New West BC
When you look at the menu at Artusi the impression you get is high end, elevated Italian food.
When you read their vision on their website you can see the tradition behind the idea for this restaurant.
So I’ll admit I had pretty high expectations for dinner Friday night.
It didn’t take long for those expectations to be subverted.
It was busy, which is usually a good sign. However you quickly notice the polish, or more specifically the lack thereof, that exudes from the decor. It’s not particularly awful, but certainly not what you would expect from a high end restaurant.
Things didn’t start off well either. We got drinks, both very good, but the appetizer I wanted was sold out. Already? At 6:30? Strike one.
Ok fine. We’ll have the Vitel Tonne. Thinly sliced veal with a tuna sauce and capers. Would you think veal and tuna works together. Well oddly enough it does.
They brought us some Focaccia to nibble on. Now having spent most of this week working on different formulations for Focaccia at home I had some very relevant thoughts on Artusi’s Focaccia. it was underbaked. It would be easy to mistake the high ratio of olive oil in this dough that caused this perception. But no. I’ve been a professional baker for 33 years now. I know underbaked when I see it. Strike 2.
On to the entrees. I thought I’d try the Pici al Cinghiale. Pasta with Wild Boar in a rosé sauce. “Oh I’m sorry we are out of that” were the next words I heard. “Your kidding” were the thoughts that went through my mind. Strike 3.
After perusing the menu once more I decide that the Orrechiette alla Norcina looks alright. Just have to ask that they don’t make it with the fungus. “No problem says the waitress. Well for about 10 minutes anyways. At that point she came back to tell me that they won’t make that dish without the mushrooms. “it’s crucial to the taste of the dish” Apparently the chef isn’t allowed to make it without them. To be honest I was a bit shocked. Strike 4.
It’s at this point that I should have walked out. It was Merilynn’s birthday though so didn’t want to spoil that. It was also at this point I thought of how Chef Ramsey would be acting if he were in my place. I don’t think he would have been as calm as me. You donut!
Once again to the menu I go. This is getting a bit tiring. I’ll guess I’ll try the Rigatoni Panna E Prosciutto. Egg noodles with prosciutto in a cream sauce.
What arrives in from of me is a toddler sized portion. Ok I don’t expect an Antoine’s sized meal here (if you haven’t been to this North Burnaby eatery you can feed a family of six on one plate of their pasta) but this is a little silly. The picture doesn’t really do the portion size justice, but it was pretty tiny. And yes it was good. But it’s just a plate of pasta. Mom’s not gonna get a letter about it. Strike 5.
Merilynn got the Tagliata Italiano.
Do you see a Filet Mignon on this plate? Looks like a salad to me. And when you dig into the field of greens here what you will find is a sliced tenderloin steak. One thing I do know is that the only person who should cut a Filet Mignon is the person who eats it. The icing on this particular cake was that it was warm at best. The overall flavours were nice. The parm, beef and balsamic did all taste good and did work together. Just not good enough for $51. Strike 6.
To the servers credit (she must have been a little embarrassed) she did give us a free round of drinks. But that isn’t gonna change my mind about tonight.
Let’s be blunt. This isnt right. Looking past the below par facility, the chef’s logistical planning, poor service and average cooking does not qualify this restaurant as fine dining. Frankly it’s embarrasing to the memory of Pellegrino Artusi. It would probably be fair to give them another chance, I just don’t see that happening. 6 strikes you are out Artusi. Twice.
Food 5/10
Value 4/10
Ambiance 4/10
Service 5/10
Overall 5/10
Want good Italian? Drive past Artusi to the Drive.
Have you been here? Had a different experience? Please let me know!
Email me at squeeloockle@yahoo.ca
Sounds like you are more focused on the food than your loved one and her special event. I will admit that todays inflated prices have made eating here a bit more challenging. That $51 filet was $32 1 year ago. We’ve always enjoyed the food and value quality over quantity. I will admit something was a bit off about the food on our last visit 2 weeks ago. Regardless of portion. I find the food is best shared rather than ordered as individual portions. Perhaps that was your missed opportunity.
Thanks for the post. We actually share everything when we go out to eat. That way I can revuew more dishes. And I love trying as much as possible. I did say in my post the only reason we stayed for the whole meal was it was her birthday. Otherwise I wod have been walking out when he said no to making the dish sans fungus. Not sure we will get back to Artusi though. If I’m gonna drop $200 on a meal I can think of many other places I’d rather go.