Artisan House

600 S Main St
Los Angeles, CA 90014

I’ve been watching this place for a while—and not just because it has the word “art” in its name. I have a lot of friends who live on Main St, so I’m in the neighborhood quite a bit.

Right after a quick trip to Pussy & Pooch for some gourmet cat food with a friend,  I walked inside the seemingly open restaurant/bar/deli/market.  They weren’t quite up and running. However,  Patrice Rozat, one of the owners invited us in to look at the space and try some appetizers and sandwiches.

They seated us in the restaurant section (pictured above). There really wasn’t much of a selection for appetizers. We were offered either black salmon ceviche or some kind of steak tartare.  I don’t eat red meat, so I chose the salmon. My friend had the tartare.

Here is my dish. I totally forgot to take a picture until I was half way done.  I was famished.

This dish was amazing—–SOOOOOOOOO good. Everything was complimentary during our visit, but I would have easily paid for this. And I will. This might be one of my favorite dishes I’ve ever had in LA.  The fish was delicious.  It was a tiny bit spicy, as it had peppers. It also had creme fraiche and pomegranate seeds.  This dish was a surprise…a tasty surprise for my mouth. I will go back to Artisan House just to have this dish again.

My friend’s steak tartare was just medicore. At least it looked pretty.

After we were done tasting the appetizers, we were asked to fill out a questionnaire about the food and ambiance of the 90-seat restaurant.

The restaurant was pretty, but kinda generic.   I liked the artwork, as it was a bit unexpected.  I also really loved the bar (which was not open when we were there). Apparently they have molecular mixologists and fun drinks. I’ll have to try one next time.

After we filled out the paperwork, we were escorted to the market side of Artisan House. There were lots of empty shelves, but they looked like they were stocking  the store and deli with a good selection of high-end wine and gourmet food products.

We then got to order off the sandwich menus. The items in red were not available during our visit. I took a photo of the other side of the menu, as you will be able to make your own sandwich in the future.

I had Mary’s Smoked Turkey sandwich, and my friend had the Reuben.  We were offered sides, as well. I had Israeli couscous, and he had quinoa. We thought the sandwiches were okay.  Mine was very tasty, but the bread didn’t really work. It was just plain wheat bread. It needed to be toasted or have some crunch. The Reuben was toasted, but not very thick. We agreed that the ingredients should be piled a bit higher.  The couscous was okay–not as good as Lemonade’s version. But, the quinoa was really good. I would go in and order just that. Again, another item that will bring me back.

I enjoyed my visit to Artisan House.  I know this place will be successful. I think it’s really smart that they are  opening (softly)to the neighbors by offering complimentary tastings.  Word of mouth will bring lots of people here. I talked to another friend who had a full dinner here the other night. He said the menu was limited, but delicious.

There’s also really good people behind Artisan House. Patrice (formerly, Breadbar, The Four Seasons and Mr. Chow), was running a tight ship.  And Jason Ryczek(One Sunset and Boa), the executive chef, really wanted to know our opinions in order to modify the food and make it better.  It was nice interacting with both Patrice and Jason. I can’t wait to come back.