Tag: Food Is Art

Food: It is the utmost undervalued form of artistic expression in the history of art. As it beckons to belong to the reigning crowds of contemporary art, food is still considered a separate form of emotional and creative expression – maintaining its desire for inclusiveness and full support of the art world.

Just as we can name the works of the greats like Monet’s Water Lilies, Dali’s The Persistence of Memory, and Van Gogh’s Starry Night, we must do the same for the culinary masterpieces of Anthony Bourdain, Wolfgang Puck and Gordon Ramsey. Through their culinary choreography, they touch upon the purest human emotions – bringing their admirers on a journey of exploration and interpretations just like Gustav Klimt and his unraveling journey though detailed paintings.

Food and art are not separate crafts but instead an extension of each other. Over the next few weeks, Mass Foodies will explore the thin line between culinary and artistic skills by visiting an array of art institutions in Massachusetts, in search of answering the question: How do museums view the artistic inclinations of food?

Posted on August 10, 2017May 11, 2018 by Staff Writer

ISG’s Culinary Retreat in a Bustling City

Enjoying the warmer weather we turn to a summer series visiting museums to partake in a summer journey of art and food, after all, #FoodIsArt. (Eat at the Museum of Fine Arts, Boston; Peabody Essex Museum; Worcester Art Museum; Norman Rockwell Museum, Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum… and more).

As a “visionary creator of what remains one of the most remarkable and intimate collections of art in the world today and a dynamic supporter of her time, encouraging music, literature, dance and creative thinking across artistic disciplines,” Isabella Stewart Gardner left an artistic imprint of the Renaissance in the heart of Boston.

The Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum collection is comprised of more than 2,500 objects – paintings, sculptures, furniture, textiles, drawings, silver, ceramics, illuminated manuscripts, rare books, photographs and letters from ancient Rome, Medieval Europe, Renaissance Italy, Asia, the Islamic world and 19^th-century France and America. The museum exudes feelings of complexity and intimacy, birthing an atmosphere of simultaneous tranquility and amazement. The works of art flood the walls with permanency and richness, which slowly parlay into the creative culinary offerings of Café G.

Café G, once known as The Gardner Café, is a historical place of peace due to its embodiment of historical recipes prepared by Isabella Gardner herself. Meals here are characterized by the natural beauty of courtyard dining and deep connections to music and art. The menu is a seasonal interpretation of Gardner’s cultural appreciation and operates under the leadership of Chef and Owner, Peter Crowley. Café G has received praise for its award-winning desserts and inspirational lunch menu.

With a menu as eclectic as the museum’s collection, Café G serves up a commitment to sourcing ingredients of the highest quality from local, independent producers and creates an artistic spin to its seasonal offerings. From the crispy chickpea fries with sriracha aioli to the asparagus ‘wellington’ with morels and sauce gribiche, Café G explores the palates of its guest by emulating the diverse collection of art.

While the main plates are a seasonal staple on an ever-changing menu, Café G boasts a variety of well-versed dishes like the polenta Milanese – with creamy mushrooms and house made ricotta – and Eva’s greens and grilled steak salad – with blue cheese, red onion, toasted almond, and lemon. However, the daily specials are what truly embrace the grand personality of Gardner and her love of the arts.

The salmon – pan seared with pea green, roasted carrots, daikon radish, sugar snap peas, almonds, nasturtium pesto, pink peppercorn dressing, lemon vin on the greens and topped with feta – appeases all of the senses. With an aromatic freshness, the dish lives up to its claim of exclusivity. Ambiance is established by the natural beauty of the Courtyard, an ideal backdrop for the salmon dish paired with Café G’s rosé sangria – a rosé infused with peach, rosemary, and citrus. Elevating the concept of lunch, the Courtyard experience at Café G mimics the perfectly curated philosophies that dictated Gardner’s perpetual fascination.

Named as “Boston’s Best Indulgence” by The Improper Bostonian, the bread pudding is the dessert that fully immerses guests to acknowledge food as an art form. The banana bread pudding is served in a shareable portion with maple pecan butter; this dish deserves its rank at the top of the dessert menu. Accompanied with an espresso, the banana bread pudding is a full representation of Gardner’s larger than life personality.

The Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum is a treasure in Boston’s history and a staple in today’s art culture. With its subtle exterior, the world inside is but a magical emporium – housing some of the greatest periods of art the world has seen – and Café G is an extension of its allure.

Posted on July 17, 2017May 11, 2018 by Staff Writer

The “Rockwellesque” Dining Options of the Norman Rockwell Museum

The Norman Rockwell Museum in Stockbridge, MA is notable for American Illustration Art and a setting for #foodisart.

From The Problems We All Live With – a 1964 iconic painting depicting Ruby Bridges, a six-year old African American girl on her way to William Frantz Elementary School, an all-white public school during the New Orleans desegregation crisis – to the Four Freedoms – a series of four 1943 oil paintings referencing President Roosevelt’s Four Freedoms State of the Union address – Norman Rockwell’s art epitomizes the essence of American life. Between the raw edges of his later work that infused the concerns of Americans with depictions of poverty, race and war to his optimistic outlook on the simple charmed country life, Rockwell portrayed the country through a clear lens and marked his expressions as an American tradition. Breathing life into the Rockwell legacy stands the Norman Rockwell Museum in Stockbridge, Massachusetts – the town he called home for the last 25 years of his life.

The Connoisseur at the The Norman Rockwell Museum in Stockbridge, MA.

The museum itself is ‘Rockwellesque,’ housing the largest and most significant of his works in the Berkshires. To complement its portrayal of the life Rockwell built through his paintings, the museum offers an equally appropriate ‘Rockwellian’ rendition with its culinary offerings.

Catered by executive chef Brian Alberg of The Red Lion Inn – a staple inn in New England since the 18^th century and a supporter of the artistic traditions through artist residencies and pop-up performances – the Terrace Café is a simplistic adaptation of Rockwell’s America. The Terrace Café overlooks picturesque Berkshires scenery, offering a seasonal dining area reminiscent of Stockbridge’s charming beginnings. Adorned with flowers pots, American flags and the sweet smell of fresh air, it balances the reasonings of Rockwell’s artistic style and encourages life’s imitation of art.

Chef Alberg – an active culinary member of Chefs Collaborative and Boston Chefs as well as the founding chair of Berkshire Farm & Table – understands the food movement of the Berkshires and Hudson Valley and intertwines his beliefs of freshness into the picture-perfect frame built by Rockwell. Dishes at the Norman Rockwell Museum ring true to the American family’s traditional views on what lunch is comprised of: sandwiches, salads and sweets.

The Freedom from Want at the The Norman Rockwell Museum in Stockbridge, MA.

The three S’s ring true to the guests of the museum with names meant to embody Rockwell’s famous works like The Connoisseur – marinated grilled veggies with Monterey goat cheese on focaccia bread – The Runaway – a roast beef with horseradish mayo on a challah bread – and The Freedom from Want – a turkey breast sandwich with cranberry mayo, lettuce, and stuffing on multi-grain bread. While many may argue that Rockwell’s museum deserves a menu of sophistication and fine cuisine to celebrate his legacy, it would be counterproductive to the museum, its guests and his work. The menu –carefully crafted to include references to his art, like the stuffing in The Freedom of Want – does not overstate its importance to guests of the Norman Rockwell Museum and instead, continues Rockwell’s work through food as an art form.

Rockwell, “without thinking too much about it in specific terms,” showed the America he “knew and observed to others who might have not noticed.” He stated that his fundamental purpose was to ”interpret the typical American” as he was a “story teller” and he did not fail us. The Terrace Café is an extension of his influence.