Crave satisfies hunger for foods both comforting and creative
karenFELDMAN cuisine@florida-weekly.com

The Bridge Plaza has long been a popular feeding ground for those with discerning palates, stretching back as far as the 1980s, when the late chef Gerard Pinault ran his wonderful little Café de Paris there, just doors away from the also terrific Andre's bakery.

These days, there's robust Italian fare at Café Cibo, healthy inventive cuisine at Jayne's Victorian Garden and authentic Greek food at Nomiki's Plaka.

And now we can add Crave to that list. This little newcomer opened quietly about two months ago in the space previously occupied by Philly Crossing and, before that, Philly Junction.

With a mere 10 booths and three tables, one wall dominated by a large chalkboard on which the daily features are listed and a corrugated metal wall in front of the kitchen, the décor is somewhat minimalist.

Chef/owner Sean Gavin (who presided over the kitchen of King's Crown at South Seas Resort prior to Hurricane Charley) and his wife, Valerie, have created a simple but simply delicious menu that features lots of classic comfort food supplemented by creative specials that change regularly.

PHOTOS KAREN FELDMAN Crave cupcakes

"We want to take away all the pretentiousness of food," Gavin says.

And so customers will find biscuits and gravy, shrimp and grits and corned beef hash on the breakfast menu (served until 4 p.m.); steak sandwiches, BLTs, burgers and the Wicked Fluffa Nutta (his triple-decker take on the Marshmallow Fluff and peanut butter sandwich) for lunch; and dinner favorites such as meatloaf, mac and cheese, roasted chicken and country fried chicken available for dinner.

Our dinner began with two glasses of Woop Woop cabernet sauvignon, a modestly priced Australian wine that's gaining a following in these parts for its earthy, cherry- and currant-rich bouquet and flavor. (For the record, Crave's wine list features 10 reds and 10 whites, ranging from $20 to $88 a bottle. Four are available by the glass.)

It was a good accompaniment to our appetizers, the Crave dip and a nightly special, goat cheese mac and cheese. The dip was a somewhat soupy concoction full of shrimp, crab, spinach and mushrooms, topped with cheese then baked. The flavors married well and the hot crusty bread that came with the dip added just enough chewy texture to the mix. The mac and cheese looked deceptively plain but the long, curly pasta was cooked to a perfect al dente and the cheese flavor was vibrant without being thick and gooey.

Crave duck

Both were good-sized portions that could easily have served two.

For entrees, we chose the salmon and the three-way duck. These were as good as the appetizers. The salmon was moist and lightly seasoned, then topped with a raspberry vodka martini sauce that had a great fruit flavor but wasn't overly sweet. The jasmine rice was simple but good and a mound of spinach was fresh and cooked only enough to wilt it.

The three-way duck consisted of a superbly crisp leg, a seared and sliced breast and a bacon-wrapped liver, accompanied by the same rice and spinach as the salmon. Although the breast meat was a little rare for my taste, it was moist on its own and melded well with the blackberry sauce in which it was served.

We finished the meal with what our friendly and helpful server said was among the most popular desserts: a trio of cupcakes. Those of you who travel know that cupcakes have become a trendy dessert in major cities. I'm not sure why they haven't caught on here yet, but Crave's version may change that. There was a red velvet one with cream cheese icing and a drizzle of caramel, a chocolate one with a raspberry sauce and a vanilla cupcake with a bit of chocolate sauce. All were moist and tasty.

Our server - who happened to be the only one there on this rather slow weekday evening - was charming and wellversed on the menu's offerings. She made sure we were well taken care of and that courses came out at a pace that allowed us to savor them without feeling rushed.

As the national chains continue to spring up around the region at a furious pace, it's nice to see that entrepreneurial culinarians are still willing to take a chance and go it alone. I'm betting that Crave will satisfy the hunger of a great many foodies. It's yet another good reason to head to The Bridge Plaza when the urge strikes for creative food in an intimate setting.