LOVE them.
Grew up eating them and thought everyone did. When I re-located to Colorado for a few years, no one knew what they were, let alone how to cook and eat them. A dear friend from New York was entirely baffled when I explained how to eat them.
I serve them often, like them plain - detest the idea of mayonnaise even butter on the leaves - my mother cooked them several times a month, we loved them - but then her family was from Watsonville, Castroville and the surrounding area, the artichoke growing capitols of the world.
My parents ate them, they were from California in the 50’s and 60’s, see previous post, but I never much cared for them.................
The first time that I ate artichokes (that I can recall) is when my family was on one of our epic summer vacations where we drove in our station wagon from Florida to Alaska, and tent camped there and back. On the way back from Alaska, Dad drove down the Pacific coast. We often stopped at roadside stands buying whatever fresh produce was available. Mom had found several artichokes at one stand when we got to California. They eventually found a picnic table in the middle of nowhere but on a sandy, rocky beach. We had sandwiches and also artichokes that were steamed and dipped in melted butter. I was ten. It was windy as all get out, so there was some sand in with the artichoke leaves. That part I didn’t like, but I do love artichokes now! They are a real treat, especially when you’re visiting near where they’re grown.