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"Opened at the end of 2021 as part of a multi-million dollar renovation of the Mingei International Museum at Balboa Park, Artifact occupies the museum’s ground floor and presents a sleek, modern dining room operated by the local hospitality collective Urban Kitchen Group (Cucina Urbana, Cucina Enoteca), which also runs the museum’s more casual Craft Cafe. I note its eclectic, global menu reflects the museum’s diverse collection; it serves lunch Tuesday through Sunday and dinner Thursday and Friday, and it also features a unique once-a-month family-style tasting dinner—led by executive chef Jeff Armstrong and chef Tony Coito—where the chefs explore a different international cuisine through a multi-course menu (the June 15 dinner will focus on dishes inspired by the southeast African coast). With this new “new discovery” distinction on Michelin’s site, Artifact could now be in the running for a coveted Michelin star or Bib Gourmand status, the latter described as a designation given to “select restaurants that offer good quality food for good value.”" - Candice Woo
Nonprofit employing diverse workforce creating high-quality American goods