Tag: Shrimp

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Worcester Art Museum Welcomes Outdoor Dining with Monet

Mac and Cheese available at the Worcester Art Museum in Worcester, MA

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).

The deep roots of the Worcester Art Museum’s ties to the livelihood of artistic expression are undeniable. From its first purchases of Claude Monet and Paul Gauguin’s works, the Worcester Art Museum established itself as the forerunner of America’s art obsession. With an eye for talent and at the epicenter of rare masterpieces, it is a mystery why the WAM is one of the most underrated art institutions in mainstream America. While many hear the stories of the museum’s infamous robbery – works like The Brooding Woman and Head of a Woman by Paul Gauguin, Mother and Child by Pablo Picasso and St. Bartholomew by Rembrandt stolen by two masked men in 1972 – their experience within the museum walls will tell a story of enriching history, classical art and the profound connection WAM maintains to the ever-changing art culture. A connection, so profound, that it inspires the phrase: food is art.

The Asian Sweet Shrimp Sauté from the Worcester Art Museum in Worcester, MA
The Asian Sweet Shrimp Sauté from the Worcester Art Museum in Worcester, MA

Before standing in awe in front of Monet’s Waterlilies and Gauguin’s The Brooding Woman, a visit to the naturally serene outdoor dining space is necessary to fully understand how the WAM doesn’t just embrace art but embeds it in every crevice of its establishment. From the carefully plotted trees and plants to the Community Mosaic wall display by artist Kim Emerson, the courtyard is the embodiment of living art. The menu at the Museum Café speaks to the WAM’s appreciation of nature with dishes like the Strawberry and Baby Spinach salad – a salad with goat cheese, toasted almonds, red onion and honey lemon dressing.

Inevitably, dishes named after Monet – an ever-changing palette of ingredients to complement the freshly prepared chicken salad or grilled chicken breast, served on a bed of seasonal greens – and Warhol – a crisp apple-smoked BLT – adorn the menu with permanency. Their names roll off the tongue when ordering, as their works bring about a certain admiration. Elevating the WAM’s collection of 35,000 art pieces to include the first works of Monet and the incredibly famous Campbell’s Soup Can by Andy Warhol, the Museum Café is a tribute to the greats.

Al Fresco dining in the Courtyard of the Worcester Art Museum's Cafe in Worcester, MA
Al Fresco dining in the Courtyard of the Worcester Art Museum’s Cafe in Worcester, MA

In continuous fashion, the WAM also pays respect to the diverse community of Worcester with dishes like the Asian Sweet Shrimp Saute – sweet shrimp in a baked wonton cup with rice noodles and vegetables, served alongside a cabbage slaw – and the Sarto Two, (a dedication to Andrea Del Sarto, painter of the Saint John the Baptist) – a roasted eggplant with grilled peppers, basil, pesto, and a blend of Italian cheeses.

Speaking to all walks of life, from children to adults, and from novice art seekers to art enthusiasts, the Museum Café caters to the creation of expression. All meals are plated carefully to bring about the innate aesthetics of food. With art infused in its flavors, culinary cuisines, and menu names, the Worcester Art Museum holds true to its passion for art preservation.

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The Chameleon Looks to Change Restaurant Row

Korean Pork Fat from The Chameleon on Shrewsbury Street in Worcester, MA

When The Chameleon opened its doors on June 29th at the infamous 166 Shrewsbury Street incubator, the structure was already tainted with scandal. Walking in with fresh eyes was the only way to see The Chameleon as a unique newcomer to Restaurant Row but with the interior giving off the same feel as its previous resident, it was hard to do so. With the tables and booths, arranged in the same order and not far from the décor of The Usual, it was difficult to shake off the feeling of Déjà vu.

The bar, per most restaurants, was the highlight of the space but for odd reasons. While most restaurant bars are lined with patrons ordering their favorite cocktails, this bar was lined with staff members and a few non-eating visitors. With so many available dining tables during the evening visit, one must wonder what was behind the infatuation with sitting at the bar despite the bar not serving alcohol on opening night.

Smoked Shrimp Cocktail from The Chameleon on Shrewsbury Street in Worcester, MA
Smoked Shrimp Cocktail from The Chameleon on Shrewsbury Street in Worcester, MA

From its name to its menu displays, The Chameleon looks to change the way people dine on Restaurant Row. With tablets for menus, foodies can intertwine their affection for food and technology through a visual display of food options. But when you have a visual display of expectations, it’s important to live up to that photo and in this case, they did not. The visual impact of food is crucial. It sets the tone of expectations and leaves customers salivating until the dish’s arrival but when the photo does not reflect the dish, it leaves an empty feeling of confusion and mistrust.

From the neatly prepared Pineapple Meatballs, Smoked Shrimp Cocktail, and Korean Pork Fat to the Mama’s Crispy Bowl, the visual photos, beautifully portrayed on the tablet menu – in High-Definition, of course – did not meet the actual presentation of the dishes. The Pineapple Meatballs, shown as bite-sized meatball served with a toothpick for easy eating – was served in an iron-cast skillet with only four meatballs in a not-so-small­ portion. The Korean Pork Fat – displayed on the tablet as small chucks of well-rubbed pork fat – arrived as three bacon-like cut pieces with marinated veggies and pineapple (the pineapple was infused in most dishes). While the savior was the dessert – a simple Cocoa Krispies bowl topped with vanilla ice cream, fudge, whipped cream and an inevitable cherry – it was another dish that did not reflect the stock photo on the menu.

While some disappointment laid in between the slides of the tablet menu, the biggest disappointment was the treatment of customers. When arriving, customers were simply told to “sit anywhere” and considering the place was empty at 8:59 pm – it did not seem like a terrible gesture. But as the bar became a popular seating area for staffers and non-eating customers, actual paying customers were not greeted at the door and instead received the yelling phrase of “sit anywhere” from the bartender – who was preoccupied talking to non-eating visitors at the bar.

Attention to customers is the epicenter of success in a restaurant business. It helps form the menu inspiration, the atmosphere and the epic word of mouth phenomenon that can boost the levels of success in a restaurant hub and when restaurant owners lose sight of that, they lose sight of what’s important. The Chameleon may be emphasizing the phrase, a photo is worth a thousand words, but the only two words we could think of are: do over.

Cocoa Krispies bowl topped with vanilla ice cream, fudge, whipped cream and an inevitable cherry from The Chameleon on Shrewsbury Street in Worcester, MA
Cocoa Krispies bowl topped with vanilla ice cream, fudge, whipped cream and an inevitable cherry from The Chameleon on Shrewsbury Street in Worcester, MA