Café des Artistes

[Fat Guy]

Cafe des Artistes doesn't get much play here on the eG Forums or among foodie types in general. But it has long been an important New York institution, and is becoming more so as kindred restaurants like La Cote Basque, Lutece, Le Cirque, La Caravelle, and the Rainbow Room close or evolve to become unrecognizable. As the customers who dined in rotation at many of these places find their choices increasingly limited, Cafe des Artistes has a growing share of a shrinking niche.

Not that Cafe des Artistes is exactly the same as the classic New York French and Continental restaurants. It has more casual roots -- viewed from the vantage point of an era when casual meant what formal means today -- and is loosely in the cafe category as opposed to the restaurant category. These divisions have so little meaning today it's probably not worth harping on them, but there is an air of Bohemian casualness at Cafe des Artistes that cuts against the formality one would expect in the La Caravelle genre.

We went pre-opera, which isn't the best way to enjoy a meal at a good restaurant, but two hours felt like a full turn anyway because there aren't elaborate and time-consuming presentations of amuses, palate cleansers, or petits fours. I enjoyed one of the most attractive dining rooms on the planet, relatively competent service, and mostly classic food based on good ingredients.

Exceptional dishes were steak tartare, "salmon five ways," house-made charcuterie, rack of lamb, ribeye steak, and yellowfin tuna (the one thoroughly modern dish, a seared and sliced loin -- but good). Unexceptional dishes were a goopy and one-dimensional cassoulet, and all the desserts.

I hadn't set foot in the restaurant in ages, but the food has definitely improved. The chef, a gentleman named Bill Peet who among other thing spent 15 years at Lutece and bears an uncanny resemblance to Steve Klc, is doing a good job.

[Varmint]

Cafe des Artistes is still on the short list of restaurants where my corporate law partners eat as guests of our NY clients. What was once considered cutting edge is now viewed as "New York old school", and I use that term favorably. The food is reliable and not adventurous (which is necessary for these types of functions), yet the feel of the room is still vibrant.

[Suzanne F]

Just curious: when did Bill Peet take over the kitchen? The last I heard, the chef was Ari Niemenen (ex-Firebird, River Cafe, and a couple of places in between). And do you know what happened to Ari?

[Bond Girl]

The last time I was at Cafe des Artistes was several years ago when Kurt Masur was still the conductor at the New York Philharmonic and we used to go post performance. I did not remember being terribly impressed by the food at that time, (there was a seafood stew that was terribly salty and the consistency of it ranged from bearable to terribly throughout the philharmonic season) but things may have changed. I think it doesn't get much attention here because there are so many other restaurants to talk about in the area.

[rozrapp]

Our one dinner at Cafe des Artistes a couple of years ago was a total disappointment. Although it was pre-opera, we made sure to leave plenty of time. But I found the wait staff totally aloof, with a let's-see-if-we-can-just-get-you-folks-out-of-here attitude. Yes, the famous murals are lush. But the seating -- at least in the room we were in -- was very cramped. As for the food, the salmon five ways was fine, but an osso bucco was bland. No recollection of dessert. When we were leaving, the door was held open for us by 60 Minutes producer Don Hewitt, who was just coming in.

Re: Bill Peet. After he left Lutece, he came out to NJ and opened a restaurant called La Petite Rose, in Westfield. It was in the space that had been occupied for about 20 years by the very popular upscale French restaurant Chez Catherine and then, for about a year, by another French restaurant with superb food called Chez Ma'mere which, sadly, didn't make it because of financial difficulties. Knowing about Peet's association with Lutece, we had high hopes when he took over the space. The food at the first dinner we had was excellent; however, a second dinner was mediocre. With such inconsistency, we saw no reason to return. La Petite Rose lasted 3 years.

[Fat Guy]

I'm not sure how long Bill Peet has been at Cafe des Artistes. The restaurant's website www.cafenyc.com contains a fairly complete chef bio but doesn't actually specify a start date.

[Nathan]

Grimes gave Artiste a pretty good review last year.

[Fat Guy]

So Bill Peet must be very new, because the guy from Firebird was still the chef as of the time of the Grimes review:

http://query.nytimes.com/gst/fullpage.html...75AC0A9659C8B63

[jgould]

just adding an observation: its difficult to not like the room, the murals make this an amazing setting, & the bar area is sublime. but what i have never been able to understand, the food, at best, is fairly average, particularly when comparing to other restaurants, but the prices, whoa!!! even on expense account, i still cannot justify. not even worth mentioning the wine prices.

happiness would be able to bring a wonderful burgundy accompanied by a cheese selection & simply commander a table in the dining room.

[bluecabochon]

I was last there a couple of years ago for my birthday; I don't remember what I had, but my friend's duck was so dry that it was, to my palate, inedible. When questioned, the waiter shrugged as if to say, "that's how we serve it".

[cd 121]

The bar is the best feature in this place. Very romantic and perfect for the winter season.

[jgould]

Newsday.com

Eating as entertainment: Culinary philosopher George Lang still cooking up ideas at 80. But it was the Cafe des Artistes on Manhattan's West 67th Street that sealed Lang's reputation.

The restaurant, which first opened in 1917, was shabby and half-forgotten when he took over in 1975. He renovated the nymph murals painted in 1937 by Howard Chandler Christy, created a menu that combined hearty Austro-Hungarian cooking with French elegance and trained a staff that catered to a guest's every whim with Old World etiquette and efficiency.

A restaurant's success, he said, is governed by three rules.

"First, you have to do whatever you have to do to give a client two hours of happiness. That changes all the time, depending on the guests and the atmosphere."

Second: Stay enthusiastic.

Finally, it's about "craftsmanship. Without it, you're nothing," says Lang, the son of a Jewish tailor in prewar Hungary. "I learned that from my father. He was a magician. He could make a suit for someone with three humps, and make them look good."

Lang still lives above his beloved restaurant, a clangy 1903 elevator ride away. Home is a cavernous apartment with shelves holding thousands of books on food.

woodburner

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unfortunately, Lang has gone astray from his 3 rules.

first, he has forgotten that service can never be allowed to become what it has at his restaurant.

second, he should remind his current employees of his second rule.

finally, with the obnoxious prices that he charges, its insulting that his so-called "craftmanship" is so far below average.

as per the negative comments here & elsewhere, it is amazing this place still exists, which goes to show that P.T. Barnum's famous quote is still as appropo today, as it was when it was first uttered!

the murals, so fabulous & enchanting, are the only reason i can think of, as to why people continue to go.

Edited December 12, 2004 by jgould (log)

[Todd36]

Was dragged there today by a friend for brunch. Their salmon eggs benedict is quite good actually----the eggs in particular are high qualtity and perectly poached. Not sure about anything else they serve, but salmon eggs benedict is better than any of the usual upper west side places, better than any egg dish at say Sarabeth's.

Edited November 20, 2005 by Todd36 (log)

[jeffperez62]

Ari is at the Waters Edge in Long Island City. I think he has been there since his "departure" from Cafe.

[AK@Spicehouse]

Ari is at the Waters Edge in Long Island City. I think he has been there since his "departure" from Cafe.

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Bill Peet is at "Pair of 8's" and it is doing well. The chef de suisine at Cafe Des Artistes is Joseph Paulino. Having been at Vong for a few years, Joseph brings many skills to the task. Food was great last week.

[menton1]

His place in Budapest (Gundel) is just oh, so so much better than CdA!!

[SarahD]

Back in the dark ages, I had my 16th Birthday dinner there, and thought it was just the most swelegant place.