Recently in Museum Restaurants Category
We went to MOMA one Saturday morning, right when they opened, thinking we'd miss the crowds. We didn't. We found ourselves at the end of a very long line that wasn't even going to start moving for another half an hour. So Todd proposed a membership; at $75 it would pay for itself after just two visits. He went off to investigate while I got all excited about being able to spend cold winter afternoons at the museum instead of in my tiny apartment, so when he came back with a higher figure we decided to go for it anyway. So we basically paid $120 so we wouldn't have to stand in line one Saturday morning (which makes us sound extravagant, but when you consider what we pay for Gymboree classes . . .). I've already been once more so I don't think it was a bad move. And the cafe turns out to be very baby-friendly, especially during off times.
The menu, as far as I remember, is mainly panini and soups, and all we've had so far are the sandwiches (and a really yummy, puffy pear tart). It's not too difficult to maneuver with a baby and they have those fancy high chairs that pull right up to the communal tables. They only let in people if there's seating available, then you go to the cashier and place your order. They give you a card with a number that you put up wherever you end up sitting. Then they bring you cutlery, napkins, drinks (except water, which is self-serve) and your food. If you decide you want dessert or more food, there's another cashier. When I went there alone during off-hours the hostess and some of the waitstaff got the chair for me and played with August while I finished his mozzarella panini and apple slices (which he did eat a bit of, but melted fresh mozzarella has kind of a weird, rubbery texture so he wasn't sure it was really food).
The first time we went I had the bruscetta trio: a white bean and fennel topping; fresh ricotta and roasted bell pepper; and proscuitto (if I remember right) with an apple mostarda (kind of an applesauce with spicy mustard seeds), which I really liked, although I thought it had a little too much of the mostarda (I just scraped some off). The also have some pastas, but next time I think I'll try the soup; I've seen other people enjoying it.
The Met has revamped their dining options and we ate in their new cafeteria this weekend: What a relief to finally have someplace to eat when we go to there! The immediate vicinity is kind of a wasteland, so even though the cafeteria has "we know we have a captive audience" prices ($30 for two, including drinks and desserts), the thoughtful food selections make it a good choice. (We're determined to try Cafe Sabarsky at the Neue Museum sometime, but we nervous about taking August today--he hadn't napped all day.)
They have fresh-squeezed juices and smoothies, a grill that today was serving reubens (which Todd had), entrees like salmon with mango salsa, an antipasto bar and a salad bar, a sandwich bar with pressed sandwiches and interesting choices (the turkey, pear and St. Andre caught my eye). I went for a selection from the two bars, which cost 60 cents an ounce (which translates to $9.60 a pound, which is why they describe it in ounces). Good choices though. I had mixed greens with cold salmon, roasted yellow peppers, marinated mixed mushrooms with pearl onions, a blue potato salad with calamari and curried couscous with golden raisins, figs and dried apricots. Only the potato salad was bad, with rubbery calamari and mushy potatoes. The couscous was actually really good. And Todd liked his fries, too.
Good drink selection, with fancy-pants beverages like imported lemonade, Izze fruit drinks and Boyle's sodas. The desserts, though, are what had me running around the place like a puppy whose family all arrived home at once: mini coconut and chocolate cakes, berry and apricot-frangipane tarts, gorgeous cupcakes from Crumbs, giant cookies from another local baker, Krispie Kreme doughnuts for the tourists. We had an almond-macaroon sandwich made in their bakery, which was two almond paste-dense macaroons sandwiching chocolate ganache. So good. So good.
Then at the cashier they have all these impulse buys: Cote d'Or chocolates, mints in fancy silver credit-card shaped packages, Joseph Schmidt chocolate bars. I grabbed one with dark chocolate and lemom, but the biscotti ones sounded good, too. Am I a sucker? Perhaps. But I had fun and it tasted good. Plus my low expectations resulted in a pleasurable surprise.
The Met has revamped their dining options and we ate in their new cafeteria this weekend: What a relief to finally have someplace to eat when we go to there! The immediate vicinity is kind of a wasteland, so even though the cafeteria has "we know we have a captive audience" prices ($30 for two, including drinks and desserts), the thoughtful food selections make it a good choice. (We're determined to try Cafe Sabarsky at the Neue Museum sometime, but we nervous about taking August today--he hadn't napped all day.)
They have fresh-squeezed juices and smoothies, a grill that today was serving reubens (which Todd had), entrees like salmon with mango salsa, an antipasto bar and a salad bar, a sandwich bar with pressed sandwiches and interesting choices (the turkey, pear and St. Andre caught my eye). I went for a selection from the two bars, which cost 60 cents an ounce (which translates to $9.60 a pound, which is why they describe it in ounces). Good choices though. I had mixed greens with cold salmon, roasted yellow peppers, marinated mixed mushrooms with pearl onions, a blue potato salad with calamari and curried couscous with golden raisins, figs and dried apricots. Only the potato salad was bad, with rubbery calamari and mushy potatoes. The couscous was actually really good. And Todd liked his fries, too.
Good drink selection, with fancy-pants beverages like imported lemonade, Izze fruit drinks and Boyle's sodas. The desserts, though, are what had me running around the place like a puppy whose family all arrived home at once: mini coconut and chocolate cakes, berry and apricot-frangipane tarts, gorgeous cupcakes from Crumbs, giant cookies from another local baker, Krispie Kreme doughnuts for the tourists. We had an almond-macaroon sandwich made in their bakery, which was two almond paste-dense macaroons sandwiching chocolate ganache. So good. So good.
Then at the cashier they have all these impulse buys: Cote d'Or chocolates, mints in fancy silver credit-card shaped packages, Joseph Schmidt chocolate bars. I grabbed one with dark chocolate and lemom, but the biscotti ones sounded good, too. Am I a sucker? Perhaps. But I had fun and it tasted good. Plus my low expectations resulted in a pleasurable surprise.
