table, I jumped on it. At Craigie On Main, the Chef's Table is a set of four tall bar stools set before a cool marble topped counter overlooking the busy kitchen.

Basically, we ended up having front row seats at our very own "Kitchen Stadium", and the opportunity to witness the garnishing of desserts, the placement of various tastings, the opening and closing of a variety of well labeled plastic tubs and numerous refrigerated drawers filled with portioned proteins, kitchen staff weaving back and forth with verbal warnings so as to avoid collisions, the toasting of breads and buns, the careful de-skinning of half a pig's grinning face, the portioning of vegetables for a table's tasting, the wiping of plate edges - veritably a symphony of white clad folk working together at full speed to send out well prepared and visually pleasing dishes.

With its six course "Craigie Experience" for $90 and ten course "Ultimate Craigie Experience" for $115 and entrees ranging from $21 for the vegetable option to $36, Craigie on Main tends to be considered a special occasion restaurant by the general population, of which I am one.

While I was not fortunate enough to experience one of their grand tastings during this, my first visit at this fine establishment, we did happen to vicariously experience it through our friendly pair of tablemates at the Chef's Table, while we ourselves enjoyed a non-Restaurant Week special "Neighborhood Menu" of three courses (with choices!) for $39.95.

For a restaurant of Craigie's size, I was impressed with the number of staff members hard at work serving the guests. At the hostess stand alone, there were two lovely ladies - we didn't even touch a door as we arrived early for our reservation, with the valet opening the exterior door and one of the hostesses rushing to open the inner door as we made our way in.

By the end of our dinner, we were served by no less than 5 members of the Craigie staff no fewer than 8 courses (inclusive of the variety of little tastes sent courtesy of the kitchen). I cleaned my bowl of every last bit of corn potage (soup), I tried my first blood sausage in the form of a crostini spread, I got my friend to try bone marrow for the first time, I had moist chicken with yummy onions, and I experienced a wonderful example of a panna cotta that did not disappoint as many had since my final melty good Icarus panna cotta in 2009.