Phantom Gourmet: Crave In Amesbury

AMESBURY - Do you sometimes find yourself desiring and indulgent trifle, longing for that perfect steak, or hungering for a huge plate of crispy chicken wings? Then it's time to get yourself to a place that has all of the things you crave.

Located in a renovated 1850's train station, Crave in Amesbury is a neighborhood bistro offering upscale city fare at suburban prices. Owner Sean Toomey has created a relaxing space complete with a cozy fireplace, comfortable half-moon booths, and a festive bar serving inventive craft cocktails.

"It's the type of place that if I lived in a community, I would hope there was a place like Crave in my neighborhood," Sean said. "We're not pretentious. We're not snobby. We're warm and kind and the food is so consistent. You'll be far more than pleased. You'll be ecstatic."

Just off the busy dining room, Chef Sam Schmidt mans the semi-open kitchen, putting his signature spin on the classics. There are Crispy Fried Oysters: lightly breaded, flash fried and served with a zippy chipotle remoulade, and PEI Mussels soaked in an addictive coconut red curry broth.

"Honestly so many people eat the broth as a soup," said the chef. "They'll say, 'Sean, every time I come here I get a second appetizer because I ask for a spoon and I just drink all the rest of the broth.'"

Even bread service goes above and beyond, with light and fluffy housemade Popovers, served with honey cinnamon butter.

The carbs continue right into the salad course with a tasty Panzanella Salad.

"It's a bread based salad," explained Sean. "We make it in the moment. We cut the baguette. We toss it with the fennel and homemade dressing and the local tomatoes. As the dressing starts to absorb into the croutons and the balsamic reduction, you get different bites and different textures from each crouton.

"The flavors just explode and there's so much going on there. It's not something you see on very many menus because when if you do it right when you cut every vegetable and grill every piece of bread in the moment, it's very time consuming. But it's worth the wait."

Another crave-worthy salad is the Crispy Tomatoes and Mozzarella. The sinful appetizer features local cheese layered with crispy fried tomatoes in a basil cream sauce with balsamic reduction.

"It's a Caprese salad on steroids," declared Sean. "A local, fresh tomato, deep fried with fresh cheese straight from the cow. It is an incredible dish and something you cannot miss when you come to Crave."

Beyond salads, there's casual comfort food like big, juicy burgers topped with crispy bacon, Cabot cheddar and pickled red onion, and crispy double fried Chicken Wings tossed in a sweet and smoky buffalo garlic glaze.

"The sauce is so complex. There's so much happening there," described Sean. "You get garlic. You have spice. You have sweet. They're unlike anything else."

The Beer Battered Haddock Sandwich is one real big fish; chock full of flaky fried haddock with a lemon tartar sauce and lettuce on a grilled Kaiser roll.

"It is so hot and so steaming and so big and so fresh. I would put us up against every seafood shack from Maryland to Portland and in between," boasted Sean. "Have the fried fish sandwich here. It will blow your mind."

For something even more substantial, check out Crave's entrees. There's Blackened Salmon served with an Asian spin, over soba noodles in a sesame ginger sauce with crispy wonton strips. Or check out their perfectly seared Sea Scallops on a bed of sweet corn and bacon.

The ultimate entree has to be the Beef Tenderloin served alongside truffle mashed potatoes and asparagus with a port wine reduction. It is a massive cut of meat, and it's crusted with a flavorful blue cheese and chive coating.

"This blue cheese crust, it's about this thick on top of the steak," Sean said, holding his finger and thumb about an inch apart. "You get this big hearty grilled beef tenderloin; this beautiful spread of truffle mashed potatoes with this port wine reduction, and grilled asparagus. This is a meal for a man. This is a big plate of food prepared with a lot of love and care."

For a dessert that's layered with lots of love, order Crave's signature Trifle, featuring tier after tier of all of the good stuff.

"You've got this really moist chocolate cake, this pudding, bourbon caramel. We repeat the layers, top it with whip cream and chocolate covered pretzels all over the top. Pretzels add this layer of crunch- these different textures," described Sean. "Great to share. Very romantic too."

With fare like this, it's no wonder this restaurant has earned the name Crave.

"Crave is a great name because if you eat here, you'll leave craving to come back. And it sounds so corny but it is so true. You'll eat here once and you'll fall in love," said Sean. "We hit it out of the park every time. We are so consistent and so people do- they leave here craving for more. They can't wait to come back and we have an incredibly loyal clientele."

Crave is located at 10 Water Street in Amesbury, and online at cravefoodandwine.com.

Watch Phantom Gourmet on Saturdays and Sundays at 10:30 and 11 a.m. on myTV38.