CraftWay Kitchen in Plano: Slightly Elevated, Affordable Dining

Taking up residence in Plano where Ziziki’s lived until mid-2019 is CraftWay Kitchen, a concept described by co-owner Mike Hutchinson as “American food that is elevated a little bit” – casual, affordable fine dining that would encourage multiple visits.

To that end, higher-quality ingredients such as sustainable Verlasso salmon, sushi-grade tuna and Angel’s Envy bourbon are offered on the menu for brunch on the weekends and lunch and dinner during the week. We were shopping for a new spatula at Sur La Table anyway, so we decided to see just how affordable and fine the dining really is at CraftWay.

The craft cocktails are all $12 each, which ticks the affordable box for sure. There is also a $20 flight of Angel’s Envy bourbon, Angel’s Envy rye and CraftWay Select, but we went with a frozen old fashioned (because who wouldn’t?) mixed with Angel’s Envy bourbon and house bitters, and a bonfire, composed of Teeling Irish whiskey, Ilegal Mezcal and a Bordeaux cherry over a smoked ice cube. The drinks came incredibly fast, and the frozen ‘fashioned was especially good.

For a starter we were drawn to the flash-fried asparagus, panko-crusted with lemon caper aioli. The flash-fry procedure must really be a flash because it arrived at our table in less than five minutes. Four spears were cooked perfectly al dente, but perhaps with a bit too much aioli for our tastes, but to each his own. This set us back $11. Affordable? Perhaps. But the dish seemed to be more like an $8 side dish. Now that would have been affordable. But let’s not quibble.

We both got sandwiches for our mains, though other entrées include Lake Superior whitefish (a welcomed rare find in North Texas), grilled Verlasso salmon, five spice baby back ribs, Cajun shrimp pasta, and a couple of steaks. All of these ranged from $18 to $38, which we concede is affordable.

The grilled cheese, created with American, cheddar and provolone cheese, grilled in Texas toast, cost us $14. It came with a cup of roasted tomato soup and steak fries. Nothing beats a good grilled cheese, oozing with a rich and creamy perfectly melted interior on buttery toasted bread, and this did not disappoint. The soup did not blow us away but was just a supporting actor anyway, playing a bit part in the presentation of the dish. Make room for the star.

Our second selection was the pastrami Reuben, which is made with house-smoked pastrami, sauerkraut, Gruyère cheese and Russian dressing on rye bread. It was a lot of meat and sliced rather thickly, so a little of that went a long way. It was flavorful if a bit salty, but perhaps we are spoiled by the likes of Katz’s Deli when it comes to house-made pastrami. Still, we appreciate the effort and freshness evident by producing it in-house. We substituted a wedge salad for the fries with this sandwich, at no additional cost, and this was the perfect complement to the meat fest.

Our shared side was an order of Thai chili Brussels sprouts at a very affordable $6. These were tender, (not too) sweet and savory, perfectly seasoned. It was a nice little additional bite that we finished quickly.

We had high hopes for perusing the dessert menu, but it was not to be this evening. The owners have opened another location in Frisco, so we might visit that location soon for brunch and desserts, assuming we find ourselves up there in search of another kitchen implement. We do need a new melon baller.

5809 Preston Road, No. 578, Plano. Monday – Thursday, 11 a.m. – 9 p.m.; Friday, 11 a.m. – 10 p.m.; Saturday, 10 a.m. – 10 p.m.; Sunday, 10 a.m. – 9 p.m.