Have you ever felt like just taking a drive to some place that maybe you could've visited at some point in your 4 decades on this earth, but just never have? Well, I've been in that mood a lot as of late - travelling to places just a few hours away from my home town that I can't explain why I've never set foot there before. Thus, just last week, I wanted to (finally) wander on over to Key Biscayne and see this little jewel in the Atlantic for myself.
After a few hours in the car, my brother and I were ready to chow. Thanks to Yelp, we found this place which was literally just a few hundred feet from where we had parked. Artisan Kitchen & Bar is situated on the corner of a plaza of small shops on the beautiful main road just north of the State Park on the Key.
Walking in, this place had a really cool vibe about it. First of all, it was packed with all kinds of people having a great time feasting on a variety of dishes. Some were seated on the comfy couches in the front surrounded by hi top tables near the windows. The open kitchen, with a very wide bar for more seating runs parallel to regular tables that finish the seating area. The noise is a little louder than most places, but it wasn't overwhelming enough to become distracting. It felt like I was in a happening place that I knew would be a great experience.
We were greeted by one of the many servers with menus and welcomed to sit wherever we wanted, so we bellied up the bar since there were plenty of spots for us. Despite the place being very busy, we were served quickly. There are plenty of options on the menu for discriminating palettes and diets, from sandwiches, salads and much more. Specials are brightly displayed on their daily chalkboard visible from any seat in the house as well.
I had their chicken sandwich that I requested without the bread. The server brought it out with all the accoutrements to make it a very filling and refreshing meal. The chipotle mayo was full of flavor and had a nice kick to it to wake up the senses. Paired with their pomegranate iced tea (no free refills, though), I was very happy because the food was delicious and fresh. The bro had their ham and cheese sandwich which was very similar to a Cuban on the long thin bread, which he said was fantastic and looked good to me. Oh, let me not forget the best thing we shared - house made BACON FRIES.
Oh yeah, they have several kinds of their fresh, crispy and very thin fries that you can get plain or topped with things like, um, bacon. That's all I can remember because that's all I wanted. They serve you a heaping helping in a small pail steaming hot and loaded with fresh bacon pieces. Man, I'd drive the two hours again just to have those with one of their many craft beers on tap. Highly recommended!
Overall, Artisan was an awesome choice for a quick and delicious lunch with reasonable prices in a very hip place on a really beautiful island. I'll be back again, because the entire trip to the Key was definitely worth the time with partial thanks to this establishment. read more