"Edward Hopper" Exhibition Inspires Offerings in National Gallery of Art Restaurants through January 21, 2008

Washington, DC—Inspired by the Edward Hopper exhibition, three of the National Gallery of Art restaurants—the Garden Café, Terrace Café, and Cascade Café—are offering special menus while the show is on view through January 21, 2008. In an effort to create a unique dining experience for every dining style, each restaurant is presenting a different twist on the same theme.

The Garden Café
West Building, Ground Floor
Monday–Saturday: 11:30 a.m. to 3:00 p.m.
Sunday: 12 noon to 4:00 p.m.

Edward Hopper spent almost every summer of his artistic career in New England and painted many views of sailing, majestic Maine lighthouses, and historic architecture of Gloucester and Cape Cod. In celebration of the Edward Hopper exhibition and Hopper’s New England roots, the Garden Café is offering a New England–style buffet and an à la carte menu intended to evoke images of coastal scenes and sailboats in the minds of visitors as they dine in the verdant setting of the Garden Café.

Buffet selections include wild mushroom quiche, smoked salmon, roasted heirloom squash with fried sage leaves, Hudson Valley foie gras flan, Berkshire sausage stew, roasted apples, and Boston brown bread. The à la carte menu offers lobster bisque garnished with sherry crème fraiche, chives and lobster medallions; iceberg wedge with artisanal blue cheese and applewood smoked bacon with pickled red onions; New England seafood roll with crab, lobster, and shrimp in a spiced mayonnaise with crispy onions; Cabernet braised short ribs served in a puff pastry with whipped potatoes and sautéed vegetables. Among the dessert offerings are pumpkin cheesecake with a hazelnut tuile served with caramel sauce, chocolate bread pudding with caramelized bananas served with crème anglaise, and pear and walnut galette with maple pastry cream.

The Terrace Café
Upper Level, East Building
Through January 21, 2008
Saturdays and Sundays: 12 noon to 2:30 p.m.

The Terrace Café overlooks the monumental mobile by Alexander Calder and the entrance to Edward Hopper. The Café is offering prepackaged light fare from cases reminiscent of the automat eateries popular in New York from 1910 to the 1960s. Such restaurants were the subject of one of Hopper’s most iconic paintings—Automat (1927)—which is on view in the exhibition. Menu highlights include Cobb salad, Chinese chop salad, specialty sandwiches made with farmhouse bread including "homemade" meatloaf, and assorted deep-dish and cream pies. Guests may select from a full beverage service that includes soft drinks in "classic bottles" and hot beverages in diner-style coffee mugs. Background music from the era will also help set the mood.

The Cascade Café
Concourse, East Building
Monday through Saturday: 11:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m.
Sunday: 11:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m.

The Cascade Café, with a view of the cascade fountain, features classic daily "Blue Plate Specials and diner-style coffee mugs popular in the 1950s. The menu, which changes daily, features meatloaf, pork chops, chicken potpie, Yankee pot roast, turkey à la king, baked stuffed tilapia, and chop suey. Desserts include deep-dish apple pie, Boston cream pie, whoopee pie, and banana cream pie. The full beverage service offers sodas in "classic" bottles and freshly squeezed lemonade.