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What to Eat at Damon: Frugal Friday

You can watch Damon Wise in the kitchen all night.
You can watch Damon Wise in the kitchen all night. Photo: Craft Restaurant

In their review of two of the city’s top pop-up restaurants, Rob Patronite and Robin Raisfeld awarded Damon: Frugal Friday in Craft’s private dining room three stars. The cut-rate alternative to TOM: Tuesday Dinner has its own following because “Damon Wise, Colicchio’s executive chef, is a serious cook (and an Alton Brown look-alike), and his menu is playful, global in inspiration, and peppered with haute touches.” The formula’s such a success, in fact, that the wait for two at 7:30 p.m. this past Friday was two hours, and Eater reports that Colicchio will introduce a similar mini-portion deal called Halfsteak to the front room of Craftsteak starting on Wednesday. Frugal Friday selections change often, but categories like “Food in a Jar” do not. See Wise’s most recent menu below.

Snacks – $5
Marinated Chickpeas, Green Olives, and Sopressata
Smoked Beef Tartar and Smoked Paprika Flatbread
Crispy Chicken Wings and Cabrales Cheese
Pork Croquettes and Prune
Soft Mozzarella and Spicy Tomato Jam
Crispy Sardines, Bread and Butter Pickles, and Malt Vinegar Aioli
Salt Cod Fritters, Caper Berries, and Piquillo Marmalade
Four-Cheese Risotto Balls

Salads – $5

Fennel, Pickled Cherry Peppers, and Pecorino
Arugula and Pink Peppercorn Vinaigrette
Frisée, Duck Confit, and Honeyed Almonds

6” Pizzas – $7
Country Ham, Hen Egg, and Taleggio
Fresh Ricotta, Black Cabbage, and Truffle Vinaigrette

Food in a Jar – $7
Chicken Liver Pâté and Washington Cherries
Potted Rock Shrimp and Sweet and Sour Cucumber
Guinea Hen Leg Rillettes

Meat on a Stick – $4
Flat Iron Steak and Haloumi Cheese
Escargots and Benton’s Bacon
Lamb Tenders, Medjool Date, and Harissa
Octopus, Golden Pineapple, and Duck Ham

Small Plates – $8

Raw Black Bass, Meyer Lemon Purée, and Fennel Pollen
Warm East Coast Oysters and Chartreuse-Hazelnut Butter
Fried Quail, Quince Chutney, and Roast Garlic Purée
Griddled Pork Belly, Braised Peanuts, and Cranberry Mostarda
Garlic Sausage, Turnip Sauerkraut, and Mustard Seed

Offal – $9
Ragout of Duck Hearts, Saffron Duck Egg, and Farro
Crispy Pig Ear, Deviled Egg Salad, and Celery
Salt-Baked Bone Marrow and Stew of Mushrooms and Tail

Cheese – $6
Robiola, Endive, and Pumpkin Marmalade
Aged Manchego, Prosciutto , Sherry Syrup, and Paprika Cracker

Dessert – $5
Tiramisu
Devil’s Food and Peanut Butter

Cocktails
19th Street Headache – Cognac, Cachaca, Ginger, Lemon and Kumquats $4
Hudson Sour – Buffalo Trace, Apple Schnapps, Lemon and Egg White $6
Monkey Gland – Gin, Orange, Grenadine, and Pernod $10
Old Man River – Rittenhouse Rye Whiskey, Aromatics, Lime, Tobasco $9

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What to Eat at Damon: Frugal Friday