FOOD FASCINATION: Artisanal Brasserie and Wine Bar

The food at Artisanal is so far so GOOD!!!

I have to be fair and say, "I did not have dinner at Artisanal", however I did meet my husband there for Happy Hour. I am only saying this because from the reviews I have read, the service in the dining room must be better. I had arrived a bit late after rushing from the Madrona Farmer's Market and hitting traffic on 520...ugh. Anyway, John had already been there long enough to finish his Manhattan. I ordered Prosecco, which was on the HH menu.

I couldn't help but overhear the complaining from the couple next to me. I couldn't figure out what they were saying exactly, but they were not happy. OK, I shouldn't have, but I peeked over at their comment card, after they left. I noticed "slow" and "dirty glasses", then the bartender took the comment card away. Hmm. I told John what I read and he volunteered that he had ordered his second drink a long time before I had arrived and that the people next to me had ordered food long ago and they had waited a long time for their wine. Well, I can only judge my own experience, right?

I wasn't too hungry, but John needed something for dinner. We ordered the cheese & charcuterie plate to start. I ordered the French Onion Soup and John got the Moules & Frites. Everything was great, even the bread and butter!

Can't complain, much. The bar was full of techie-types. This is not unusual in the Northwest, except, the Bravern is NICE, with NICE stores and NICE eateries. OK, also, it was Friday, maybe "casual" Friday for some. I guess what I am saying is, sometimes, the patrons ruin the scene. Other than the few obnoxious patrons, the bartender couldn't explain the menu without referring to his Cheat Sheet, at least he gave accurate information. I figure when you sit at the bar, service is a little different. I think there was only one bartender, however, there was a lot of service staff around. My only REAL service complaint was that my water was not refilled until after we had already paid our bill.

Again can I say, "The food was great!!!" We'll go back for sure to check out the Dining Room experience.