Photo Via The Trade Hotel - TheTradeHotel.com
Craft
The Trade Hotel brings new, upscale hospitality to the Deer District, and with it comes three different restaurants: Soloman’s, Il Cervo and Craft. Craft is the hotel lobby bar/restaurant directly across from the Fiserv Forum and near all the other major venues Downtown. Personally, there’s nothing I love more than a good lobby bar in a fancy hotel, so I was content with the choice for the evening.
We had tickets to Jerry Seinfeld at the Miller High Life Theater so choosing a spot that was convenient for walking on a cold December night was top of mind. Craft was the perfect choice so we could have some drinks and elevated bar food before a night at the theater. There was also a big Bucks game, so Craft was having a busy night. We arrived at 5:30 p.m. (it was a 7 p.m. show) and the host said that had we come 15 minutes earlier we would not have been able to sit. Luckily, tip off had people moving so we had a nice little two-top.
The price points on the menu are varied, but they’ve got one of everything you need out of a hotel lobby restaurant. Plus, a full bar and TVs showing the Bucks game that was going on across the street. My friend got a smash burger built to his liking and I went with the hanger steak and frites—essentially two versions of the same thing but at different price points. The hanger steak was perfectly cooked to my medium rare order and the frites were seasoned well enough you didn’t’ need to dip them in anything. You could tell the staff is green and coming off of the aforementioned Bucks rush, but the service was still great. Overall, this might be my new spot before any ticket events in the area.
On our way out, we asked a stranger to take a photo of us in front of the Christmas tree and he turned out to be Jerry Seinfeld’s security guard. As we were talking, Jerry exited the elevator with a slew of security and staff and got into his black SUVs to head over to the venue. Usually, I would make a point to say hello to a celebrity, but I figured the man was in showtime mode and probably would have been annoyed. He entered the automatic revolving door with two staff members and got stuck, so I couldn’t help but say “what’s the deal with doors these days?” and got a laugh from the other ogglers around us.
It’s well known that The Trade Hotel was in part planned for NBA teams to stay closer to the Fiserv Forum, equipped with one floor with higher ceilings and appliances. But I think it’s safe to say that this might be a general celebrity siting spot when performers come to town. Oh, and of course, the food is also very good at whichever spot you choose for your evening.
