Artisan 179 — Restaurant in Village of Pewaukee

Some say the third time's a charm, but I will be honest with you and tell you Artisan 179 had the charm and sparkle the second time around. If you read my previous post/ review, you'll know that the Valentine's Day experience wasn't the greatest. I never thought in a million years that this restaurant owner (Ted) would respond with such promptness and concern over making the situation right. Initially when I walked out of that restaurant ( on Valentine's Day) I had no intentions of ever going back. Ted changed both my mind and my perspective. He reached out to me the day after Valentine's Day and we chatted he was sincerely apologetic about what had happened and when I looked at it from his point of view; there was a bit of miscommunication. I didn't feel the need to be rude and make a scene that night because there were other patrons in the restaurant enjoying their meals. Ted thought that this meant everything was okay, which I get and I understand how it must have looked and felt to him. I returned to the restaurant last night Saturday the 2nd of March and was greeted by Ted and of course the wonderful Bryce as a server. The experience was a complete 180 when compared to Valentine's Day and I was in awe. At some point Ted sat down with me and we talked about everything that had happened and I could see that he's so sincere about customer service and so passionate about this restaurant that he has worked so hard to build that there wasn't a doubt in my mind this is a man who truly cares. His passion for the restaurant business is in his blood and when he moved over to Wisconsin after 9/11 and a lifetime living in New York (working in restaurants both there and here), this was the chance for him to offer a unique dining experience based on his vision. Bryce my server had told me that Ted gave him a chance to work there when he was 18 and now he was 21 and he couldn't have been more proud to have this amazing job he loves. I also met the chef who was very, very sweet, she actually apologized for the Valentine's Day meal and then produced the most amazing culinary journey of the evening. Ted's beautiful wife and friends were also at the restaurant that night having a girl's night and were very warm-hearted, their infectious laughter could be heard across the room ( you could tell they were really enjoying their evening together). Collectively as I looked around the restaurant and saw so many people smiling and enjoying the wonderful meals that were presented and the staff members that were so attentive to all their tables, this is truly a collaborative effort by a team that is a family. In business (especially the restaurant business) not everything can be perfect all the time, but when someone, (Ted) takes the time to rectify a situation and show you the difference; you can't help but to want to contribute to their business and help it grow. I will definitely be returning to the restaurant and bringing friends and clients there. I saw the excitement in Ted's eyes as he awaits summer and has a chance to open the outdoor seating and the extended seating that he's so joylessly shared with me as we talked. I also took some pictures of the amazing food of the evening including the wonderful cocktail that the bartender prepared. If you want to experience a diamond in the rough in Pewaukee Wisconsin, please stop in to Artisan 179. Thank you Ted and staff for...

Extremely disappointed. My fiancé and I decided that we would like to try this restaurant out after viewing the menu online- everything sounded great, and it seemed like a great place to have dinner on Valentine’s Day! The menu looked good, the concept, all very cool and modern. However, after eating a quarter of the brie stuffed chicken breast that I ordered, I realized that the inside was severely undercooked. I’m talking pink and slimy, our opinion of the restaurant shifted toward the worst. We quickly informed the nearest server who was kind and prompt. She apologized and asked if I would like a salad while I view a replacement menu item. I agreed and she left. However, a gentleman who apparently was the manager (never identified himself until I asked) stopped by to ask what I would like in leu of the raw chicken breast that I was just eating. I ordered a dish to go, steering clear of animal proteins this time. I then asked the gentleman if I could please speak with a manager as I just assumed that someone would be stopping by our table to speak with us. This is when he then told me that he was the manager. I let him know that I just wanted to make sure that someone in management knew about the situation as my fiancé and I were very upset. This is Valentine’s Day and I just ate raw chicken….the “manager” told me that he informed the chef and the owner knows as well. Ok, but I literally just ate raw chicken that they served me? The level of costumer service was severely lacking. With an establishment like this, at least $25 per plate, I thought that a manager would come out, present themselves, ask how we were doing and then try their best to resolve the situation and ensure that not only were the guests satisfied, but that somehow they wouldn’t be leaving with salmonella poisoning. Nope. He told me that everyone knew and then brought out a plate with some brittle, a chocolate covered strawberry and some macaroons. I’ve been a server for a long time and I can assure you that I would have handled this situation MUCH differently…at least they removed the chicken entree from our bill. Fingers crossed that I don’t get sick....

We dined at Artisan 179 once before (2-3 years ago) and it was fantastic, however our second experience was far from that. We ordered the appetizer special of the night, sausage stuffed mushrooms, when they got to our table I cut into one and it was completely raw. I then went through the entire dish to find them all raw, a gentleman whom I thought may be the owner/manager came to our table and I told him the problem. He took them back to the kitchen and said they'd 'heat them up more'. Shortly after those were taken back to the kitchen, our dinner came out. I went to break apart my salmon to find it also was raw. Our waiter then came to check on us, asked where the mushrooms went (we explained) then I told him my salmon was raw, he noticed it right away. He put it on an appetizer plate and took it back to the kitchen - but left my entire salad that it was on at our table. Our mushrooms came back out and although they were cooked I've never had raw food reheated and served back to customers. The salmon came back, same piece on the same plate the raw salmon was taken away on, it was flipped skin side down as to not show how well done it was and now it was very tough and overcooked. We received an apology from who we thought was the owner/manager and our waiter however at no point were we offered any sort of resolution in return for all of our issues/disappointments. After we paid, two shots arrived to our table in which we thought was another way of apologizing but then they were served to at least 2 other tables around us. It's extremely sad to pay nearly $100 for two people, for a meal only to have it be raw, then reheated, served a 2nd time to us, and ultimately overcooked. This was such a disappointment and the way it was handled (or not handled) was something I've never experienced before at any restaurant - extremely unfortunate and I hope not all similar situations are...