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EXPERIENCE SOUTH FLORIDA’S MUSEUM DINING SCENE WHERE CULINARY DELIGHTS MEET ARTISTIC SIGHTS.
Imagine sitting in a lush garden surrounded by a verdant landscape of towering trees and tropical foliage juxtaposed with stunning sculptures. This is the serene start to a dining experience at The Restaurant at the Norton, the art museum’s contemporary American concept. The West Palm Beach institution, founded in 1941 by steel tycoon Ralph Hubbard Norton and his wife Elizabeth, now has 8,200 pieces within its permanent European, American, Chinese, Contemporary and Photography collections spread across its 6.3-acre campus. In 2019, it emerged from an impressive renovation that included 12,000 square feet of new galleries, The Restaurant, and its 37,000-square-foot sculpture garden. Since then, the museum’s culinary destination has been operated by Constellation Culinary Group (CCG), which oversees dining in 19 other institutions like the Philadelphia Museum of Art and the New York Botanical Garden.
The 165-seat restaurant offers patrons an idyllic space to fuel up before heading into the museum or rest weary limbs By Christie Galeano-DeMott after an art expedition. The terrace immerses patrons in the sculpture garden among pieces like Fernand Lége’s Le Tournesol. However, in our fiery summer months, the uncompromised views from the cool dining room’s floorto-ceiling windows are equally as appealing. Chef Elgin Woodman, CCG’s executive chef, has a hand in creating stunning seasonal dishes for the group’s collection of restaurants. For the Norton Museum of Art, Woodman looked to partner with local Gratitude Farms to create a Wild Mushroom Tart. Woodman explains that while it’s a draw to her vegetarian patrons, it’s hearty enough to be enjoyed as a meal by everyone. The tart is served on parsnip purée, a sweet balance to the mushroom’s earthiness. It’s then topped with crisp frisée salad in a truffle vinaigrette that adds a hint of texture and bitterness to each bite. Other refreshing summer dishes that should not be missed include Woodman’s heirloom tomato and burrata appetizer and citrusy ceviche.
South Florida’s summers can be brutal, so the Museum Café invites guests in for icy and refreshing ice cream floats all season long. If you happen to be caught in the museum during one of our frequent rainstorms, the Café hosts a “when it pours, we pour” wine special with 2-4-1 sips. It has a similar offering on the first Thursday of every month during the museum’s free admission day. Its savory selections include warm and cold sandwiches and fresh salads. For coffee lovers, it recently debuted an Affogato Italian coffee treat made with Illy Espresso, vanilla ice cream, and topped with whipped cream.
After five years of dishing out superb dishes celebrating Spain’s Côte Basque, Leku continues to flourish, welcoming in a community of art and food lovers into its blossoming garden, a verdant foyer for the contemporary museum’s 36 galleries. To lead LEKU into its next chapter, lauded chef Carlos Garcia joined the team last year, and together with restauranteurs Jeffery Chodorow and Terry Zarikian, they refashioned the Allapattah concept into LEKU Fish & Garden. Garcia, whose resume boasts stints at Michelinstarred kitchens throughout Europe, brings a new level of sophistication to the menu – while also staying true to its Basque DNA with Leku classics like the croquetas, 5-Jotas ham service, arroz de setas and gambas al ajillo.
Honoring Miami’s waterfront setting, LEKU Fish & Garden combines locally sourced ingredients with Basque lavors and traditions, like tinned seafood, housemade pickled tuna, and seafood charcuterie. A standout is the Tartar de Vieira. “My inspiration for the scallop tartare comes from my admiration for the sweet Hokkaido scallops and the vibrant culinary traditions of the cideries in Northern Spain,” he explained. “This dish marries finely diced green apple—a nod to Basque cider—with the unique textures of Tobiko, a crunchy Japanese fish roe, crispy fried onion for a sinful crackle, and the luxurious sea urchin, cherished in both Japan and the Basque-Galicia seacoast.”
Garcia is also bringing vegetables to the foreground by working with local farms and purveyors to create a garden menu with dishes like the roasted artichoke with basil oil and saffron emulsion and smoked mushroom tartar. “Diners today appreciate the creativity and skill required to transform humble vegetables into extraordinary dishes, and that’s exactly what we aim to deliver,” he said.
