By W. A. Muller

Veteran Restauranteur Sarid Drory breathes new life into legendary restaurant with plans to introduce new menu items, online cheese store, and sidewalk café Renowned French bistro and wine bar – Artisanal Fromagerie – located on Park Avenue in Murray Hill – is now under the direction of veteran restauranteur Sarid Drory, one of the original owners of The Waverly Inn and The Cub Room. He has unveiled plans to take the restaurant in a more upscale direction, with an expanded wine and cheese list, a chef's table in a private room named "The Cheese Cave" and exciting new menu items such as a Fondue Burger with Artisanal's famous three-cheese fondue.

For over 14 years, Artisanal Fromagerie has served up playful twists to classic French brasserie dishes, with a particular emphasis an outstanding array of artisanal cheese and wine. "We are excited to build off Artisanal's excellent reputation and head into a new exciting phase," says Drory, who took over previous owner Terrance Brennan six months ago. "Our regular customers will be pleased to know we aren't touching menu favorites like our signature French onion soup, beef tartare which is considered one of the best in New York City, and our macaroni and cheese
which was featured as Time Out's Best, but they will see some amazing new menu additions and new creative cocktails."

The new 12oz Artisanal House Beef Fondue Burger served with Artisanal fondue and specialty sauce is melt-in-your-mouth delicious and the Lobster Roll with butter brioche, fresh leaves and fries  is a welcome addition to the lunch and brunch menu which features five types of fish, five types of burgers, seven types of macaroni and cheese and four sandwiches. The Dover Sole Meuniere with crushed fingerling potatoes and spinach, which was previously only available as a special on Wednesday's, has now become a menu fixture. These new additions join a host of masterful bistro classics and a daily 'plat du jour'. Artisanal's highly-skilled mixologist Carlos de Vazquez, who uses a large range of creative seasonal ingredients that supplement the menu, says one of the most popular new cocktails is the Raspberry Mint Julep, which has bourbon whiskey, fresh raspberry juice, Amaro Ramazzotti, mint and freshly squeezed lime juice.

Since taking the helm, Sarid Drory has expanded Artisanal's already-generous wine list, which now boasts 600 bottles and 80 wines by the glass, as well as the bar menu which now includes 79 high-end scotches, 50 tequilas, 75 vodkas, 45 bourbons, 45 gins, and six sakes to pair with a variety of cheeses. Artisanal's knowledgeable staff and head fromager, Charles Mahal, can point out perfect wine pairing for one ofthe 250 soft and hard artisanal cheeses on offer. A chef's table in the walk-in "cheese cave", a temperature and humiditycontrolled room where a number of the
world's finest artisanally-made cheeses are aged to optimum ripeness and peak flavor, seats eight people for an exclusive six course tasting menu.

Drory says there will soon be a separate late night menu added and live jazz music every Sunday during brunch.He says interior renovations under the direction of original architect Adam Tihany, will revamp the expansive 160-seat restaurant ahead of a grand reopening in September, 2015.

Artisanal
2 Park Avenue
New York, NY 10014
212.725.8585
artisanalbistro.com