The Best Thing We Ate Last Night: Cavatelli at Craftbar

By James Mulcahy

We've been on a Tom Colicchio kick lately, stopping by his West Chelsea eatery last week to chow down on some pizza and popping into Craftbar near Union Square this weekend for some drinks and snacks at the bar. Say what you will about chef Tom, but the food at his restaurants is always solid - while you mind may not always be blown, you are assuredly getting your money's worth.

Craftbar keeps things casual with their selection, offering plenty of graze-worth cheese and meats alongside a selection of pastas if you're in the mood for heartier fare. Our favorite dish was the cavatelli, which is served with pork bolognese, soffrito and parmigiano. The cheese was still bubbling when it came out of the oven, and the dish was flavorful and comforting, everything we needed for a lazy Sunday evening. Well, not quite everything, but the bartender took care of the rest when he poured us a glass of tart sparkling wine that paired perfectly with the pasta.