Museums are increasingly integrating their culinary offerings into their wider cultural missions, from pop-up banquets in historic settings to food-inspired artworks (like Picasso’s Glass of Absinthe), art is making its way onto dinner tables.
Tina Howe’s 1979 play The Art of Dining takes place at Cal and Ellen’s recently opened restaurant. Their diners portray an exquisite burlesque of contemporary attitudes: an intense middle aged couple, three crass chic young career women and an inept writer meeting his prospective publisher for dinner.
Beverly Hills
Beverly Hills is well-known for its celebrity residents, luxurious estates and flagship stores on Rodeo Drive; however, this city offers more than high-end shopping – its tree-lined streets, verdant parks and gourmet food shops all contribute to its distinctive character.
Although navigating the many restaurants in the area can be intimidating, there are a few restaurants worth keeping an eye out for. Tatel stands out thanks to its plant-filled interior which pairs perfectly with brown booths and wood tables; and its menu boasts classic Mediterranean fare like crisp Iberian ham croquettes with lime mayonnaise as well as refreshing Andalusian squid bathed in it. Plus the bar serves a selection of cocktails from locally inspired flavors to those with unique twists!
If you still feel peckish after dining at Spago, make a stop at California Churrigueresque architecture-influenced Spago where their menu draws upon ground-breaking artists such as John Baldessari who pioneered altered and adjusted photographic imagery, or Ed Ruscha whose works helped define West Coast Pop art. After dining, visit one of Spago’s specialty sweets shops nearby to finish your experience!
New York City
With tourism numbers on the upswing, some of the city’s best tables have become even more in-demand than ever. Fancy spots, casual hangouts and even diners (see below) all vie for your attention and spending power.
Estela in Manhattan could easily win gold at any restaurant Olympics for artistic food presentation; however, this upscale and seductive dining room above Houston Street offers much more than simply artfully plating raw scallops on flattened dates.
Lever House’s chic Milanese spot, popular among media denizens and hedge fund titans for power lunches and after-work drinks, has also gained notoriety as an art gallery. Damien Hirst’s works adorning its walls include Since the Majority of Me Rejects the Majority of You (2006) featuring butterflies emblazoned on canvas; other rooms of this multi-room space offer open and private dining areas as well as secret gardens, subterranean lounges, flower shops that double up as bars; just some of this space’s many features!
Philadelphia
Philadelphia is well known for its galleries filled with heroic history paintings and abstract experiments; rarely can one spot scenes depicting people eating. Luckily, Philadelphia boasts an abundant restaurant scene to satisfy your hunger pangs!
One of the city’s iconic culinary scenes, Her Place stands as an iconic model of intimate yet communal fine dining experiences. Diners sit close together while listening to chef Amanda Shulman offer advice such as her Jersey scallops being superior or how her brisket croquette with peppers reminds her of a deli sandwich – all while enjoying delicious cuisine prepared in this intimate, cozy environment. Her Place has become a model of this increasingly common form of dining out.
Stir, the new lunch spot at Philadelphia Museum of Art designed by Frank Gehry’s Core Project to revamp and transform the museum, opened for lunch service this past Friday and offers localized dishes such as burgers and pizza, as well as rotating selections that showcase regional cooking traditions.
Boston
As Boston is home to an exclusive old-world society, its food scene rarely receives much national or international recognition. But that is beginning to change. A rising generation of chefs–such as Michael Scelfo of Alden & Harlow, Cassie Piuma of Sarma, Jeremy Sewall of Row 34 and Will Gilson’s Puritan & Company–has opened restaurants that could easily compete with those found in Los Angeles, San Francisco or New York.
Boston Thestaurant tend to embrace new trends and ingredients with enthusiasm. At Liquid Art House, sleek-haired women in dresses and heels make their way past a circular marble bar featuring half-nude pixie waif murals graffitied with the words, “Compared to what?”.
Ethnic enclaves have become an inspiration for chefs, too. At Sarma, chef Vinh Le transports diners thousands of miles away with dishes like black rice topped with lemongrass duck confit and noodle salad, along with unique cocktails that reflect its Boston location – creating a dining experience as tantalizing as its setting itself.