Friday, June 14, 2013

[EID Preview] The Cultural Living Room at the DIA

All photos by Nicole Rupersburg.

The newly-renovated Cultural Living Room inside the Kresge Court at the Detroit Institute of Arts opens to the public this morning at 10 a.m. Food media members were invited to a sneak peek of the new cafe concept and menu on Thursday, when we also got a first look at Patrick Thompson's stunning modern-meets-traditional design. This project was funded through a grant from ArtSpace.

For more detail about the concept and design, check out this story I wrote this week for Model D.


The space is meant to be a cultural hangout - a place to hold meetings, read a book, study, or do some work. All seats have access to an electrical outlet and there is free WiFi. There is also a cafe that serves a nice selection of sandwiches, salads, and small plates. Exquisitely-sourced seasonal items include micro greens and other beautiful produce from the Chef's Garden in Huron, OH (used by chefs all over the Midwest), organic hormone-free chicken, a variety of charcuterie and farmstead cheeses, and house-made desserts. There are also several vegetarian and vegan selections available. They will serve coffee and teas from Starbucks as well as a selection of local beer and wine and will have happy hour on Fridays. Food and beverage service is provided by Sodexo.

But, a picture is worth a thousand words so I will spare you further lengthy descriptions and instead give you this first look inside!


Assorted vegetables from the Chef's Garden.
'Wich Came First? Herb pulled chicken salad, free range egg, shredded kale, tomato, tarragon mayonnaise.
Artichoke, radish, black olive aioli, flatbread. Part of the Tasty Triptych selection.
Italian pudding - bittersweet chocolate and olive oil custard with caramelized pine nuts and sea salt.

For more photos of this stunning space, check out the Flickr set here.