Last Thursday, looking for a lunch spot to warm us up on that bitterly cold January day, we headed down to Murray Hill to Artisanal Fromagerie & Bistro.
The place was bustling. Appealing decorated in the style of a deco period Paris brasserie, the room was sparkling and well maintained. The menu, of course, was brimming with choices using cheese in a star or supporting role. And there are 160 wines available by the glass (no bargains here), and an large section of the menu is devoted to flights of cheese with optional paired wines. We wondered why though, with all of those wines, there was no sommelier around to help with recommendations.
We naturally opted for two dishes that were heavy on the fromage. The macaroni and cheese ($18.50) was creamy and delicious—made with three cheeses (Emmenthal, Beaufort and Parmesan), bits of prosciutto di Parma and a light but crunchy layer of breadcrumbs on top. The addictive grilled cheese sandwich ($14.50), made with English cheddar was subtly enhanced by a bit of smoked bacon and ultra thin wedges of apple. Both dishes came with excellent mesclun salads (a larger one with the mac & cheese), and a scattering of homemade potato chips also jazzed up the sandwich platter. Our shared dessert, a chocolate tart with carmelized pear and salted caramel ice cream ($10.50) was a winner. Service was perfunctory and somewhat overly efficient.
We’d happily go back to Artisanal and maybe next time we’ll tear ourselves away from the cheese selections and try one of their classic bistro dishes.
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