Coronavirus Diary: Crawford & Son indulges our need for fine comfort food to-go

So far, in this series that I’m calling Diary of a Restaurant Critic, Coronavirus Edition, I’ve told you about my experiences with getting food delivered from a Chinese restaurant (Flavors Kitchen) and a pizzeria (Veritas).

I also reported on a contact-free curbside takeout from ko.an, which has deftly adapted to the pandemic by offering ready-prepped meal kits and groceries.

Having covered the basics, I wondered how the area’s top fine dining restaurants were faring. In particular, I was curious about Crawford & Son, which I had named Restaurant of the Year in 2018. How would owner/chef Scott Crawford, noted for his uncompromising standards and for the understated elegance of his presentations, adapt to these challenging times?

Very well, it turns out. Crawford’s famous attention to detail is evident in everything from the seamless contact-free curbside experience (including reserved spaces directly in front of the restaurant) to entrees that fit into their lidded plastic to-go containers as precisely as pieces in a jigsaw puzzle.

The chef has pared down his menu to a seasonally evolving selection of four appetizers and four entrees, with a focus on food that travels well. Finishing flourishes — petals of fennel bulb scattered across a seared swordfish steak, yellowtail crudo spangled with herb blossoms — are understandably kept to a minimum.

That said, a delicate salad of butter crunch lettuce and ribbons of cucumber with a miso-ginger dressing and black sesame seeds survived the trip from Raleigh to my home with flying colors.

At the other end of the spectrum, a rustic starter of cavatelli in a richly savory duck and pork bolognese could have made a light main course. An entree of beef short rib with mushroom bread pudding and a bacon-madeira sauce was proof that “fine dining” and “comfort food” don’t have to be mutually exclusive terms.

And chicken confit on a bed of creamed corn offered soul-satisfying consolation for the absence of the seared Carolina trout that I had initially wanted to get, but hadn’t because I was afraid it wouldn’t travel well. (The butter crunch salad put that fear to rest.)

Pastry chef Krystle Swenson’s signature malted wheat rolls were no longer warm from the oven by the time we got to eat them, of course, but they remain a must in my book whether I’m getting takeout or (some day!) dining in. And her chocolate mousse, its silky texture punctuated with crunchy cacao nibs, was a sweetly satisfying exclamation point at the end of the meal.

True, it’s a bit of a splurge, but for anyone who is tired of cooking and needs a break from the pizza-or-takeout rut, Crawford & Son is just what the doctor ordered. And if you’ll permit an addendum to the prescription:

Save the paper plates for pizza delivery, and get out your good plates. Clear the work-from-home papers off the dining room table, and set it for dinner. Open a bottle of wine (pro tip: Crawford and Son has an excellent, reasonably priced selection).

Pretend you’re plating the food under chef Crawford’s watchful eye. Your presentations may not turn out quite as impressive as the chef’s, but with a little imagination, you can almost picture yourself sitting in Crawford & Son’s cozy, urban-chic dining room.

Takeout tales

A few weeks ago, I invited readers to share their restaurant delivery and curbside pickup and experiences. That invitation still stands. Just email me at ggcox55@gmail.com, with a description of your experience. I’ll publish as many as I can in this space.

Like these two that I got in response to my review of Pizzeria Veritas (edited slightly for brevity and clarity):

“I don’t eat out often — don’t get pizza deliveries, don’t frequent bars. But I do need to highly commend all of the establishments that have risen to the call and are providing not only meals for the community, but also jobs for their employees.

“I also want to give a shout out to Milton’s on Six Forks Road. They have been kind, helpful and gentle during the times that I’ve taken advantage of their take-out service. I am a vegetarian and don’t eat a lot of carbs (trying to keep blood sugar in check), so there’s not much food there that I eat.

“But I know of a family having a hard time, and I offered to buy them dinner. This way, I help out the family and help support Milton’s efforts. Oh, and the prices. Milton’s has done an amazing job keeping this affordable for folks. They get an A+ in my book.“ — Amy R.

“We have been getting great pizza take out from Alex & Teresa’s on Maynard and Harrison. Great experiences that include credit card over the phone and curbside delivery with mask and gloves.

“We did dinner takeout and went to the fountain park in downtown Cary, wiped tables, maintained social distance. And the food was still very hot. Great setting and food for a COVID-19 picnic.” — Charlie M

Crawford and Son

618 N. Person St., Raleigh

919-307-4647 or crawfordandsonrestaurant.com