Museum Cafes You Must Try

Gone are the days when museum cafés stocked packaged sandwiches that tasted as old as the artwork on display. Indeed, a new crop of restaurants is turning museum eating into its own special form of art:

America Eats Tavern Even the ketchup tells a story at José Andrés's weeks-old pop-up in Washington, D.C. Opened in conjunction with the National Archives' exhibition on American food, the menu is a collection of classic national dishes, including original versions of contemporary favorites-such as Vermicelli Prepared Like Pudding (an ancestor of macaroni and cheese)–plus dishes from the first Joy of Cooking.

Untitled Manhattan's Whitney Museum tackles the classic coffee shop with this new café from Danny Meyer and team. Led by the former sous chef at Gramercy Tavern, the kitchen prepares all-day breakfast dishes such as huckleberry pancakes and poached eggs over grits. Family-style weekend dinner features three courses made with local market ingredients.

Gala Café This new café at the Salvador Dalí Museum in St. Petersburg, Florida, was named for the wife of the surrealist painter. Executive chef Tyson Grant prepares an entirely Spanish menu, which includes pork bocadillos, gazpacho and Spanish crumb cookies to pair with drinks such as Estrella beer and cava.

?Editor's note: America Eats Tavern has closed.