Craft Kitchen + Bar
Some people call it cooking.
Others call it searing.
Simmering.
And serving.
But here, they simply call it… Craft
Born and raised on the North Shore, George and Amanda Tsatsis (Sah-t-sis) dreamed of bringing some downtown buzz to Danvers, Massachusetts, with great food, exceptional drinks, a lively vibe and zero commute.
Enter: Craft Kitchen & Bar.
“Craft is really a place that would sort of appeal to anyone in town. And so it's something that you might want to come with your family, you might want a date night with your friends, or girls night for drinks, something that kind of can offer a little bit of something for everyone.”
“The music's a little bit louder, the lights are a little bit dimmer. The bar usually is pretty active, and it's a fun space to be in.”
And while the black brick exterior.
The wood slat walls.
The marble bar and neon lights create a fun, upscale atmosphere.
The real must-see creations are coming right out of the kitchen
George is no stranger to restaurants. In fact, he grew in the pizza business.
But the pizza he’s serving here may just be his best yet, with some specialty pies you won’t find anywhere else.
Like the Cuban Pizza, inspired by one of George’s favorite sandwiches.
“Well, we live in a time of fun pizzas, I guess. So, you know another sandwich that I love is the Cubano sandwich, and, you know the pickle kind of balances the onion and the ham and the pork just give a little bit of texture, and all blends really nice together with the mustard.”
And Craft’s pepperoni pizza is upgraded with prosciutto, goat cheese, and hot honey.
“I mean, it's another adventure in your mouth, right? You gotta try it to understand it but it's like a charcuterie board on a pizza.”
Maybe a pie and a pint isn’t what you had in mind. Maybe you’re looking for more of a 3-course experience. Luckily, Craft delivers—if you can actually decide what to order.
For appetizers, you can’t go wrong with the Wagyu beef sliders with blue cheese, charred red onions, and special sauce.
Or the supersized mozzarella sticks.
“So our mozzarella sticks are hand-breaded and they're like something you've never had before.”
“And, you know, we serve them with pesto and marinara, and they're just one of the big hits here at Craft.”
Or you can lean more adventurous with the crispy pork belly.
“We slow roast the pork, let it sit for a day, cut it into cubes, we deep fry it afterwards, and then we smother it in hoisin sauce, sprinkle it with a little bit of green onion and sesame seeds, and it's been one of the biggest sellers that we have.”
And then there’s loaded gyro fries.
“You know, we use a base of shoestring fries. We chop some lettuce, tomatoes, cucumbers, put feta, tzatziki, and then on top of all that, we put some lamb that we cook in house. We slice it nice and thin, pour it on top of the fries, finish it off with a little bit of red onion and oregano and Greek nachos.”
If you aren’t full from ordering the entire appetizer menu, Craft offers handhelds like the chicken gyro with homemade tzatziki.
And a chicken parm that’s sure to make any North Shore native proud.
“I don't know. I'm a North Shore guy. I'm a big chicken parm fan. I think it's like the staple of my diet. So I wanted to have a chicken parm sandwich on the menu, and I wanted it to be a little bit more than you've seen. So we do two, six-ounce breaded cutlets, pound it thin, fried up, served on a roll with marinara sauce, again, the Grande mozzarella cheese. And it just, it's a real flavor explosion, too, in your mouth. It's just, it's a fun chicken parm.”
Don’t want to get marinara on your dress shirt? There’s plenty for the fork-and-knife crowd, too.
Like pan-seared scallops served over fire-roasted corn and pepper risotto.
Marinated steak tips with peppers, mushrooms, and mashed potatoes.
And short-rib bolognese.
“I’m a big short-rib guy. So we keep the sauce that we braise the short ribs in… and then we add a little bit of marinara to it, mix the pasta in. It's probably one of the best bologneses I've ever had, and I'm a big bolognese guy. And it's definitely a stick to your ribs kind of meal.”
If you still have room for dessert, you can not only choose what you eat, but where you eat.
Whether you enjoy a salted caramel milkshake in the dining room…
Or a tempura-fried brownie.
“You’re getting, As soon as we drop those tempura-battered brownies into the fry-o-later, it's warming the inside of the brownies, where it's almost like brownie batter. So, yeah You're getting the hot, the cold, the sweetness, the deliciousness of the chocolate, and it's a great dessert.”
Or you might want head outside, to grab a scoop from the takeout window, right there in the alley.
Because no matter what you’re craving, Craft Kitchen & Bar has something made—or crafted—just for you.
“For me to entertain people and bring them into my space, it's very important for me to make sure that they're enjoying their time, that their drinks are full, that their stomachs are full, and that, you know, we're in a space where everyone's enjoying themselves.”
“I love to host parties, so it's sort of like hosting a party every night.”
