The Morgan Announces Redesign Of Its Popular Cafe And The Introduction Of New Exhibition-Themed Menu Items

Opening on Friday, May 23, 2014

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May 20, 2014, 11:21 ET

NEW YORK, May 20, 2014 /PRNewswire/ -- The Morgan Library & Museum is pleased to announce the unveiling of a redesigned Morgan Cafe on Friday, May 23. The new look—the first since the Cafe opened in 2006—features red accents throughout that take their cue from the reds that architects Charles McKim and Renzo Piano used in their celebrated work at the Morgan. The Cafe furniture will dramatically change as well, with the introduction of stylish square tables and walnut chairs.

A revamped menu, developed in collaboration with Restaurant Associates, features traditional Morgan dishes along with a variety of new food and beverage selections. Enjoy the popular Morgan Tea, a cocktail inspired by literature, or special entrees associated with the museum's exhibitions. Newly designed menu cards are highlighted with the names of artists, writers, historical figures, and composers whose works are found in the Morgan's renowned collections.

"Lunch or afternoon tea at the Cafe is one of the true joys of a visit to the Morgan," said William M. Griswold, Director of the Museum. "The Cafe's new look thematically connects to the Morgan's notable architecture and its menu links patrons to the Gilded Age and to the museum's exhibition program. Since its opening, the Cafe has grown in popularity every year. We feel the redesign will make it even more integral to the museum experience."

This summer, the Cafe will introduce several new food items and specialty drinks, including a luncheon called "A Walk in the Park," a nod to a new summer drawings exhibition titled A Dialogue with Nature. With overtones of picnic-like fare, it includes chilled minted pea soup, a roast beef baguette with arugula, roasted tomato, stilton aioli, and rose wine.

Another summer exhibition celebrates modern American literature, and the Cafe will introduce a contemporary version of the brandy-based classic Jack Rose, a favorite of the author John Steinbeck and a drink memorably consumed by the protagonist Jake Barnes in Ernest Hemingway's unforgettable The Sun Also Rises.

New offerings will also pay homage to Pierpont Morgan, the museum's founder. A cocktail called "Onward & Upward"—the Morgan family motto—will include premium Bluecoat American gin and Argueso manzanilla sherry. Mr. Morgan often enjoyed a drink with close associates and friends at the end of the day, and this custom will be commemorated with a new cocktail called "A Gilded Manhattan," featuring a choice of Angel's Envy rye or bourbon with Balaton cherries and 23 karat gold dust.

The relaunch of the Cafe coincides with the opening of the Morgan's summer exhibition season. In addition to Gatsby to Garp: Modern Masterpieces from the Carter Burden Collection, which opens on May 20, and A Dialogue with Nature: Romantic Landscapes from Britain and Germany, opening May 30, the museum will present a show of Renaissance illuminated manuscripts (which also debuts on May 30) and a selection of some of the world's greatest works of art, literature, and music from Oxford University's famous Bodleian Library. Opening June 6, the show is titled Marks of Genius.

The Morgan Library & Museum
The Morgan Library & Museum began as the private library of financier Pierpont Morgan, one of the preeminent collectors and cultural benefactors in the United States. Today, more than a century after its founding in 1906, the Morgan serves as a museum, independent research library, musical venue, architectural landmark, and historic site. In October 2010, the Morgan completed the first-ever restoration of its original McKim building, Pierpont Morgan's private library, and the core of the institution. In tandem with the 2006 expansion project by architect Renzo Piano, the Morgan now provides visitors unprecedented access to its world-renowned collections of drawings, literary and historical manuscripts, musical scores, medieval and Renaissance manuscripts, printed books, and ancient Near Eastern seals and tablets.

About Restaurant Associates
Restaurant Associates is recognized as the nation's premier hospitality company, operating over 140 prestigious locations. Restaurant Associates, based in New York City, provides premium food services to museums, performing arts centers, aquariums, corporate dining, educational facilities and off-premise catering events in New York City, Boston, Hartford, Atlanta, Washington D.C. and Philadelphia. Restaurant Associates is a subsidiary of Compass Group, North America, the world's leading foodservice organization.

SOURCE Restaurant Associates