You’d be forgiven if, after sitting down in this cavernous space filled with vintage French posters and Art Deco touches, you shouted garçon! and demanded a bière and choucroute garnie. But though Artisanal is decked out in the finest brasserie drag, its heart is in the bistro. The restaurant is and always has been a shrine to wine (160 served by the glass) and cheese (more than 200 varieties, aged inside a cave right on the premises). Cheese pops up everywhere on Terrance Brennan’s menu—in appetizers like cheese tempura and such sides as Parmesan polenta. There’s cheesecake for dessert and a separate menu for cheese and wine pairings. Classics like duck bourguignon compete with daily specials, which offer, well, more classics like coq au vin. If you’re not cheesed out, you can pick up more cheese on your way out at the Fromagerie.

Flight of three seasonal cheeses
Tarte flambée (ricotta, onions and bacon)
Steak frites
Braised short rib
Passion fruit panna cotta

For special occasions, try for the table in the cheese cave (an exclusive, if potentially stinky, experience). Reservations can’t be guaranteed in advance, but the restaurant says “we do our best to honor all requests.”

February is Fondue Month at Artisanal, with a different fondue featured every day and 10 percent of sales going to the Red Cross to help Haiti.

lunch: Mon.–Fri. 11:45 AM–5 PM
brunch: Sat.–Sun. 10:30 AM–5 PM
dinner: Mon.–Sat. 5 PM–11 PM (wine bar until 12 midnight);
Sun. 5 PM–10 PM (wine bar until 11 PM)

$19.50 (sautéed skate swing) to $28.50 (whole roasted branzini); $35 three-course prix fixe