Art and Lunch at the Frick Collection

By Billa

How would you like to eat lunch in a billionaire’s mansion after admiring his extensive art collection?

The Frick Museum, on Manhattan’s Upper East Side, is the former mansion of the industrialist Henry Clay Frick who made his fortune in steel in the 1800’s. Frick was an art patron who managed to amass close to 1000 works of art - paintings, sculptures, and decorative items. He died in 1919, leaving a will that directed that his 5th Avenue mansion with all its works of art become a museum open to the public.

The museum first opened in 1935. Recently, it re-opened after undergoing an expansive renovation.

Mistress and Maid by Johannes Vermeer

The main exhibition now showcased in the Museum is called Vermeer’s Love Letters. It depicts three of the Dutch master’s paintings of women writing letters. (Two of these Vermeers are on loan from other museums.)

One of the new additions to the museum is a 60-seat restaurant called Westmoreland Cafe (named after the Frick family’s private railroad car). There was no restaurant at the museum before so it’s a welcome change. The restaurant received positive reviews online.

So, being fans of good art and good food, we (my husband Martin and I) decided to pay the museum a visit this past week.

Photos are not allowed inside the museum. We walked around looking and admiring the Vermeer paintings in the exhibit, plus works by Rembrandt, Velazquez, Goya, and many other old European masters. There were also many amazing bronze and marble sculptures on view.

At lunchtime, we went upstairs to dine in the sleek new cafe. For drinks, the menu listed alcoholic beverages and mocktails, no juices or sodas. I ordered a “citrus refresh.” It was just mandarin juice and mint. Not sure if it qualifies as a mocktail, but it was very refreshing, not as acidic as some citrus juices, and the mint complemented the juice nicely. Martin ordered the “ruby bliss,” which was basically pomegranate juice with cinnamon and lemon added. He enjoyed its sweet/tart taste.

For my main course, I chose the avocado toast. Visually, it was the most exquisite version of this dish I’ve ever seen. The bright green of the avocado, pink and red pansy flowers, and the dark brown of the pistachio butter presented a beautiful, appetizing tableau. And the taste was sublime. I loved the contrast of the slightly sweet and spicy pistachio, honey, and chili butter with the creamy, earthy avocado flavor. There were also bits of pistachio nuts which made for a nice textural addition.

Martin had a very classic salad Niçoise with tuna, potatoes, haricots vert, and hard boiled eggs. He much enjoyed its various flavors and textures.

For dessert, we shared a “mousse au chocolate duo”, which consisted of dark and white chocolate mousses topped with dark chocolate shavings. It was decadent and smooth and not overly sweet, just the way I like it.

Overall, a very nice outing.