Craft and Commerce

Recently I celebrated my 30th Birthday. For reasons not really associated with the number I really was not super excited that it was once again my birthday. A friend (E) however insisted that her and I should go out for a drink and celebrate. She suggested this place on the edge of Little Italy called Craft and Commerce.

Picture grabbed from Yelp since I didn't take any!

So, the day after my birthday I headed down with two other good girl friends (N & L) to meet up with E for  dinner and drinks at Craft and Commerce. The evening was great even though on a Tuesday there was a 45 minute wait to be seated! Boy this place was popular and it didn't take us long to find out why. Let me first back up a little to state that in Downtown Sunshineville we found a parking space across the street! It was mostly excellent timing. As we pulled up someone was pulling out. I think that was one of the fastest parking searches ever! 

But, back to the evening...We got some drinks (a beer for me and a glass of wine for N) and just hung out in the bar area. Once E got there we decided to order the Fried Pickles from the bar since we were all a little hungry. We got seated a little under the quoted time and before the pickles had arrived, but the bartender said he would send the order to the table! And while I was a little skeptical they pickles arrived and we were informed that the tab that we started at the bar was transferred to the table! Excellent! All of the food on the menu sounded delicious and the smells emanating from the kitchen were tantalizing. I was torn between the fried chicken or the mussels both not terribly priced, but finally decided on the chicken since I would probably have left overs. Others got the mac n cheese and a salad. I had a bite of everything except for the salad and let's just say the food was incredible. I got a half chicken with coleslaw, potato salad and green beans. I also had enough chicken for two more meals. The Mac n Cheese was good as well! (I traded some for a chicken wing).

While normally at the quality and price of the food this would be enough to wow me and bring me back, what impressed me the most was the interesting array of cocktails crafted here. Now I am not really a cocktail person anymore. In my college years and early grad school I would get a variety of different gin or vodka drinks, but this turn into more slow drinking alcohols like a beer or a glass of wine. I would normally raise a skeptical eye to unusual cocktails that combine ingredients that maybe shouldn't be in the form of a drink, but these felt like a throw back to a different era. I probably had more drinks that I normally would have but it was my birthday! So here is what I had:

1) beer - I can't believe what I had! Something from a small brewery that was super malty!
2) McKinsey Cocktail - Irish Whiskey, Sweet Vermouth, Benedictine, Orange Bitters
3) Milano Swizzle - Gin,  Cynar, Sweet Vermouth, Lemon, Cracked Salt

It is a good thing I wasn't driving although even while slightly tipsy I gave excellent directions out of downtown and to the freeway. I will definitely be coming back and maybe next time will take some pictures of my own!

If you find yourself in Sunshineville check it out!