Tom Colicchio's Craft Dallas to Shutter

Tom Colicchio's restaurant in Victory Park's W Hotel, Craft Dallas, will shutter. Cook Hall, a a gastropub from Jean-Georges Vongerichten's Culinary Concepts, will fill the space after some design adjustments.

While the official press release announces "end of summer" as the scheduled date of close, Pegasus News predicts an earlier demise. Dallas Morning News' Robert Wilonsky cites a more specific "end of the month" in an Eats Blog post featuring an interview with Colicchio.

The chef disclosed to Wilonsky that the contract for Craft was up and the decision not to renew was mutual. However, the Craft staff was told only last night, not long before the official announcement. And it's that aspect that upsets Colicchio:

“What saddens me is the team there, and a lot of them have been there since the beginning, worked their asses off, and they deserve to stay onboard and do what they’re doing,” he says. “There’s a great team looking for a home, and now they’ll be scattered. They’ll end up on their feet. I don’t want to see them break up. That’s disappointing.” Nevertheless, if they’re willing to leave Dallas and move to one of his other locations, “we’ll find a home for them,” he says. “Without a doubt.”

Ghostbar, inside the W, will also be closing later this month.

W DALLAS – VICTORY TO DEBUT NEW DESTINATION RESTAURANT CONCEPT
Dallas, July 10, 2012 – W Dallas – Victory today announced it has signed an agreement with Culinary Concepts Hospitality Group (CCHG) to develop a new restaurant concept in the space currently occupied by Craft Dallas, which will close at the end of summer and reopen early fall as Cook Hall.

W Dallas – Victory also announced that the Ghostbar, the hotel’s 33rd floor destination nightclub, will close later this month. The plans for the space are being finalized with management and ownership and will be announced soon. This transition is seen as a natural evolution for the space, which has been owned and operated as the Ghostbar since the opening of the hotel.

“When W Dallas opened in Victory Park more than six years ago, it created a new scene in the city,” said Thomas Caramucci, general manager of W Dallas – Victory. “As the W brand evolves, opening new hotels from Paris to Milan, Bangkok to Singapore, we are committed to creating a consistent, cutting-edge experience for our jet set guests. Our food and beverage strategies are critical to enhancing the overall guest experience while also drawing in locals.”

DEBUTING COOK HALL

Cook Hall will offer diners a unique and modern take on an American gastropub, featuring regional food and handcrafted cocktails. Reminiscent of a chef’s gathering place, Cook Hall will be reconfigured to allow for more social dining with a focus on quality food and drink. The restaurant will add a new bar and flow more openly into the hotel’s Living Room (W’s take on the traditional hotel lobby) as well as offer shareable small-plates to encourage the social experience. Cook Hall’s pricing will be moderate to upscale.

“Chef Tom Colicchio’s Craft, which opened with us in 2006, was key to the successful launch of the W brand in Dallas,” said Caramucci. “We would like to thank the team for creating a dynamic, first-rate dining destination for both our guests and residents.”

Cook Hall has been developed with CCHG, a New York City-based restaurant management group that operates and licenses internationally acclaimed restaurant brands, such as Spice Market, J&G Steakhouse, Market and J&G Grill, in many cases in partnership with Starwood Hotels & Resorts Worldwide, Inc. The Cook Hall concept by CCHG will debut for the first time ever at W Dallas – Victory.

· Tom Colicchio talks about the demise of Craft Dallas in Victory Park [Eats Blog]
· W Dallas will close Craft and replace it with gastropub called Cook Hall [Pegasus News]
· All Shutter Coverage on Eater Dallas [-EDFW-]

[Photo: Craft Dallas/Official]