Artisanal, February 25, 2006

Artisanal
2 Park Avenue

Thanks to a fellow 'hound, I learned that February is fondue month at Artisanal, which translates to 28 special fondues...the menu can be found on the website (http://www.artisanalcheese.com/images/afb_fondue_month.pdf).

The taleggio and beef tips fondue really whet my appetite so I called in advance to make sure that they would have it. The answer to my question "are all of the 28 fondues available today or just the one designated for the 24th available today?" was "All of them are available today". I was ecstatic, and certainly didn't want to be limited to just Le Moulis (the designated 24th fondue option).

So when I got there, I stopped the waitress short and said I already knew what I wanted...the Taleggio with Beef Tips. She said that they didn't have that today. Long story longer, someone made a mistake on the phone, but the bartender, James, who is always pleasant, suggested I order the Artisanal Blend and he'd throw the beef tips in with it. The hostess was also remarkably hospitable and so with my fondue and glass of prosecco, I enjoyed a great, but expensive lunch for one person.

If you are planning on going to Artisanal this month or the fondue, be sure to call (don't use OpenTable) and tell them you are excited about Fondue February...it's a code word that will get you a free glass of wine. Shhh. Bon Appetit!