Time for a new blog series on afternoon tea, my new favorite activity. Not everywhere I go is has a traditional tea service but there is still a sit-down experience to enjoy a hot beverage and treat. It feels good to do that sometimes, especially when I normally eat standing in the kitchen while cooking. I’ll start my series with my visit to Blue Bottle Coffee Bar at the Museum of Modern Art.
In October I went to the MoMA on a free day. What would have been cost for admission now went towards dessert! Next to the rooftop garden, Blue Bottle Coffee has a little shop where you can get coffee, tea, hot cocoa as you would at any other location. What makes this particular spot special is the dessert menu inspired by paintings in the museum. Pastry Chef Caitlin Freeman’s creations are quirky and playful. Her most famous piece is the Mondrian Cake so I went with that.
It is a bit pricey but there is quite a bit of work that goes into this design. Photographer Ted Selby just released his book, Edible Selby chronicling his food travels. The Mondrian Cake is beautifully photographed in-the-making. This “white” velvet cake is made in the 3 primary colors shown above and then baked in long strips. Each strip is enrobed in ganache, then assembled to form the mosaic and the entire piece is enrobed, chilled and sliced.
How did it taste? I ate each square piece of the design one by one so I could savor the effort that went into making it. The texture was similar to pound cake but not as rich. I imagine there is more use of egg white than yolk, if any in order to keep the cake as white as possible. It is decently moist and the ganache definitely pairs well with the cake. I must say the coating was the perfect thickness.
The grilled cheese presentation made me smile. It is a pretty literal interpretation of a Jasper Johns piece. In the exhibition there is a slate slab with a grilled cheese in the middle. When you order, the sandwich actually comes on the painted wood slab. So fun and I’m sure delicious. Acme Bread with cheddar and gruyere cheese. Yum.
Indian Summer was at its finest that day so I took my tray out to the rooftop garden. This “garden” was slightly disappointing only because it wasn’t quite as grand as the MoMA in New York. Here it is a concrete outdoor patio, which on an afternoon with such lovely weather, it was perfect.
I have to compliment the tableware here. The Mondrian Cake is on a white square plate from Heath Ceramics, based just up north in Sausalito. I love all their ceramics. The clear tea pot and sleek glass are ultra-modern, unfortunately I didn’t inspect them closely enough to see where they’re from.
A great way to have afternoon tea in a non-fussy way and would make a great date as well!
Blue Bottle Coffee Bar at the SF MoMA
151 Third Street
San Francisco, CA 94103
No Comments