'wichcraft - Multiple Locations

Among the current crop of high-powered celebrity chefs Tom Colicchio, producer and head judge of Bravo's Top Chef franchise, stands as one of the largest figures in the industry. He's well acquainted with several of the best chefs in the world, Top Chef has put him in touch with several of the best up-and-coming chefs for almost ten years and his restaurants span two coasts. Chefs of his caliber tend to source from the finest purveyors because, as most top chefs will admit, real food just tastes better than engineered food. Colicchio goes a step further, however, ensuring that his sources are as sustainable as possible, and as he said to Elia Aboumrad during the reunion episode of Top Chef All-Stars, "I've bought more from small farmers than you will in your lifetime." When he decided to extend his Craft brand and open a series of casual sandwich restaurants, 'wichcraft, he also brought this ethos of responsible sourcing.

The Place

'wichcraft locations are indeed casual affairs along the lines of Au Bon Pain, and while the layouts are optimized for high volume the wait times for hot sandwiches are longer than at similar chains because each dish is cooked to order.

The Sources

These sandwich/coffee shops have popped up on both coasts, and in general work harder at general sustainability in farming practices than on procuring from local farms. The website outlines sourcing for practically every ingredient on the menu with each purveyor meticulously vetted for its farming practicing. Line-caught fish come from Pacific waters, pork comes from the much famed Niman Ranch, and on and on. This may put off strict locavores, but others can take solace in the fact that care has been taken to ensure that nearly every bit of every bite of 'wichcraft food has been responsibly raised and procured.

The Food

The pork loin sandwich ($9) was a simple construction of toasted bread, pork, provolone cheese and braised kale. While this might not seem like much the simplicity allowed most of the ingredients to really shine. The bread was just slightly sour with a wonderful crunch, playing well with the gooeyness of the provolone. The creaminess of the cheese itself married nicely with juicy pork, however between the flavors of meat and cheese the flavor of the kale was entirely lost. Though the sandwich was quite tasty its size and price, coupled with the fact that it does not come with chips or even a pickle, might make it hard to swallow for those that don't also frequent his other, higher priced, establishments.

The Verdict

Colicchio should be lauded for bringing his passion for high quality ingredients and sustainable sources out of the fine dining realm and into a more casual environment. The food served up at 'wichcraft is certainly incredibly tasty, but even considering his impeccable sourcing the fact that each sandwich is served solo makes it hard to validate the cost.