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| - Alright, I've been here three times now and the one thing I can say about this place is that The Artisan Baker has consistently friendly but ineffectual service. Details below:
Round 1: The first time I went I called for a lunch reservation, was told they don't take reservations only to show up the next day to a half-full restaurant but unable to get a table because THE REST WERE RESERVED. Annoying, but they accommodated us so that was ok. I had the Tiger Shrimp tartine (open faced sandwich) - it was good. It came with a carrot and ginger soup - it was extremely bland. All in all, I decided to give it another go because they accommodated us (in a friendly but ineffectual manner).
Round 2: Here we go again! This time made a successful reservation by phone - except after being seated they moved us by the door to accommodate a larger party. Note: Don't sit by the door, it's cold and high traffic. This time I had the Croque Monsieur - very tasty, heavy and rich. Soup of the day was a leek and potato soup - but like none I've ever tasted before, extremely sour and salty. Fast forward - We tried to split the bill and pay with credit cards, but this took awhile...alas, the friendly but ineffectual server appeared confused as to which order the cards needed to be processed in (ie - NONE just process the damn cards). Left this time thinking..."maybe not, there's a great Oyster place down the way"...however...
Round 3: A friend wants to try this place. I call for a reservation - resounding success! They even asked if I had dined with them before. "Yes!" I say and they even go as far as asking if I had a preferred table. I replied, "Anything as long as it's not by the door". Done and done. They've clearly got the 'taking reservations' part down. Show up the next day looking forward to seeing my friend, a good sandwich and bland but hot soup...EXCEPT...a table is NOT reserved, but they offer me the table by the door. It was truly a comedy of errors. Happily, it's not full and we get to sit near the back. Not one to tempt fate I go with the tried and true Tiger Shrimp tartine and the soup today is roasted red pepper. The soup is predictably bland - but I expected as much (the main event is the sandwich anyways)...melting cheese oozes onto the plate...mouth salivating, anticipation builds...SURPRISE - NO Shrimp. Instead, it's salmon. It's not gross, but not what I ordered either. I call the server over and ask her what the deal is. She explains that they sometimes use Basa fish instead of shrimp. I reply, "I see, that's weird because shrimp and basa are nothing alike, furthermore, this is salmon".
Clearly everyone is confused and after a moment's pause with much silent blinking she offers to check with the kitchen. She returns. Mystery revealed! It turns out (according to the kitchen) that the "Tiger Shrimp tartine" sometimes comes as a melange of basa, shrimp bits, and salmon she explains. 'A' for effort, but if you've run out of shrimp and have to substitute salmon, IT'S OK - just give a heads up.
I've been here three times now so you can't say I haven't given them a fair shake. Anyways, long story short eat here if you want. The sandwiches will often be tasty, the soup will often be bland, and the service will consistently ever-friendly but ineffectual.
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