This week Biz Buzz is featuring a restaurant that feeds your body and your soul.
Craft House, located at 60 Van Duzer Street in Downtown Staten Island, was born when Rocco DiSpirito, host of Food Network's "Restaurant Divided", came to Staten Island to issue a his challenge.This neighborhood eatery was formerly known as "Against Da Grill" until it was literally split down the middle so that neighborhood customers could vote on which menu and ambience they preferred - the original menu and decor created by beloved owners Vinny and Kuron, or the new fare and decor created by DiSpirito and his crew.
The decision wasn't even close. Diners preferred the new look and menu provided by DiSpirito and hence, Craft House was established.
Today, Craft House is a neighborhood attraction for anyone who appreciates great "down home" barbeque and award winning craft beer brewed right on the premises.
With 69 varieties of beer and cider to choose from, in cans, bottles and on tap, you can rest assured that you can find a libation that will keep you coming back for more. We like the Thirsty Dog Bourbon Barrel-Aged Siberian Night which is described in Craft House's Beer Menu as: "Dark chocolate malt yields a milk chocolate flavor that blends perfectly with the vanilla flavor from the barrel. The bourbon aroma adds the finishing touch.
The food menu is just as magnificient, featuring the "chicken & waffles" dish that swayed the neighborhood guests who appeared on the television show to make "Against Da Grill" a thing of the past.
Prices for food items hover around $12 per item, with the most costly dish being $25 for a full pound of pulled pork. Beer prices start at $4 and climb to $27 for a 64oz mug of Left Hand Bittersweet Imperial Coffee Milk Stout Nitro.
You can choose to eat inside the well appointed brick and wood trimmed dining room/bar or in warmer months you can be served in the outside yard on one of several wooden picnic tables. No matter where you choose to sit, you will be served by friendly, well informed staff who can answer your questions about everything on the menu including the several dipping sauces contained in the clear plastic squeeze bottles set out on every table.
So if you thought you could only find good barbeque on the back roads of South Carolina, think again. Craft House is the place to go if your craving down home country cooking. Best of all, it's just a short walk away from the Tompkinsville stop on the Staten Island Railroad which is only one stop away from the St. George Ferry station.
Craft House opens Tuesday through Sunday from 5 p.m. onward. The restaurant can be reached at 718-442-3433.
