The Artichoke - Langley

Hubby made reservations midweek for Friday. He said even then there was not a lot of choice. This place is always busy. Well, it is tiny. Having been there before I thought the owner seemed a little off upon arrival. Not the kind, caring, friendly gent I remembered. The main dining room was packed. We were seated in the walk through room all traffic from kitchen, arrivals and bar passes through here. But we could not be seated until the owner pulled the table out of the corner, away from the wall. Thank god I 'm small as even I could barely squeeze in. A kid (young boy) delivered the crackers and cheese dip. Really good. But he tried to take it away before we were finished. He confided in me he 'd been working there 3 weeks. Our waitress feigned friendliness. (I overheard her complaining to the barmaid) Nor was she happy when I inquired about the cracker crusted shrimp. I was torn between that entree and grilled shrimp. She pushed in that direction however. Then I asked if anything was included with the entrées as the menu doesn 't say so and neither did she. She did, however, offer us tabouli and cabbage rolls left over from the night before. Leftovers? Ah, no. Since we 'd read reviews while driving we knew we wanted the blue cheese salad. Everything about it was wonderful. The almond slivers on the cucumber, the abundance of blue cheese. (Debra K. mentioned the toasted almonds. Ours were not) But here came the waitress and busser with our entrées before I could finish it. I hate that more than anything! They call this fine dining? I surrendered my salad. Their whole fried potatoes are unique and tasty. Hubby enjoyed his ribeye. And the rolls, until the kid, again, tried to take them away. Quit taking our food, I teased. They tuck a packet of roasted garlic in every 2 roll basket which is nice. I had to flag the waitress down to order a second glasss of wine. Love the art on the walls and actually recognized a couple local artists. I 'd had enough blue cheese, I wasn 't allowed a second to rest between courses and only ate a couple Ritz coated shrimp. And that yummy potato. FYI: the cocktail sauce is better w/ the fried shrimp than the tartar. Toward the end, the wife owner was waiting 2 tables beside us. I know because I heard her say I cooked for you . She seemed sweet and made all the dishes sound delicious. I think some of us feel let down by The Artichoke because we remember the hype from back when. And it was better when patronized before. And they call it fine dining which it isn 't. It has so much going for it the setting, the quaintness, chef owned, a controlled menu, herbs and produce nearby I recall from before I 'd love to see it better. And it could be. Start with staff training.

Just a tip. The Farmers Market is open (as of this past Saturday). We were able to buy some Artichoke hummus (FANTASTIC) and some spicy green chile tamales from another vendor. Open every Saturday morning. Worth stopping especially for lake supplies.

Great service food and atmosphere! Upon our arrival there was a gentleman that gave every female a fresh long stem rose.

Hi-class dining for the jeans crowd. Wife I had our anniversary dinner there and were very happy with everything we ordered. Nice free desert at end was a nice touch and delicious

The food was excellent, and the service was outstanding. The interior improvements are fantastic—it's now brighter and more inviting. We tried the filet and the sweet tea chicken special. The filet was perfectly cooked and had great flavor. Although the sweet tea chicken might sound unusual, it was a hit! The crispy coating on the chicken and the sweet tea gravy quickly became our favorite surprise!