Come for the art, stay for the eats: museum food pleases

With the second round of midterms over and finals seemingly far away, now is the perfect time to catch up on what we’ve all been too busy to do: take advantage of New York City museums.

In addition to traveling exhibitions and permanent collections, many museums house cafés or even full restaurants to serve the hungry museum-goer. Usually, however, the food is sold at student-unfriendly prices and tastes only slightly better than train station fare.

By the virtue of monopoly and the fact that most visitors are single-visit tourists, museum cafés understandably lack the incentive to improve their offerings or to lower their prices. Yet a few have managed to bring their gastronomic fare up to the level of their exhibits and are sure to please Columbia students, whether alone, with friends or family, or on a date.

Upon entering the Guggenheim Café (89th Street and Fifth Avenue), you will be greeted by the chic and cozy ambience emanating from the red wall decorated with black-and-white pictures.

From noon to 3 p.m. the Café offers specials, such as smoked trout with apple salad ($13.95), butternut squash soup with grilled cheese ($10.25), or a cheese plate ($9.95), in addition to pre-made sandwiches (around $10), salads (around $5), and a variety of baked pastries including cupcakes from Crumbs. Coffees and teas are served as well as beers and wines.

Spoiled by the hefty portions available at Lerner, I was instantly disappointed by the four bite-sized slices of grilled cheese that came with my yogurt-sized soup, but the food was fresh and more fulfilling than I expected. With above-average Pain Au Chocolate ($3) and scones ($2.75), the Guggenheim Café is a decent place to rest after a long stroll through exhibits.

For brunch, however, Sarabeth’s at the Whitney Museum (75th Street and Madison Avenue) is a sure winner, especially since its price range is lower than the New York chain’s other locations. Brunch menus are offered Monday through Friday only, and slightly more expensive menus are available on weekends.

The Whitney menus are more limited than those at other Sarabeth’s locations, but staples like tuna salad on toasted sourdough with tomato salad ($13.75) and scrambled eggs with smoked salmon and pumpkin muffin ($10.25) make this Sarabeth’s no less appealing than other branches of the restaurant.

For those looking for a quick bite and maybe some coffee, the Whitney Museum also houses a tiny café with pre-made sandwiches and pastries from Sarabeth’s. A must-try is the Chocolate Chubbie ($1.50), which stands somewhere between a brownie and a cookie, and is a simply irresistible combination of nuts and chocolate.

But the hidden gem among the museum cafés in upper Manhattan is Garden Court Café, located in the lobby of the Asia Society and Museum (70th Street and Park Avenue). Glass-enclosed and light-filled, the Café is bright and spacious, and flowering vines and trees add soothing comfort to décor that already makes visitors feel as if they are spending a sunny afternoon in a garden.

As might be expected, the entire menu has an Asian flair, with heavy use of sesame oil and Oriental spices. The Garden Court turkey burger ($16) is served with wasabi ketchup and comes with sweet-potato chips and fresh salad garnished with black sesame. The portions are generous, and while the chips were a little too salty for my taste, the patty made of ground turkey meat and vegetables was juicy and chewy.

The old ladies sitting near me who tried Thai omelets with salad actually went to the kitchen to thank the staff for their best meal ever at a museum restaurant. A wide selection of fresh long-leaf loose teas is also available ($4.50) to help relax and cleanse your palate.

The Garden Court Café, however, has short hours and high prices. The kitchen is open from noon to 3 p.m. Tuesday through Friday and 11:30 a.m. to 3 p.m. on weekends. Nevertheless, attentive staff and meticulous service as well as great food and ambience make this café worth a special occasion visit. Besides, you deserve a little luxury for surviving midterms.