Artisanal
Artisanal is cheesy. And that’s the point. The lively brasserie specializes in fromage, from moldy blues to gooey bries, often lobbed into a fondue pot.
No fan of fromage or frites and meats? Look elsewhere, bub. Cheese hounds are dying to dine at Artisanal, judging by the bustle during Restaurant Week’s second night. Beer-sipping businessmen were sardined beside well-coiffed women. The noise level approximated a Bon Jovi concert. Would overcrowding kill my 7 p.m. reservation?
“Follow me, sir,” the punctual hostess said, escorting my date and I to a spacious two-top. There was room to flap my elbows. My last visit, I was wedged beside a stranger who shot me death stares whenever I sipped my water.
Tonight, our water glasses were instantly filled. Menus were distributed. Available were three appetizers, entrées and desserts apiece, but no fondue. What visit to Artisanal is complete without fondue? Ten foot-tapping minutes later our waiter arrived, bearing bread and butter. He’s harried but patient. Following his suggestion, we opt for pea soup, alongside Parmesan gnocchi, vegetable risotto and salmon.
As quickly as a fast-food burger, our appetizers appeared—minus a spoon. When we finally corralled the utensil from a busboy, we were rewarded by the summery and refreshing cool pea soup, packed with mint chutney. By comparison, the Parmesan gnocchi consisted of unremarkable browned pasta rectangles awash in a buttery pond. More successful were entrees. The salmon was flaky and flavorful, and the creamy risotto was studded with asparagus aplenty. A better bet—and the best bang for your buck—is the hanger steak with frites.
Dessert was salvation, a sweet berry soup and a pecan-praline cheesecake. The lush, creamy cake was the evening’s crowning achievement and worth lingering over. Too bad the check was delivered the instant I took a sinful bite. Forget the Restaurant Week rush: It’d be better to return post-RW to savor this sweet and explore the gooey heaven inside a gurgling fondue pot. —Joshua M. Bernstein
Artisanal 2 Park Ave. at 32nd St., 212-725-8585
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Centro Vinoteca
I’ve always been somewhat of a skeptic when it comes to Restaurant Week. To me it’s little more than a gimmick to entice fanny pack–clad rubes (and “$40 a Day with Rachael Ray” fanatics) to descend upon the city’s finer dining establishments, tip calculators in hand. But could a decent three-course lunch be had for only $24.07? I was sure of it.
I headed to Centro Vinoteca, a year-old restaurant helmed by Food Network star chef Anne Burrell, where all of my previous dining experiences had been top-notch.
For the first course, I ordered a well-balanced mizuna salad with spicy pickled veggies and shaved pecorino. My dining companion tried the trio of piccolini: zucchini fritters, crostino of chicken liver pate and deviled egg. All three of these were subtle and delicious. Our waiter was friendly and helpful with selecting a wine, no change from my previous visits. One observation: Although bread plates and olive oil were placed on our table, we never received any bread. If this was a calculated move designed to pinch pennies, it’s a bit off-putting.
For mains, the options were braised chicken legs with polenta, tagliatelle with rock shrimp and eggplant involtini. Despite all three screaming this is all we can offer you for $24, they certainly delivered in taste. My chicken was delicate and comforting, although the tiny puddle of polenta underneath could have been a lot more substantial. The tagliatelle was buttery, the shrimp a bit fishy tasting, but overall a successful dish.
For dessert, the toasted peach shortcake with mascarpone and the cookies with salty caramel were both so rich, they should be illegal.
So while I really enjoyed my meal, I had to conclude the following: If Centro can make something as mundane as chicken legs taste this good, you could certainly spend $24 during regular service on something considerably more interesting. —Kelly Dobkin
Centro Vinoteca 74 Seventh Ave. South at Bleeker St., 212-367-7470
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