My wife and I have gone to Artisanal several times in the past, but I haven't written a review until now. We decided to go for dinner after work this past Monday. We've had brunch there several times before and always walked away happy (and full) thanks to the french twist on the classic Sunday brunch. Past dinners have also been good, and this was no different. We were seated at a banquette in the back near the cheese cave when the place was still 95% empty. Service was attentive and became less so as the place filled up (obviously). I decided to go with a full entree (skate with bloodorange) while my wife opted to have a few smaller dishes. Her french onion soup was too cheesy, although the onion flavor was developed and delicious. She though was my skate was wonderful - and this is coming from a person who isn't a big fish fan. The Gougeres were light with the right amount of cheese flavor. We went with the fondue and chose the Artisanal blend - this was a good choice as opposed to the Stilton we had last time which we found too overpowering. She also ordered Parmesean Gnochhi which surprised me - in a good way. It wasn't like traditonally gnochhi, more like the french twist - they had a firmer, crisp outer texture and creamy inside - very nice. Finally, the macaroni and cheese was wonderful. Very creamy with a nice cheese flavor and a crunchy top of bread crumbs - very good. For dessert, we shared a Pear Tart, which would have otherwise been underwhelming except for a very nice Caramel they dotted on the side. Overall, Artisianal is a solid offering of french bistro fare. I think for all of this food, it came to $143 with tip (my wife had a glass of wine, I did not).
Pros: Food is consistently good
Cons: Gets very crowded and noisy
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