Artamos

Update 4/18/09: Artamos is closed.

In a word: Mmm... livestock...

The specs: #0109
Address, hours & details via Isthmus; newspaper ad via Food Fight blog; official web site; reviews at Yelp.

Latest Artamos news and reviews at del.icio.us

JM ate a deluxe ham and cheddar sandwich on wheat.
Nichole ate a hot cappicola, baby Swiss, and bell pepper sandwich on a French hoagie roll, with sides of broccoli salad and Artamos potato salad.
We each had a Sprecher root beer.
The bill was about $10, or $5/person.
JM and Nichole both gave Artamos an A (see our grading rubric).

We're big fans of Artamos for many reasons. Of course, there's the meat: they have a great selection of organic meats, both fresh and frozen, including a case for the Priske's Highland beef. They have organic milk in returnable glass bottles (pricey but oh so worth it), as well as Jones Soda and Sprecher. Their "open" sign is always correct. Their web site is blessedly free of the unwieldy PDF menus that plague most non-chain restaurants (and many chains). Their party platters are a hit. They're always quick with a smile - and any conscientious meat-eater who's ever been sneered at by a co-op checker will appreciate that.

And, certainly, the meals. JM's not yet had the pleasure of a hot lunch from Artamos, but Nichole can vouch for the scrumptiousness of the meatloaf. Our sandwiches this time exceeded our expectations, being generously portioned and expertly assembled. They even came with crunchy dill pickle spears.

Artamos is a very welcome addition to the west side's organic food options. Butcher shop, sandwich shop, & milk in glass make Artamos a must for anyone who cares about what goes into the food they eat.

Comments

[Kyle]

Me: Londonport roast beef, provolone, horseradish, stone ground mustard, with L and T on French hoagie roll. And an Honest Tea Black Forest Berry iced tea.

Her: Ovengold turkey, mayo, L and T on a French hoagie roll. And a Lakefront Brewery Golden Maple root beer.

Man. We've had the meats here before (always makes the family jealous when we bring bison burgers camping), and the brat frys are good. But these sandwiches were awesome. Just perfect. Nothing whatsoever to complain about. This is a great place to go for any occasion that requires eating.

[Kyle]

Just an update to say that the hot cappicolla is so, SO good. With provolone and banana peppers, it's even better.

[nichole]

Grilled some of their house-made citrus berry chicken sausages this weekend - very tasty on their own, very sweet and wintry somehow. Would probably go well with a savory side (I'm fixating on couscous with pistachios for some reason).

[Kyle]

DAMN YOU PEOPLE AND YOUR CURSE.

Artamos is closed.

[catwoman]

WHAT????? No way! They CLOSED???? OMG - I am stunned. What a huge loss!

[Timmy]

this is really really unfortunate. are we sure they're just not moving locations? besides being madison's best butchers they had better sandwiches than 90% of the sandwich shops in town.

[catwoman]

I read in the paper that a lot of the grocery stores now carry organic meat, so they were having a hard time competing - especially in this economy. So they're definitely out of business and not just moving. Boo hoo hoo! They had the greatest subs in town!!!

[Heather]

This is a shame - but I did notice that Woodmans now carry's bison. Still - I'll miss the freshness of Artomos' meat and fantastic sandwiches.

[Nichole]

News of the artist of Artamos' sausages surfaces in the Journal Sentinel, hooray! (Also years ago in the State Journal, but I missed it first time around.)

[Kyle]

I think it's cute that the author of the MJS piece capitalizes cacio e pepe as if it were a proper name. It'd make a great pen name for a food writer.

[...note to self: make reservations under Cacio E. Pepe from now on.]