Chris A
5/5
We've been wowed!
Arts & Central has been on our list of new places to dine after opening in February (we usually like to give new restaurants a little "run" time before we try them) and they checked all the boxes all the boxes for us.
We had a reservation and were warmly greeted by the hostesses. The restaurant was not overly crowded on the Wednesday night in June we visited and rather then sit at a table we opted to sit at the bar overlooking the kitchen operations (it's always a great way to see what we might want to try).
The restaurant venue has a great layout with seating inside and out (covered). The bar is inviting and looks to seat around 20. Tables are spaced well and the chairs comfortable. Table linens and stemware nice. Also the ambient noise level was good for conversation.
There's lots of light in the main dining areas and roll-up doors on the outside walls that when open give the restaurant an open air feel. They were closed when we were there. The kitchen is open air and there's 6-8 bar stools where we sat where you can watch the kitchen operations (not sure if they are open seating).
Our waiter (Martin) was prompt, engaging, cordial and attentive throughout the meal and we started with the house Manhattan ($12) and Old Fashioned ($14). Generally at those prices the pour is smaller and we were pleasantly surprised at the large rocks glasses, big cubes and portion when they arrived tableside. The Old Fashioned came smoked and we let the smoke infuse for a while longer giving the drink a really nice flavor. Both were very good.
There's a lot of good choices on the menu and we started with the the Brussel Sprouts (that we could share). The sprouts were cooked with dried cherries and almond slivers in a bourbon molasses flavored sauce. Overall great flavor and nicely cooked. A little crispier would have made them outstanding but we still liked them.
For dinner I chose the Faroe Island Salmon (med) served with grilled zucchini, fingerling potatoes and salad mixture that looked like garnish but had an excellent flavor with a hint of oil and red wine vinegar (not sure, but good). The presentation was good and the food warm. The salmon (perfectly cooked) had an excellent flavor complimented by the chimichurri that came on the side.
My partner ordered the Shrimp and Linguini. Again nice presentation, warm and tasty. Shrimp were plentiful and the linguini had a interesting green tint and good flavor with a slight kick. Turns out that cook it with a little chimichurri sauce.
The last thing we tried were the Sticky Rib Fingers. Cooked in a home made BBQ sauce with garlic, ginger and sesame and served with 6 ribs these were very good. I'd recommend them for sharing!
During our meal we met the cooks (because where we were seated), Dave the GM (hostess stand), and George the Sous Chef who came out and chatted with us. Each of them and the entire staff were approachable and welcoming. Most of all they appear to care about their customers and making the restaurant the best it can be. For me, someone they met for the first time, it left a strong impression and made for a most memorable evening.
Special shout to to Martin, our waiter.
