One might not expect to find an elegant hotel decorated with fine-art reproductions under the 1-15 and Sahara and across from the all-nude Sheri’s Cabaret. But there it is: The Artisan, a lush oasis of refinement on Western Avenue, waiting to be discovered by tourists and locals alike.
Of course, Vegas hipsters have long known about the Artisan ever since the place changed owners and was remodeled in the summer of 2004. Since then, the downtown elite has made the Artisan Lounge & Café the coolest place to sip mixed drinks and mix with other artists, writers, filmmakers and musicians. This place is so cool, in fact, that San Francisco slam-poetry queen Michelle Tea did a reading here to promote her most recent book Rent Girl (soon to be an HBO series). But the Artisan doesn’t need San Francisco to provide first-rate entertainment.
Currently, the lounge is offering live music every night of the week, including a Sunday Champagne Jazz Brunch featuring the Gents of Swing, a trio made up of piano, bass and drums. I popped in on a Wednesday night for a $14 Artisan Coffee (Frangelico, Tia Maria, Amaretto, coffee, and Kahlua) at the dark mahogany bar and caught the brilliant flamenco and Brazilian-jazz guitar of Don Francisco Azziz. His beautiful fingerpicking and gentle, melodic vocals heightened the simmering, candlelit atmosphere of the lounge. It was perfect.
But the Italian cuisine of the Artisan Café is even better. I love to dine right at the bar, where flat-screen TVs — sandwiched inappropriately but effectively between Franz von Stuck and Francisco de Goya — offer everything from football to Fox News. I highly recommend appetizers like the bruschetta, which consists of rustic bread, olive oil, diced roma tomatoes, and basil — all of it is fresh and of the highest quality. It’s a meal unto itself and simply the best bruschetta you’ll find in the valley.
Other great apps include the calamari fritti ($13), which comes with your choice of marinara, cocktail sauce, or whiskey aurora sauce (basically a marsala whiskey sauce). I recommend the marinara, since it complements the crisp, flavorful meat. There’s just enough salt, too, so please don’t start reaching for any shakers until you’ve tasted it. Also, on the more exotic side, there’s the carpaccio: thinly sliced, raw beef tenderloin marinated in extra virgin olive oil, lemon, white mushroom, and parmesan cheese leaf, and topped with fresh organic arrugula, which adds just the right kind of “bite.” Try this with a basic imported beer (like a Heineken), and you’ll be in heaven.
Entrées? I had what is probably the “heaviest” — the Steak Diana ($24), a 10-ounce New York Strip adorned with Cognac, demi-glaze sauce, Dijon mustard, and touch of cream with mushrooms, and served with fettuccine alfredo. It’s a great cut worthy of some of the finest steakhouses in town, and though I normally dislike cream sauces, I had to give in to this one. It is that good.
Breakfast, served from 6:30 to 11:30 a.m., is also a treat, with firm, buttery omelets that will give you strength to face the day. All breakfast entrées are served with shredded hash browns, fruit and toast, so you may want to skip lunch.
In sum, the Artisan Café is affordable yet exquisite in terms of its cuisine. Next time you find yourself on Stripper’s Row, why not dine on something a little more sophisticated than an all-you-can-eat buffet with a one-drink minimum?
The Artisan Café is open daily from 6:30 a.m. to 2 a.m. at 1501 W. Sahara Ave. Call 214-4000 to make reservations. LW
