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Artichoke Café Restaurant Review

424 Central Ave. Send to Phone
AlbuquerqueNM 87106
505-243-0200 | Make Restaurant Reservations
Even upon entering its third decade, this burnished café is still putting the art in artichoke. Artichoke Café Restaurant is one of our | Top 10 Albuquerque FoodRating Restaurants | Top 10 Albuquerque Romantic Restaurants |

Cuisine

Open

Lunch Mon.-Fri., Dinner nightly

Features

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Dining room at Artichoke Café, Albuquerque, NMSince 1989, Pat and Terry Keene have been cultivating that rare breed of restaurant that is the neighborhood fixture---and doing it ever so artfully. Opened on the outskirts of a once-failing downtown, the Artichoke Café came into its own, right along with the Edo District, now flanked by interesting galleries and live-work lofts. As produce-driven as the name suggests, the frequently changing New American menu is fresh without being pretentious---think deviled eggs with jalapeño cream or pine nut-studded ravioli of ricotta and---what else?---artichoke purée. Signatures such as the prosciutto-wrapped scallops still surprise with their retro flourish of sauce charcutière, as do house-made desserts that show savory touches, like the sage shortbread accompanying the chocolate panna cotta. The lunch hour lures local power brokers who talk shop over the crêpe du jour or steak frites modernized with a sprinkling of Parmesan and gremolata.

User Ratings & Reviews for Artichoke Café
Average rating    1
Reviews 1 - 1 of 11
Utterly Disappointed
by Whispet on 08/12/2008
 
Perhaps the Artichoke Cafe was expecting 6 rich men ready to spend a pretty penny on champagne, appetizers, salads, entrees, desserts, and tea/coffee when I called in a reservation for 6. They were not ashamed to show their disappointment when it was just my family and I coming in for drinks, salad, and a few appetizers.
There are no signs in the Artichoke Cafe that say only come into our restaurant if you plan on eating a full meal. We had, had a big lunch, and had heard great things about the Cafe, so I foolishly decided to bring my family there for a light dinner before they traveled back to Canada.
Don't get me wrong, the service was impeccable as we sat down and browsed over the menu. The service went downhill once we just ordered a round of iced teas and soda. I'm assuming that's when the waiter decided, because we didn't order wine, we were expendable. We continued to order five Caesar Salads, a French Onion Soup, and some Spring Rolls. It took us one hour and forty five minutes to leave the restaurant with our simple order( I am not exagerating.) As we patiently waited for our food(without a single apology from the waiter, or check to see if we needed more beverages), the table next to us, who had come about half an hour after us, had received their cheese dish appetizer, their follow up artichokes, their entrees, and dessert.
When our five salads, one French Onion Soup, and 2 Spring Rolls finally came, we were not too keen on having any dessert and asked for the check.
Money was not why we did not order a huge meal. We went into a restaurant hoping to have a nice environment, and a couple of drinks, with a few bites. I will not suggest to my friends, who have been begging me to choose a place for my baby shower, that we have food at the Artichoke Cafe. I am honestly sad about the service we had at the Artichoke Cafe.
 
Reviews 1 - 1 of 11
 
 


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