The second I walked into Artemisia Cafe for lunch a couple of weeks ago, I knew I had made a good decision. The natural lightning and overall vibe was welcoming, and I couldn’t believe it had been several years since my last visit.
Sometimes it’s hard to remember old favorite spots when new places seem to be opening up on every corner. But I’m sure glad the light bulb went off in my busy brain when I was contemplating where to eat on that particular day.
As often happens, I swayed my spouse Tracy to join me with a promise of buying lunch in exchange for her thoughts on her meal. We both walked out of there raving about what we had eaten and promised ourselves to not let that much time pass again between visits.
Upon perusing the menu, I realized that there were a ton of new offerings to choose from and I took a long, hard look at the smash burger, grilled chicken salad and Cubano wrap before landing on the chicken and artichoke sandwich ($13). This glorious creation is grilled chicken breast, spinach, provolone, artichoke-feta spread and roasted red peppers on grilled peasant bread, i.e. several foods I adore all hanging out together in perfect, lunchtime harmony.
Each half was hefty and I fooled myself, like I always do, thinking that I’d save half for later. It was just too delicious not to devour at peak freshness. What’s more, the side of fries were cooked to absolute perfection with the kind of crispiness that is rarely achieved but always appreciated.
Tracy chose the Fujita sandwich for $15. It’s ahi tuna, slaw, sriracha mayo, herbs and a soy dressing housed in a grilled flatbread. She loved the heck out it and noted how the purple cabbage in the slaw looked like it had just been shredded.
As for the tuna, it played more of a supporting role lost among all the vegetables but was nonetheless tasty, especially with the sriracha mayo that Tracy described as “fabulous.” She did remark that the soy dressing added salt and tang but made the sandwich a bit messy to eat, though nothing that a few extra napkins couldn’t handle.
Tracy also adored the curry pasta salad and said the dressing coated the noodles without being too overwhelming, and the curry spice was just right. She eyed the cocktail menu but opted instead for the raspberry lime Rickey which she described as a barely sweetened tart and refreshing sparkler.
We both thought the atmosphere was sensational with warm, private booths and a perfect spot to play our daily Spelling Bee game without interruption.
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