restaurants

Enjoy a painting with your steak. These famous cultural complexes combine art and music with dishes that are creations in their own right.

You know the drill. You swear to yourself that you’ll see more than the inside of the conference room and your hotel room on your next business trip, but you never quite find the time to see that blockbuster exhibit or concert you’ve heard so much about. Next time, break the habit: Be proactive and book your business lunch or dinner at the museum or performing arts center you’re keen to visit. Many of these complexes boast excellent restaurants serving gourmet fare in sophisticated settings, often with big-name chefs attached. Not only will you impress your clients with your in-theknow dining choice, you’ll also finally get to enjoy some world-class cultural offerings.

Palettes

Denver, Colorado
100 West 14th Avenue Parkway
303-534-1455; ktrg.net

The Denver Art Museum—which just unveiled its Daniel Libeskind–designed expansion, the Frederic C. Hamilton Building—has also updated its restaurant, Palettes. The airy space boasts plenty of natural sunlight, and paintings from local artists line the walls. There’s also a function space for 80 people. Executive chef Kevin Taylor, who owns numerous Colorado restaurants, including the award-winning Restaurant Kevin Taylor at the Hotel Teatro, cooks unpretentious contemporary American cuisine. Standout appetizers include golden potato and leek chowder and tuna tartare with cucumber guacamole, while entrées range from roast chicken with a tarragon mustard sauce to seared diver scallops with cauliflower panna cotta. And be sure to save room for pastry chef Jason Lebeau’s sinfully rich creations, like butterscotch pudding with walnut shortbread.

Cadence

Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
260 South Broad Street
215-670-2388; kimmelcenter.org

The Kimmel Center for the Performing Arts, which just celebrated its fifth anniversary, is housed in a stunning glass-and-steel structure with a 150foot vaulted glass ceiling. The center, designed by noted architect Rafael Vinoly, houses numerous theaters and is home to eight performing arts groups, including the Philadelphia Orchestra. Its fine-dining restaurant, Cadence, is helmed by chef Robert Miracle (who trained at Rococo on Walnut Street) and serves French bistro-style cuisine such as a smoked duck arugula salad, three-onion soup, poached King salmon with a prosciutto-wrapped potato, and seared filet mignon with Stilton fritters. Small plates and cocktails are served in the bar/lounge area, with views of Commerce Plaza below and the complex’s soaring ceiling above.

The Modern

New York, New York
9 West 53rd Street
212-333-1220; themodernnyc.com

After checking out the priceless Picassos and Matisses at the Museum of Modern Art (MoMA), dine at the museum’s restaurant, owned by Danny Meyer of Union Square Café and Gramercy Tavern. Choose from the Dining Room, a soaring minimalist space with sleek Arne Jackson chairs overlooking the famed Abby Aldrich Rockefeller Sculpture Garden; or the more casual Bar Room, where small plates are served (the bar always seems to be buzzing, especially with the after-work crowd). The French-American cuisine comes courtesy of executive chef Gabriel Kreuther, formerly of the Atelier at the Ritz-Carlton, and the wine list is 900 bottles strong. Enjoy dishes such as monkfish with wild mushrooms and fingerling potatoes, or chorizo-crusted cod with a white cocoa bean purée, all presented so beautifully they might as well be works of art themselves.

Patina

Los Angeles, California

141 South Grand Avenue
213-972-3331; patinagroup.com

The gleaming Walt Disney Concert Hall, home to the Los Angeles Philharmonic, has been credited with rejuvenating Los Angeles’ downtown. And Patina, the center’s fine-dining restaurant, fits brilliantly with architect Frank Gehry’s sleek design. Chef/owner Joachim Splichel’s innovative menu features entrées like caramelized Alaskan halibut filet with a wild mushroom ragout, and roasted Colorado lamb loin with a vegetable terrine. Patina is also known for its fabulous cheese cart, with dozens of varieties ranging from Asiago to Zamorano. The chef’s table, with space for 12, is the most sought-after seating in the house—its out-of-the-way location is ideal for business meetings. There is also a private room, and the patio for alfresco dining sits in the shadow of the building’s dramatic stainless steel facade.

20•21 Restaurant

Minneapolis, Minnesota
1750 Hennepin Avenue
612-253-3410; wolfgangpuck.com

The Walker Art Center, fresh from a recent renovation, now boasts the 20•21 Restaurant by Hollywood celebrity chef Wolfgang Puck. The minimalist space, named for the Walker’s collection of 20th- and 21stcentury art, features floor-to-ceiling windows offering exceptional views of downtown Minneapolis. The Asian-influenced California cuisine, prepared under the direction of Scott Irestone, includes a crispy fried calamari salad with a Thai chile dressing, lobster in a coconut curry sauce and roasted Cantonese duck with a hoisin plum sauce. And in a tribute to the Walker Center’s most famous sculpture—Spoonbridge and Cherry, Claes Oldenburg’s whimsical 55-foot spoon topped by a 15-foot Bing cherry—the dessert menu includes an edible replica made with German chocolate cake and a sour cherry sauce.

The Dining Gallery

Here are few other stellar restaurants in leading cultural institutions.

Bravo

Boston, Massachusetts
465 Huntington Avenue
617-369-3474; mfa.org

Dine on grilled lamb chops with roasted sweet potato or a lobster sandwich with a wasabi remoulade in this stylish restaurant, located in the West Wing of the Museum of Fine Arts. You can also enjoy wine tastings on the last Wednesday of each month.

Cornell Café

Delray Beach, Florida
4000 Morikami Park Road
561-495-0233; morikami.org

Learn about Japanese arts at the Morikami Museum, located in one of the most serene settings in South Florida. The Cornell Café serves a Pan-Asian menu, including sushi and tempura, and overlooks the beautiful Japanese gardens.

Café at the Frick

Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
7227 Reynolds Street
412-371-0600; frickart.org

This restaurant at the Frick Art & Historical Center is known for its lovely views of the landscaped grounds, excellent cuisine (stuffed pear salad, chicken-and-sage tart, squash-filled ravioli, etc.) and an afternoon tea service.

De Young Café

San Francisco, California
50 Hagiwara Tea Garden Drive
415-750-2614; thinker.org

Located at the De Young Museum in Golden Gate Park, this casual café features a menu with local products such as Cowgirl Creamery cheese, Niman Ranch beef and Peet’s coffee.

Zola

Washington, D.C.
800 F Street NW
202-654-0999; zoladc.com

At Zola, adjacent to the International Spy Museum, glass panels display Cold War spy documents. The restrooms are hidden behind a revolving door, so you feel like you’ve stepped into a spy movie as you dine on new American cuisine.

_________________________________________________

jill fergus is a freelance writer based in New York. Email Jill at editor@executivetravelmag.com.