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[RWBooneJr.]

2 Park Avenue (32nd Street),
New York, NY 10016
Phone: (212) 725-8585
Web: http://www.artisanalbistro.com/
Menus: http://www.artisanal...menus_index.php

For years, Artisanal has been my go-to lunch spot anytime I'm near Penn Station or Grand Central, though it's a bit of a hike from both. It's not a cheap lunch, but it has good food and wines by the glass. On my visit last Friday, I sat at the bar and started with six "East Coast" oysters (no place of origin was indicated on the menu or when they arrived) ($18) and a Hugel Reisling from Alsace ($14). The oysters were big and nicely briney, but served with a Mignonette that was basically red wine vinegar. This isn't typical and, regardless, a good oyster is a good oyster. I also ordered The Big Cheese, a killer grilled cheese with Fontina, Tellegio, Gruyere, and Emmenthaler ($15.50), to which I added tomato ($1.50) and bacon ($2.00), and subbed an under dressed green salad for the standard chips. Add another Hugel and the bill was $71 for a big lunch, which admittedly wasn't their finest effort (an anomaly, but still an enjoyable meal). Steep, yes, but you could stick to the sandwich itself or the excellent burger and leave for much less.

[weinoo]

Wow, that's a pricey lunch...while it may be your "go-to," I think it's past its prime and one can do better for the money at a lot of other places.

[RWBooneJr.]

Wow, that's a pricey lunch...while it may be your "go-to," I think it's past its prime and one can do better for the money at a lot of other places.

With nearly $50 in unnecessary wine and oysters (which probably cost the restaurant under $3), it was not a typical lunch. The grilled cheese or a burger and a beer would run around $25. Still pricey (and I'm pretty sure somewhat more than it used to be), but a bit less obscene. And perhaps what I regarded as an anomaly is a sign of real decline, but it's been fairly consistent in the past. Where else in the neighborhood would you go?