The Humble Gourmand

This hopping bistro is one of Manhattan’s most sought-after reservations, at least according to OpenTable and the food boards. Some friends and I dropped in last month to see what all the fuss was about, lured by the promise of fromage, fromage, and more fromage.

You see, Artisanal is known for its cheeses, ranging from the mildest sheep’s milk to the funkiest bleus. The restaurant operates a fromagerie right inside the chaotic dining room, and the cheese whizzes behind the counter are more than willing to let you sample while you wait (and wait) for a table.

Sample we did, and wait we did. We hunkered down at the bar and enjoyed some gourgeres — cheese puffs — and glasses of lovely, crisp white Burgundy (a 2005 Louis Latour Montagny ler Cru Le Grande Roche, to be precise, $14). We were glad we snacked and sipped because our 9:30 reservation time slid by with no rallying call to our table. Then 9:45 … 9:55 … We’d already made more than one trip to the host stand to state our case and had been met with apologetic replies that our table’s occupants were being awfully slow to vacate.

Finally, a few minutes after 10, we were summoned. The maitre d’ apologized profusely and handed us glasses of Champagne as we proceeded to the table — a nice gesture that didn’t go unnoticed. We dove right into the menu, forgoing Artisanal’s signature fondue for main dishes: duck bourguignon with earthy chestnut pappardelle; a “seven-hour” roasted lamb shank with parsley pesto and some truly incredible goat cheese polenta; and a duck-foie gras rilette that came in an adorable glass jar alongside apple chutney and toasts. All were divine. We washed down our meaty suppers with an Angeline Russian River Pinot Noir ‘05 ($48), one of many reasonable choices on the wine list.

Another reason we’d skipped the fondue — which can be ordered with Stilton or a milder blend of cheeses — was that knew we wanted to try dessert. Happily, the cheesecake, Artisanal’s flagship sweet, lived up to lofty expectations. It was perfectly creamy without being too dense and was set off by a pecan praline garnish. A dark chocolate tart served with caramelized pears and salted caramel ice cream (very haute these days) was extremely satisfying, too.

After a spectacular meal, fine service, and the restaurant’s good manners in easing its customers’ wait with some bubbles, we agreed we’d be back — time to try that fondue!