A cease at a museum café rivals a visit via the reward store on any go to. Pittsburgh museums cater to the appetites of youngsters and adults alike with high quality meals and tempting menus that replicate the establishment’s mission, perspective and patrons.
With some changes round Covid questions of safety, these cafés as soon as once more are welcoming diners for a pause between exploring exhibitions or assembly pals for completely satisfied hour or a full-blown meal.
Admission isn’t required for eating in any of those museum cafés so preserve them in thoughts for a cease when you’re within the neighborhood.
The Café Carnegie. Picture by Sally Quinn.
1. The Café Carnegie
The Café Carnegie is a chic full-service restaurant that parallels the Carnegie Museum of Art’s sophistication. Overlooking the water characteristic on the museum’s predominant entrance, the gorgeous house invitations leisurely dialog over impressed dishes ready by Government Chef Doug Genovese.
Toast your companions with a handcrafted cocktail such because the colorfully layered Glowing Dawn, a Prosecco Spritz or The Café Carnegie Bloody Mary.
Savor giant plates like Grilled Shrimp served over creamy polenta with sofrito and fried jalapeno or Wild Mushroom Risotto with kale, delicata squash and Manchego cheese. For meat lovers, there’s Brief Rib Pappardelle made with mirepoix, thyme and lemon crème fraîche.
Small plates, salads and sandwiches can be found, too. Nibble on Goat Cheese Crostini with roasted beets and Marcona almonds. Or poached Salmon Salad with a hearty mixture of purple lentils, roasted celeriac, inexperienced beans, winter greens and pine nuts tossed in a zesty Dijon French dressing.
Traditionalists would possibly go for the turkey and bacon membership sandwich or the Brisket & Brief Rib Burger, whereas the Apple & Brie Panini will enchantment to vegetarians.
Hanging out with choosy youngsters? You’ll be able to fulfill their easy tastes with a scorching canine or grilled cheese with Barmy Soda Firm Root Beer.
These on the lookout for a extra informal break can cease by the Coffee and Wire Bar simply exterior The Café Carnegie. Anticipate specialty Commonplace espresso drinks, a full bar, craft beer and cask wines on faucet. Slide onto a barstool or get cozy within the lounge space along with your drinks. Head there for completely satisfied hour on Thursdays when the museum is open late.
The Café Carnegie is open Wednesday via Monday from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. and accepts online reservations. The Espresso and Wine Bar is open on Monday and Wednesday via Sunday from 10 a.m. to five p.m.
Café Phipps. Picture courtesy of Phipps Conservatory & Botanical Gardens.
2. Café Phipps
Café Phipps at Phipps Conservatory and Botanical Gardens has the excellence of being named to Meals & Wine journal’s 2019 checklist of the nation’s greatest museum eating places, citing its health-focused menu and a focus to sustainability. The café’s mission is to create meals that’s not solely good for patrons but additionally good for the planet. Diners can discover quite a lot of dishes which are vegetarian, vegan, gluten-free, dairy-free — and scrumptious. In season, café cooks make the most of recent herbs, greens and greens picked from the location’s edible backyard.
A specialty of the home and ideal for a wintry day, the Cuban Fashion Chickpea Stew blends butternut squash, candy potatoes, chickpeas and Cuban spices served over rice. Seize-and-go dishes embody a considerable Harvest Salad, Curried Chickpea Wrap and Carolina Mustard Pulled Pork Sandwich.
Meals for teenagers embody an Almond Butter and Berry Sandwich served on entire wheat bread and Gluten-Free Pasta topped with a vegetable Bolognese sauce. Each are served with carrot sticks, Greek yogurt ranch dressing, salad and milk. Different treats embody yogurt parfait and fruit salad.
Together with eliminating junk meals, Café Phipps eliminated soda with excessive sugar content material. As a substitute, order a signature Phipps Splash, a mix of recent fruit juice and seltzer. Grownups can take pleasure in a refreshing bottle of beer or glass of wine.
Café Phipps is open day by day from 11 a.m. to three p.m.
Picture courtesy of the Bean Sprouts Café.
2. Bean Sprouts Café
Billed as a hip and wholesome café, the award-winning Bean Sprouts eatery feeds youngsters at 20 household locations throughout the nation, The latest location is on the Children’s Museum of Pittsburgh. The house had been open to households who tote their very own eats. Now, mother and father get a break from packing lunchboxes with an interesting menu that children are certain to like.
The intelligent Imaginibbles part of the menu affords child faves with foolish names and artistic plating. Grilledzilla is a gooey grilled cheese, minimize right into a jagged mouth with cucumber and olive eyes. Spaceadilla is a rocket-shaped rooster quesadilla. Crocamole appears like a crocodile with guacamole and veggie dippers. The Flutter Chunk is a turkey and cheddar sandwich that resembles a butterfly.
Mother and father recognize that Bean Sprouts adheres to natural and sustainable meals sourcing. Be at liberty to substitute in accordance with allergic reactions and preferences, like switching normal pizza to a cauliflower crust or selecting gluten-free bread.
Extra grownup gadgets embody salads just like the Mediterran-Yum and the BBCoop with barbeque rooster. From the connoisseur sandwiches, standouts embody Tuna Dillight, served chilly or as an open-faced soften, and the recent Rooster Pesto Chango that features mozzarella, sun-dried and recent tomatoes, drizzled with balsamic French dressing on a ciabatta roll. There’s additionally a spread of scorching and iced coffees, fruity smoothies and tempting treats, too.
Bean Sprouts Café is open day by day from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m., serving scorching meals till 3 p.m. and drinks and snacks till 4 p.m.
RiverView Cafe at Carnegie Science Heart. Picture by Sally Quinn.
3. Riverview Café
On a vivid day, the RiverView Café at Carnegie Science Center is the proper spot to catch a number of rays glinting off the Ohio River. Watch tugboats pushing barges upriver simply previous the USS Requin submarine. The café is a good place to rendezvous for a lunch break throughout a day of high-energy SportsWorks play and absorbing scientific data.
RiverView Café caters to all ages with a recent, made-to-order menu. Wholesome choices embody a Rooster Caesar Salad and a Spicy Black Bean Burger with Pepper Jack Cheese. Order pizza by the slice or the pie. Deli decisions — such because the Tuna Salad Croissant and Roast Beef with Cheddar on an Onion Roll — include a facet of macaroni salad. Little ones will probably be pleased with a Children Meal of a PB&J, hand-breaded rooster tenders or grilled cheese. You’ll discover plenty of grab-and-go snacks, too: yogurt, fruit cups, hummus with pretzels, and string cheese.
For security, the variety of tables has been lowered with loads of house in between households.
Riverview Cafe is open from 10 a.m. to three p.m. Wednesday via Monday.
Picture courtesy of The Frick Pittsburgh.
4. The Café on the Frick
We had been delighted to see the reopening of The Café at the Frick on the Level Breeze campus of The Frick Pittsburgh. The newly refinished café is taking a gradual however regular method returning to its former degree of eating. At the moment, diners order on the counter and are seated to await supply of their meals. Hours are restricted and no reservations are being accepted. The hope is to increase hours and eating choices, together with including picnic fare, night dinners hosted by visiting cooks and excessive tea.
In the meantime, the meals stays top-notch for a brunch gathering or lunch break. Share a charcuterie board of Parma sausage, gherkins and olives or an assortment of flatbreads. Strive the personal-sized quiche with wild mushrooms, sausage, spinach and Swiss cheese.
Sandwiches are filled with impressed fillings on quite a lot of bread: Turkey and Smoked Cheddar arrives with apple bacon jam and arugula on a pretzel bun. Black Forest Ham and Swiss consists of tomato and greens on rye with a swipe of brown mustard. A ciabattini roll works as the bottom for the Roast Beef and Provolone Sandwich, matched with horseradish mayo and blended greens.
Recent-baked scones, blueberry muffins and cookies are additionally accessible. Nevertheless it’s not possible to withstand the nice and cozy Ache au Chocolat, a chocolate-filled croissant. A scaled-down afternoon tea service has simply returned, however with out the fanciful tiered plate stand. Present tea service features a pair of finger sandwiches, a scone with house-made clotted cream, a cookie and recent berries, alongside along with your alternative of free leaf tea.
We’re trying ahead to heat sunny days once we can take pleasure in patio eating at one among our favourite outside spots.
The Café on the Frick is open from 11 a.m. to three p.m. Thursday via Sunday.
Decide up lunch at Atria’s Kookaburra Kitchen and luxuriate in it within the Nationwide Aviary’s Backyard Room foyer. Picture by Sally Quinn.
5. Atria’s Kookaburra Kitchen
The National Aviary accommodates household appetites with Atria’s Kookaburra Kitchen. Make your decisions as you progress alongside the counter, then carry your meals to the sunny Backyard Room foyer, the place tables are unfold out within the open house.
Children will discover pleasure in rooster tenders with fries, pizza and smooth pretzels with cheese dip. Grownups can select from a Rooster Salad Croissant, BLT Wrap or Inexperienced Salad. Look ahead to specials like Pot Roast Nachos, Black Forest Cake and the soup of the day.
Decide from quite a lot of packaged treats: yogurt granola parfait, recent fruit, Uncrustable Peanut Butter and Jelly Sandwiches and apple sauce cups. The freezer shares too many ice cream delights to checklist.
Atria’s Specialty Catering hosts occasional brunches for extra formal household outings, too. They’re held within the Backyard Room, the place weddings and different particular occasions are booked. Graze on dishes akin to Firecracker Rooster and Waffles, Cinnamon French Toast and Smoked Mozzarella Ravioli. The Valentine’s Day Brunch affords two seatings on Feb. 13. Aviary admission is included within the value of $55 ($35 for teenagers). Mark your calendar for upcoming bunches deliberate for Easter, Mom’s Day and Father’s Day.
Atria’s Kookaburra Kitchen is open day by day from 11 a.m. to three p.m.
