Saturday, October 11, 2014

Lindner Family Café at Taft Museum of Art

Artful dining with a theme and views

The Inside Café
     We've walked through the café several times on our way to the museum, pausing at the diner's fare and views into the gardens beyond. We actually tried to dine in the garden area for a free concert series once a couple of years ago. It turned into an awkward situation that we tossed aside to the time of
day and a staff shift change. Those things happen.  This time we were there to see Paris Night & Day: Masterworks of Photography from Atget to Man Ray and decided to sample the menu designed expressly for the exhibit.

Superb Soups
     Chef Luke Radkey has taken his cue from a Parisian restaurant, La Poule au Pot.  He's chosen classic dishes inspired from the place where the artists dined and conversed.  We started with soups that were not particularly rooted in French cuisine, but none-the-less magnifique.  Eric's was a Chicken with Homemade Dumplings and mine was Shrimp and Corn Chowder.  The soup selection changes daily, but if these are any examples of the usual quality, then I would highly recommend them.

Salade Pommes Anna
Eric chose Salade Pommes Anna of mixed greens, cubed butternut squash, thinly sliced radishes, and potato straws.  All were positioned over Pommes Anna—finely sliced and fried potatoes and served with a creamy balsamic dressing.  A beautiful autumn mix with clever taste combinations.
Croque Monsieur
My Croque Monsieur was presented cut diagonally, which showed off the ham and Emmenthaler cheese inside.  A classic croque would have been grilled, but this was on toasted bread.  It didn't make a bit of difference.  I enjoyed it through and through.  My only critique would be that the Mornay Sauce could have been a bit creamier.  


      I'm not sure if the café uses the museum's exhibits to elevate their menu all of the time, but it's something they should consider.  It certainly added to the whole experience as did our service, which we found to be attentive and professional.

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