Craigie Street Bistrot is guided by four key principles. 

1. First we find the ingredients, then we create the menu. Not the other way around. And as a result, our menu changes daily. This is no gimmick; it reflects our belief that no recipe is worth preparing with less-than-perfect ingredients. Each day we talk to our favorite local farmers and purveyors to ferret out the best of what is available. Once all of 15-20 meat, fish, and produce orders have been delivered, inspected, accepted (or rejected), Chef Tony Maws creates a menu for that evening. This approach takes far more effort — we've been called "fanatics," "lunatics" and worse — but we and our regular customers think it's worth it.

2. Mother nature knows best. We use almost exclusively those ingredients that people consider "organic." We buy seasonal ingredients from local farmers, who use natural, environmentally friendly methods. We believe that these ingredients are tastier and more nutritious. Our wine list reflects the same commitment with about 80% of our bottles from organic and biodynamic vineyards. And we are 100 percent committed to supporting sustainable agriculture, no matter what legal name it goes by.

3. Great food deserves great wine. At Craigie Street Bistrot, we love complex wines that have a story to tell. Wines that are just begging to be paired with the kind of food we serve. This reflects our belief in the French concept known as terroir — the idea that the specific attributes of the soil, climate, grapevines, casks, and methods used in the winemaking process all contribute to a wine's unique characteristics. These natural processes may not consistently generate large quantities of wine - many of the great terroir wines may not be big enough to make their way to your local wine shop — but they tend to be unique, complex, and memorable. We spend hours discovering and introducing our guests to "off the beaten path" wines that they may have never heard of. Many of these often come from "the next hill over" from a more famous and expensive vineyard, but offer far more value for money.

4. There is no place like home. Even though you are eating out, we hope that you will feel right at home at Craigie Street Bistrot. Our restaurant is tiny compared to many others, but we like it that way. We hope that your visit to the Bistrot will feel like a dinner party in a cozy, comfortable home with close friends. After all, we are a family-owned business, not part of a big, impersonal company. We also take great pride in our friendly, informed staff, who share your love of food and wine and are unusually well-trained to answer any questions